By Staff
Central Michigan University dug itself in an early hole and could never recover in an 80-63 loss at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night in the Convocation Center.
The Chippewas scored the first two points of the game but the Eagles then went on a 11-0 run and never looked back.
EMU improved to 7-9, 2-6 in the MAC while the Chippewas fell to 3-15, 0-8 in conference play.
CMU shot just 36 percent from the floor (17-for-49), 26 percent from 3-point range (5-for-19) and 65 percent from the line (24-for-37) in the loss. The Chippewas turned the ball over 22 times for the second straight game. CMU coughed it up 10 times in the first 10 minutes, including four of the first six possessions.
Eastern led by as many as 17 in the first half, 27-10, with 7:10 remaining before CMU trimmed it to 11 at the break, 36-25.
The Eagles stretched their lead to as many as 19 early in the second stanza and they held an 18-point cushion with 8:40 remaining. CMU then went on a 10-1 run to cut it to nine with 4:56 remaining and Joe Carr missed a 3-pointer that could have made it a six-point game on the next possession. The Eagles iced the game after that by milking the clock and going 7-for-8 from the line in the final three minutes.
James Douglas led the Eagles with a career-high 20 points. Markus Austin added 13 and Dan Redder 11 of the bench in the win. The Eagles shot 52 percent from the floor (29-for-56).
The Chippewas were led by Niles High School graduate Gerrit Brigitha's 16 points and eight rebounds. David Hoskins added 13 points and Carr eight.
EMU held a big edge in the paint, outscoring the Chippewas 44-20. The Eagles also outrebounded CMU, 38-30.
CMU travels to Ohio this Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.