Tuesday's MAC Men's Basketball Results

MUNCIE, Ind. – Despite a game-high 25 points from senior forward Jarrod Jones (Michigan City, Ind./Michigan City), the Ball State men’s basketball team suffered a 70-58 setback to Mid-American Conference East Division rival Akron in a battle of divisional leaders Tuesday evening at Worthen Arena.

Jones came out strong for the Cardinals (12-6, 4-2 MAC), scoring the game’s first nine points and going 5-for-5 early on including a pair of three-pointers. Jones’ game-high 25 points, marking the ninth time he has scored 20-or-more points in a game this season, came on 9-of-16 shooting with a pair of threes and a 5-for-6 effort at the free throw line. He also paced all players with nine rebounds, including five offensive boards.

Senior guard Randy Davis (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) also scored in double digits for BSU with 11 points.

Four Zips (13-7, 5-1 MAC) scored in double figures with 16 each from Brian Walsh and Quincy Diggs. Alex Abreu chipped in 12 points, while Demetrius Treadwell tallied 11.

The Cardinals held a 30-27 advantage at the half, thanks in part to a strong defensive effort which forced the Zips into 12 turnovers. BSU capitalized with 14 points off the UA giveaways. Unfortunately, the Akron offense found its rhythm in the second half, committing just five turnovers and outscoring BSU 43-28 over the final 20 minutes.

Akron finished the game shooting 47.9 percent from the floor, including a 51.9 rate of success in the second stanza. BSU finished the game with a 36.2 shooting mark. 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team dropped a road contest to Mid-American Conference East opponent, University at Buffalo. Despite trailing by just one at the half the Eagles were unable to hold the Bulls at bay in the second-half and fell 65-47, Tuesday night, Jan. 24 at Alumni Arena. With the loss the Eagles fell to 9-11 (4-2 MAC) on the season.

Eastern struggled from the field shooting just 16-of-47 from the field for 34.0 percent, but shot 14.3 percent from beyond the arc as they dropped their second MAC game of the season.

Darrell Lampley (Linden, N.J.-Linden-Lakeland C.C.) was the high-scorer for EMU after dropping 14.  Quintin Dailey (Las Vegas, Nev.-Bishop Gorman-Sheridan (Wyo.) J.C.) added 10 while Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud) chipped-in with seven points of his own. Da'Shonte Riley (Detroit, Mich.-Country Day-Syracuse) was a defensive standout with a career-high seven blocks, while adding eight rebounds in the Eagles' loss. Riley's seven blocks also tied him for second-most by an EMU player in a single game.

Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) opened the scoring by knocking down a pair of free-throws at the 18:12 mark, giving the Eagles the early 2-0 edge.  The Bulls responded taking a 5-2 lead after Zach Filzen knocked down a deep-three ball. Buffalo extended their edge by going on a 15-3 run taking a double-digit lead, 15-5, at 12:04.

Lampley knocked down three straight buckets for seven Eagles' points in a row, bringing the Green and White to within five, 14-19, near the eight minute mark in the opening half.

Green gave the Eagles their first lead since the 16:58 mark by hitting a triple from the corner with 3:50 remaining, making it 23-22 in favor of the Green and White.

The Bulls ended the half by taking a 24-23 lead on a Titus Robinson dunk with eight seconds left on the clock.

Lampley led the way for Eastern offensively in the opening half with seven points, while Harris added five. As a team, the Eagles shot just 32.0 percent and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, but they were able to hold the Bulls to just a 29.6 shooting percentage and 27.3 percent from three-point land.

Buffalo ran out to a nine-point lead to start the second-half after completing an early 14-6 run, making it 38-29. Filzen extended the Bulls' lead to 14 when he hit a pair of three-balls to make it 44-30 with 11:09 left in the game.

After being called for a flagrant foul on an elbow to the face of Eastern's Antoine Chandler (Winsdor, Ontario-W.F. Herman Secondary) Buffalo's Tony Watson hit a deep three-pointer to give the Bulls a 49-35 lead with under eight minutes to play.

Mitchell Watt extended the UB lead to 16 on a dunk to put the Bulls on-top 57-41. The Eagles were unable to surmount a comeback and fell by a final tally 65-47 at Alumni Arena.

The Eagles continue to battle MAC East foes Saturday, Jan. 28, when they play host to the Bowling Green State University Falcons. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. at the Convocation Center on the campus of Eastern Michigan.