Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan
Eagles Win Foulfest, 81-75
2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2006
YPSILANTI - In a game that featured 53 fouls, the Eastern Michigan University Eagles made more free throws than Central Michigan University attempted while posting a 81-75 victory over the visiting Chippewas.
The home team went 29-for-34 from the line for 85 percent while the Chippewas toed the stripe 23 times while hitting 17 freebies for 74 percent.
EMU's win was its first in MAC play this season (1-9) while the Eagles improve to 4-13 overall. The Chippewas fall to 3-16, 1-10 in the MAC.
CMU was without head coach Jay Smith who made the trip down to Ypsilanti on Tuesday but returned to Mount Pleasant on Wednesday because of continuing health issues.
The Eagles' John Bowler tallied his usual double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Seven of his caroms were on the offensive glass and he went 12-for-15 from the line.
"Bowler was the difference in the game," CMU assistant coach Lamar Chapman said. "He took it to us inside and later he opened things up a lot for the other perimeter guys."
The Chippewas gave up 81 points, 15 more than their defensive average entering the game. However, 35 percent of them came from the stripe.
"I thought we would have done a better job defensively against EMU," Chapman said. "We made our shots tonight, we just didn't bring the fight on the defensive end."
Sefton Barrett led the Chippewas with 21 points and five rebounds while Eddie Spencer and Chris Kellerman tallied 14 points apiece. Justin Blevins hit double digits for the third straight game with 12 points.
Giordan Watson was the only starter who didn't score in double figures for the Maroon and Gold, but he dished out a career-high 13 assists.
CMU won the battle of the boards, 34-33, with 16 of the Chippewas' caroms coming on the offensive glass.
Eastern led by as many as 10 in the first half before CMU cut the lead to just five at the break, 39-34. The Eagles went on a 8-0 run to start the second half but the home team racked up some quick fouls and CMU got into the bonus early in the second half and was able to trim EMU's lead down to just one with just over seven minutes left.
CMU never tied the game in the later half but was able to get within one point on two other occasions. The last time came with 2:31 remaining on a pair of free throws by Kellermann that made it 72-71. The Eagles iced the game by going 9-for-10 from the line in final two and a half minutes.
EMU's win snapped a 10-game losing streak while CMU has now dropped 11 of its last 12.
The Chippewas are at Toledo on Saturday, Feb. 4, for a 7 p.m. tipoff in Savage Hall.
NOTES:
- CMU's .463 field goal percentage was its top mark on the road this season.
- Giordan Watson's 13 assists tied for second on CMU's single-game list. The school record is 16 set by Derrick Richmond against Youngstown State in 1988. Two others have also dished out 13 assists in a game.
- CMU's last three losses have all been by six points or less.
- It was CMU's first loss this season when scoring 66 or more points in regulation (3-1).
- The Chippewas' 75 points were the most they've scored since posting 89 against Rochester College.
- Giordan Watson and Sefton Barrett both scored their 250th points of the season in the contest.
