Central Michigan University Athletics
Eagles Outlast Chippewas in Double Overtime, 84-77
1/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
YPSILANTI, Mich. Jordan Bitzer poured in a career-high 21 points and the Central Michigan men’s basketball team hit a pair of late three-pointers to extend the game past regulation, but the Chippewas fell to Eastern Michigan, 84-77, in double overtime at the Convocation Center on Tuesday night.
Bitzer fell one rebound shy of his second straight double-double while also dishing out a team-high four assists. He also recorded a steal and blocked a shot. He is the sixth Chippewa to score 20 points or more this season.
The Chippewas led for the majority of the first half, jumping ahead 20-10 at the midway point of the opening stanza. However, the Eagles fought back and trimmed the CMU lead to 32-28 at the break.
Central went into a drought coming out of the break, the Chippewas went scoreless for the first 7:28 as Eastern took a 40-32 lead.
While CMU never trailed by any more than eight points the rest of the way, it did not get the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead for most of the second half. A triple by Zane Gay with 1:04 remaining in regulation appeared to put the Eagles in control at 55-47.
The Chippewas were still down 57-53 with 29 seconds remaining when Robbie Harman drained a trey of his own to cut the deficit to one with 11 ticks on the clock. EMU again looked to have the game locked up when Wendale Farrow got behind the CMU press with a clear path to the basket and was intentionally fouled by Jacolby Hardiman, giving the Eagles free throws and the ball as Hardiman fouled out on the play.
After a pair of free throws made it a three-point game, Central fouled Brandon Bowdry to send him to the line. Bowdry missed the pair and Harman hit a circus shot from well beyond the three-point line at the buzzer to send the game to overtime tied at 59 apiece.
The first overtime period went back and forth, with neither team going ahead by more than three points. CMU took a 68-66 lead with 1:02 remaining in the frame, but LJ Frazier connected from deep to put the Eagles back in front by one.
After a Chippewa miss, Frazier made a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left to extend the Eagle lead to three. CMU came through in the clutch again when Bitzer nailed a contested three with a dozen seconds on the clock to send the game to another overtime period tied at 71.
EMU jumped ahead 80-74 with 1:52 remaining in the second overtime, but CMU continued to battle back. The Chippewas pulled within three points at 80-77 after Jeremy Allen sank a free throw with 50 seconds remaining.
With the Chippewas needing a stop, Zane drained a three-pointer that finally put the game away for the Eagles.
Four Chippewas finished in double figures led by Bitzer’s 21. Jeremy Allen scored 17 while going 9-for-11 at the foul line before fouling out with five seconds left. Marcus Van scored all 13 of his points in the first half and posted his third career double-double by pulling down 12 rebounds, but fouled out a minute into the first overtime. Harman scored 12 points and went 3-for-7 from deep.
Eastern Michigan also sported four double-digit scorers. Brandon Bowdry recorded a double-double of 22 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Tyler Jones also tallied 22, Gary finished with 13 and Frazier contributed 17 off the EMU bench.
CMU shot 46.4 percent from the floor while EMU connected at a .439 mark. Central also won the rebounded battle (38 to 36) but committed one more turnover (22 to 21) than Eastern. The Eagles won the game by making more three-pointers (8 to 5) and free throws (26 to 20) than the Chippewas.
CMU is off until Saturday when it hosts Ball State as part of a basketball double header at Rose Arena. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m.
Bitzer fell one rebound shy of his second straight double-double while also dishing out a team-high four assists. He also recorded a steal and blocked a shot. He is the sixth Chippewa to score 20 points or more this season.
The Chippewas led for the majority of the first half, jumping ahead 20-10 at the midway point of the opening stanza. However, the Eagles fought back and trimmed the CMU lead to 32-28 at the break.
Central went into a drought coming out of the break, the Chippewas went scoreless for the first 7:28 as Eastern took a 40-32 lead.
While CMU never trailed by any more than eight points the rest of the way, it did not get the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead for most of the second half. A triple by Zane Gay with 1:04 remaining in regulation appeared to put the Eagles in control at 55-47.
The Chippewas were still down 57-53 with 29 seconds remaining when Robbie Harman drained a trey of his own to cut the deficit to one with 11 ticks on the clock. EMU again looked to have the game locked up when Wendale Farrow got behind the CMU press with a clear path to the basket and was intentionally fouled by Jacolby Hardiman, giving the Eagles free throws and the ball as Hardiman fouled out on the play.
After a pair of free throws made it a three-point game, Central fouled Brandon Bowdry to send him to the line. Bowdry missed the pair and Harman hit a circus shot from well beyond the three-point line at the buzzer to send the game to overtime tied at 59 apiece.
The first overtime period went back and forth, with neither team going ahead by more than three points. CMU took a 68-66 lead with 1:02 remaining in the frame, but LJ Frazier connected from deep to put the Eagles back in front by one.
After a Chippewa miss, Frazier made a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left to extend the Eagle lead to three. CMU came through in the clutch again when Bitzer nailed a contested three with a dozen seconds on the clock to send the game to another overtime period tied at 71.
EMU jumped ahead 80-74 with 1:52 remaining in the second overtime, but CMU continued to battle back. The Chippewas pulled within three points at 80-77 after Jeremy Allen sank a free throw with 50 seconds remaining.
With the Chippewas needing a stop, Zane drained a three-pointer that finally put the game away for the Eagles.
Four Chippewas finished in double figures led by Bitzer’s 21. Jeremy Allen scored 17 while going 9-for-11 at the foul line before fouling out with five seconds left. Marcus Van scored all 13 of his points in the first half and posted his third career double-double by pulling down 12 rebounds, but fouled out a minute into the first overtime. Harman scored 12 points and went 3-for-7 from deep.
Eastern Michigan also sported four double-digit scorers. Brandon Bowdry recorded a double-double of 22 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Tyler Jones also tallied 22, Gary finished with 13 and Frazier contributed 17 off the EMU bench.
CMU shot 46.4 percent from the floor while EMU connected at a .439 mark. Central also won the rebounded battle (38 to 36) but committed one more turnover (22 to 21) than Eastern. The Eagles won the game by making more three-pointers (8 to 5) and free throws (26 to 20) than the Chippewas.
CMU is off until Saturday when it hosts Ball State as part of a basketball double header at Rose Arena. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m.
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