YPSILANTI, Mich. — It is official, the new era for Eastern Michigan University basketball open a new chapter in the history book of this proud basketball program.
Friday night, Nov. 11, 2011 inside the coziest basketball arena in the Mid-American Conference and the home of the Eagles with a brand new floor too, the Convocation Center open the door and raised the curtain of the 2011-12 basketball seasons for Eastern Michigan University basketball coach Rob Murphy began his coaching odyssey.
Joining the Eagles on the brand new hardwood a team representing the Horizon League, a team that has something to prove to the rest of the college basketball world that they are better than last season’s record of 7-24, the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames and basketball coach Howard Moore will be searching for the programs first victory against Eastern Michigan University.
The butterflies and the nervousness did subside for both teams and they both settled into the flow of the game and provided the 1,208 fans inside the Convocation Center an entertaining basketball game.
Eastern Michigan University defeated the University of Illinois-Chicago 68-57 starting the new basketball season and Murphy’s career on a winning note.
“What I liked was our guys in the second half, we went down six or eight points at that point of the game and our guys could have folded but our guys hung in there they continued to fight,” Murphy said about his team after the game. “They had some confidence and belief that we were going to win the game.”
“But over all we did not take care of the ball as expected,” Murphy said. “We have many more turnovers than assist so we have to take care of the ball. We started the game well but Matt Balkema getting in foul trouble early hurt he is our inside presence offensively and defensively.”
The Flames defense forced the Eagles into making 15 turnovers.
Balkema did play but Murphy said he needs to know when to foul and when not to foul but it is just the first game.
Balkema fouled out with 1:43 left in the game with 10 points and four rebounds.
Eastern Michigan offense sluggish for most of the first half and Murphy asking the question who is going to take charge and be a floor leader for the Eagles?
Eagle guard Derek Thompson scored 17 points but his present on the court during the second half a noticeable affect for the rest of the Eagles.
“Derek is a gamer and he has games were he scored 30 plus points. He has played a lot of basketball in his career, he is a guy that we believe in that he can make shots,” Murphy said about the play of Thompson. “He does not get enough credit scoring off of the dribble but he was tough and his experience showed today his ability to score and his confidence when we were down and still have the ability to keep on fighting.”
The defense for the Eagles forced the Flames into some mistakes too, Eastern Michigan University used a full court press and then into a 2-3 zone defense that forced the Flames out on the perimeter because the middle became clogged up for University of Illinois-Chicago center Darrin Williams to take advantage of his size.
The Flames did find life in the first half because the Eagles could not score under the basket and both teams went to the locker room under the spell of opening night.
Eastern Michigan University led at half time 27-26 over the Flames.
Moore made some notes too and his team came out of the locker room and back on to the floor with a different game plan for the second half.
The Flames used a back cut that got behind the zone defense and the Flames controlled the backboards.
Murphy took note and the Eagles zone defense packed the middle and the weak side help arrived and Jamell Harris and Kamil Janton forced many shots by the Flames to be altered.
“I learned from one of the best coach Jim Boeheim do not get to high or don’t get to low just let the 40 minutes play out and you continue to execute but you stick with your game plan and more times than not you come out on top,” Murphy said.
Eastern Michigan University will play game number two on the road Tuesday night, November 15, 2011 in Houston, Texas against a very dangerous Texas Southern University.
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Written by Mel Suiter
Graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2002 and have been working as a beat writer for The Ypsilanti Courier covering Eastern Michigan University football and men's basketball during my school career and after graduation.
I like the Mid-American Conference and the rest of the mid-major conferences.
