The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team entered this season with high hopes, coming off its most successful season in six years under coach Charles Ramsey.
Those hopes might be quickly diminishing as EMU has posted a 3-10 record so far this season.
Losing two of the Eagles’ leading scorers, Carlos Medlock and Justin Dobbins, from a year ago appears to be a bigger problem than anticipated and is most likely the cause of the drop in offensive and defensive production.
The Eagles finished off their non-conference schedule with a 76-60 victory over a good Ferris State University team Tuesday night at the Convocation Center. Only its second win at home this season.
Brandon Bowdry recorded his 30th career double-double posting 18 points and 11 rebounds but got some much needed help as Derek Thompson scored 19 points and Darrell Lampley added 12. Senior Darien Gray led all scorers with 23 for 8-5 Ferris State.
The Eagles fell behind 17-9 before the three pointers started falling bringing them back in to the game and even taking a 39-32 halftime lead as Jay Higgins dropped a long three pointer with just 3.2 seconds left in the first half.
The Eagles continued the hot streak in the second half scoring the first five points after the break. They pushed the lead to 19 with 11:44 left in the game after an Antonio Green three pointer before Ferris State would decide to fight back by hitting some threes of its own.
A 3-pointer by Ferris State’s Kenny Brown cut the Eagles lead to single digits 66-57 with 6:24 left to play but it wouldn’t be enough as the Eagles shooting helped them pull away.
EMU shot 50 percent from the field and made 8-19 three pointers proving that they can, in fact, shoot the basketball.
Last season, the Eagles shot nearly 42 percent from the field while averaging over 66 points per game and holding opponents to 65 points per game. Through 13 games this season, the Eagles are shooting 38 percent from the field and scoring only 62 points per contest and allowing opponents 68 points per game.
MAC EMU MAC MAC MAC MACBut that hasn’t seemed to help the slumping Eagles too much because Bowdry is doing it alone.
At one point this young season, the Eagles went over a month without a win. From November 20 to December 21, they lost all eight games during that stretch and to second-rate teams like 6-7 Canisius and 5-9 Monmouth before beating 7-3 Rochester 82-63 for their second win of the season.
The Eagles only other home win this season came against Madonna in their second game of the season and they are yet to win a road game that isn’t played in a neutral arena.
The Eagles are officially in a must-win situation. EMU has 16 games left in the regular season before the Mid-American Conference tournament and they will have to win 12 of their last 16 games if they want to finish above the .500 mark for the second straight season.
The fact that Bowdry is the only player on the team shooting above 40 percent from the field out of all players with at least 50 shots this season just isn’t good enough if the team isn’t going to play defense. They have to start playing hard-nose defense if they want to even compete in the MAC and avoid a hugely disappointing season.
From here on out, the competition only gets tougher as conference play begins Saturday when EMU takes on Toledo University. The only way the Eagles can finish the season again with a winning record is if Bowdry gets some help on the offensive end and the only way Bowdry will get that much needed help is if his teammates shoot better just like they did against Ferris State University, plain and simple.