YPSILANTI, Mich. —- Wednesday night November 23, 2011 inside the friendly and cozy Convocation Center and the home of the Eastern Michigan University basketball team. Eagle’s basketball coach Rob Murphy hosted at his dinner table a pre-Thanksgiving Day meal that had plenty of dishes to pass around the table.
Gathering around the table, with heads bowed in respect for the blessing, Rochester College a small school and a member of the NAIA and a successful basketball program from the state of Michigan a point to be served up by first year coach from the Warriors first year coach Klint Pleasent.
The Warriors enter the contest with an impressive 9-2 record and the Eagles have played the Warriors three times in the past and Eastern Michigan University Eagles have been a rude host and have not lost a game to Rochester College.
Including last season at the Lou Henson Tournament when the last time these two programs met on a basketball court. The result at the O’Rena at Oakland University not very filling for the Warriors because the winning streak continued for the Eagles with an 82-63 victory.
The Eagles filled their plates against Rochester College and Eastern Michigan University used a stuffing-style defense and survived the Warriors 62-43 while serving up a pretty good helping of offense topped with gravy.
The Eagles had four players in double figures and leading the way for Eastern Michigan University red-shirt sophomore J.R. Sims with 12 points.
“J.R. is a really good player and he had a real big second half against IUPUI camr through and made some big plays,” Murphy said. “It gave him confidence going into this game and obviously he got the start because Derek Thompson is out but I thought that he played well and shot the ball decent but more important he did a good job on defense, contesting shoots and coming back and getting rebounds for us.”
Senior guards Darrell Lampley and Antonio Green scored 11 points and center Matt Balkema scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds for the Eagles.
Murphy said after the game he believed Balkema could have scored more points but did not make shots from under the basket with consistency.
Balkema kept working and rubbing his left hand and it looked like his hand could have been injured.
“There is nothing wrong with his hand,” Murphy said. “He missed a lot of lay ups, so he is looking for something as an excuse. I do not know what it is but it will not be allowed, he has to make those lay ups.”
“I prefer that he shoots with his right hand he does a good job working with each hand everyday so he shoots the ball a lot with his left hand and I encourage,” Murphy said. “But sometimes with a size advantage, just goes up with your right hand even if you are on the left side but he will get better and he will keep working and this is one of those games that you have to get through.”
The Warrior play during the first half showed some scrappy life but the Eagles zone defense pushed the Warriors offense to the perimeter.
“We gave a lot of open looks guys got a good look at the ball they did not shot the ball well in the first half we were up by 16-2 and I think our guys kind of got lazy on the defense end,” Murphy said about the first half. “But giving up good looks and Michigan State will make those shots so we have to make sure that we are in position to contest those shots.”
Eastern Michigan offense shot the ball 29 times against a determine Rochester defense in the first half taking a 26-15 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Rochester started the second half by trying to push the ball up the court against the Eagles but did not find any success attacking the 2-3 zone.
When the pass went inside and under the basket the defense collapsed around the ball forcing the offense for the Warriors to fail and turn the ball over.
Eastern Michigan University defense forced Rochester College into making 21 turnovers and out-rebounded the Warriors 39-31.
Rochester College offense led by center Ricky Doran, he scored 14 points and 11 rebounds and Dramell Hogan chipped in 10 points and he pulled down 10 rebounds for the Warriors.
“Each and every game we want to out rebound our opponent and each and every game we have done that we put a lot of emphases making the team we playing against to contest the shot,” Murphy said. “We make sure that we get into our rebounding position. We did a good job of that in the second half and I thought they did a good job corralling the rebound.”
Murphy said his team will take the holiday off away from the court and spend quality time with family but he said there is still plenty of time to get ready for Michigan State University.
The Spartans will make their first trip into the Convocation Center Sunday November 27, 2011 beginning at noon.
“Two and a half days seem pretty good they are facing the same thing,” Murphy said about his team getting ready for the Spartans. “I think going into the Thanksgiving Day holiday you do not have mush time to prepare unless you practice on the holiday and that is something we are not going to do but two days is enough time. We have been working the last six weeks so we are looking forward for the opportunity to Michigan State come into this building and play us.”
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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.
