Eastern Michigan out to prove a point in tourney
By Zach Swartz, Staff Writer
March 5, 2007 | 12:39 p.m.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles came into this year's Mid-American Conference Tournament seeking to prove that they are not the sub-par team they demonstrated during the regular season. The Eagles, who compiled just 12 wins overall going 6-10 in MAC play, are looking to improve.
No. 8 seed Eastern Michigan is set to take on No. 9 seed Ball State (9-21, 5-11 MAC) this Wednesday. The Eagles defeated the Cardinals twice in the regular season. On Jan. 13 in Muncie, Ind., Eastern's Jesse Bunkley netted six 3-PT field goals and tallied 22 points to carry the Eagles to a four-point win over the Cardinals. In the Eagles' 10-point victory over Ball State in February, the Eagles held the Cardinals to a 31.6 percent shooting performance from the field.
However, Ypsilanti native, Eastern Michigan alum and second-year coach Charles Ramsey is trying not to rely on his team's previous successes.
"It doesn't matter what we did against Ball State earlier in the year,” Ramsey said. “I'm trying to get that point to our kids."
Eastern Michigan's major struggle this season was playing on the road. Earning a victory in just three of their eight MAC road games, Eastern won only one non-conference game away from their Convocation Center -- a game in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 11 against Central Connecticut State. Still, the Eagles look to match up well against the Cardinals.
Sophomore Carlos Medlock and junior Jesse Bunkley lead the team in scoring with 13.2 and 10.9 points per game, respectively, but it is freshman guard Devon Dumes who has been coming on lately for the Eagles. In his last two games, Dumes has put up 34 points while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and going 8-14 from behind the three-point line.
"[Dumes] gave us a great lift," Ramsey said.
Medlock and Bunkley have combined for 46 points against the Cardinals this season, and junior guard Jarred Axon put up 16 against them on Feb. 25. The green-and-white will be sure to utilize their above average backcourt, which averages 7.5 3-PT per game and shoots 35.9% from long range, if they want to pull out a win on Wednesday.
Despite Dumes' stellar performances recently, the Eagles are coming off yet another road loss to the lowly Northern Illinois Huskies (7-22, 4-12 MAC) this past Sunday. Nevertheless, Ramsey and his Eagles will be sure to focus only on their upcoming match-up, not the previous ones.
No. 8 seed Eastern Michigan and No. 9 seed Ball State face off in the first game of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Wednesday at 1 p.m.
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