Eastern Michigan Beats Michigan 45-42
Associated Press
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Eastern Michigan, led by 11 points from Jordan Price, used strong rebounding and a slow shooting night from Michigan to hand the Wolverines their second upset loss at home in four days, beating the crosstown foe 45-42 on Tuesday night.
The Eagles (8-1) shot just 15 of 46 from the field, but hauled in nine offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive and stay within striking distance. Mike Talley added nine points, and Karrington Ward finished with seven, including a 3-pointer with 3 minutes to go that put the Eagles up by three down the stretch.
Caris LeVert scored seven of his 10 points in the second half, but missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 22 seconds to go. Zak Irvin finished with 10, after missing all four of his first-half shots. Derrick Walton added nine, and the Wolverines shot just 32.6 percent from the field.
The Wolverines (6-3) are left reeling. After beating Syracuse 68-65 last Tuesday, they have dropped two straight to New Jersey Institute of Technology and Eastern Michigan.
Eastern Michigan coughed up seven turnovers in the first 7 minutes. But for the second straight game, the Wolverines couldn't take advantage of an opponent's slow start.
Michigan shot just 5 of 19 from the field and 1 of 10 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, at one point missing 12 consecutive attempts, never finding that offensive efficiency that John Beilein-coached teams are known for.
After a 9-0 run gave Eastern Michigan a five-point lead midway through the second half, the Wolverines tried to pull out of the doldrums.
A 3-pointer from Irvin gave Michigan a 40-38 lead at 4:48, but Eastern Michigan closed out the final minutes with Ward's critical 3-pointer and a final nail in the coffin from Price.
Irvin's last-second prayer clanged off the rim, and Eastern Michigan walked away with a win.
TIP-INS
Wolverines: Snapped a 59-game streak with no back-to-back losses, the longest such streak in the Big Ten. ... LeVert, Walton and Irvin are responsible for 61.6 percent of Michigan's scoring this season. ... Spike Albrecht ranks third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.8). ... Michigan's shooting percentage of 26.3 in the first half was its lowest in any half this season.
Eagles: Separated by just a six-mile drive down Washtenaw Ave. from Michigan's Crisler Center. ... Hold a 3-27 record vs. Michigan. ... The first Eagles win over the Wolverines since Dec. 20, 1997, when they pulled off an 89-83 upset in overtime. ... In the midst of a three-game stint against teams that appeared in last season's Elite Eight, losing to Dayton 73-64 last Saturday, losing to Michigan Tuesday and playing at Michigan State next Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Michigan: Travels to Arizona on Saturday.
Eastern Michigan: Travels to Michigan State on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
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