After a successful Thanksgiving week the Eastern Michigan University Eagles returned to action on Tuesday Dec. 2, this time in Indianapolis to take on the Butler University Bulldogs in the legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs, who were undefeated at home entering the matchup, looked to add to their winning streak after being victorious in their last three outings. The team was ranked No. 44 in the newest KenPom rankings, meaning the game would likely be another tough test for the Eagles as they aimed to slow down a high scoring Butler offense that averaged 90 points a game.
Eastern also had a win streak to protect after their upset over the University of Cincinnati and their 18 point victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology during the holiday break. The Eagles aimed for their second straight victory over a “Power 5” opponent — but would fail to secure it in an 84-68 road defeat.
First Half
The Eagles were in all black uniforms as Godslove Nwabude won the tip and the game began.
At the first media timeout the Eagles trailed by one after a Butler three pointer gave them the lead. Eastern continued to control the tempo of the game while also successfully shooting from beyond the arc. Mak Manciel was the first Eagle to hit the hardwood after tussling for a possession with an opposing player that ended up on the ground. The gritty play by Manciel earned Eastern the ball back and kept the game close.
Manciel continued to make his mark on the game, hitting two threes in just five minutes of game time to rally the Eagles and help keep the game in check.
Through the first ten minutes of the game Eastern had managed to keep the turnovers to a minimum — but a shot clock violation and an errant pass allowed the Bulldogs to gain some momentum and build a three point lead with eight minutes left to play in the half. The Eagles were successful in slowing the game down, but Butler continued to respond.
After the Eagles went down 24-20, Carlos Hart came down the floor and hit a massive three, silencing the home crowd and once again bringing the game within one. Following a missed shot and rebound, Eastern once again controlled possession and a corner three by Aidan Rubio gave the Eagles their first lead since the 16 minute mark in the half.
Rubio then stole the ball and found a streaking Addison Patterson who flew in for a dunk in transition, pushing the lead to four as Butler fans looked on.
The lead change woke the Bulldogs up from beyond the arc and they went on a 16-8 run to close the half. Nwabude subbed out with five minutes to go in the half and without the presence of the defensive big man, Butler made its run.
Just before the buzzer for halftime, Manciel hit another crucial three to bring the Eagles within five as they headed to the locker rooms. Manciel and Hart led the scoring for the Eagles, combining for 20 of Eastern’s points and hitting five threes. Mo Habhab struggled, he was 1-of-5 from the floor as he struggled against the physicality of the Bulldogs defense. He only earned four points but found success on the defensive end by filling up the passing lanes.
Eastern shot 86% from three, but only 48% from the floor as the Butler defense refused to let the Eagles score in the paint. Butler had also shot well from the floor which allowed them to take the game into halftime leading 41-36.
Second Half
Butler returned from halftime with the hot hand, scoring six points and quickly increasing their lead. The Eagles were also called for six fouls in the first five minutes of the half, giving the Bulldogs seven more free throws and helping build their lead to 11.
All the momentum had swung in favor of the Bulldogs and they weren’t looking back. Another deep three pushed their lead to 13, forcing Eastern Michigan head coach Stan Heath to call a timeout in an attempt to get his team back in the game.
After the timeout, Habhab gave a beautiful assist to a cutting Nwabude who used two hands to dunk it home. Habhab then caused another Butler turnover before galloping up the floor, backing down his defender, using his spin move, earning the and-1, and knocking down the extra free throw.
A monster poster jam by Addison Patterson was not taken lightly by a Butler defender who was ejected from the game for kicking Patterson after the play. Patterson was given a technical foul for taunting and became public enemy No. 1, getting booed every time he touched the ball by the home fans.
Eastern hoped that the ejection would shift momentum back in favor of the Eagles, but lapses in defensive rotation continued to wound the team.
Butler’s offense refused to slow down and for every point the Eagles would score, the Bulldogs had the answer. With four minutes to go, Butler had built a 17 point lead and all Eastern could do was attempt to hold on and prevent the lead from growing.
Two threes by Merritt Alderink managed to stop some of the bleeding but the Eagles still fell 84-68, putting Eastern at 5-4 on the season as they looked to their next opponent.
Habhab led the scoring for the team with 15 as Patterson, Hart, and Manciel all contributed with 10+ points, making up 70% of the Eagles offense on the night.
What’s Next
The Eastern Michigan Men’s basketball team will return home to the George Gervin GameAbove Center on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to take on Cleary University for their last home game before MAC play begins. The game can be viewed on ESPN+ or listened to on the WEMU Radio Network.
