The phrase “MACtion” was coined for the usually quirky and exciting nature of weeknight Mid-American Conference football action.
But the phrase could alternately be applied to the late-morning basketball that occurred in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Sunday. as Ohio roared back from a 12-point deficit, and defeated Eastern Michigan 58-56 in a game the Bobcats (14-5, 4-2 MAC) had no business winning.
Junior guard Javarez “Bean” Willis knocked down a three from the elbow on a kickout from Nick Kellogg with 27 seconds remaining to cap a 12-0 run, to providing Ohio with its first lead of the game at 58-55 lead.
“Coach told us to always be ready to take the shot, shoot it with confidence,” Willis said. “When (Kellogg) drove the ball, I just said to myself, ‘if I’m going to shoot it, I’m going to shoot it with confidence,’ and it went in.”
After several fouls and a missed T.J. Hall free throw, Eastern Michigan (11-8, 3-3 MAC) snagged the rebound and had three seconds to tie or win the game. With no timeouts remaining, the Eagles had to rush the ball up the floor and failed to convert at the buzzer.
“All game long, whether we made shots or missed shots, we had good possessions on offense,” coach Jim Christian said. “The ball was moving, getting the ball into key spots. Guys just weren’t making shots. …You just keep playing, keep competing.”
The 12-0 run was very much a team effort, with several Bobcats making pivotal plays to spark the comeback.
Senior forward Jon Smith, who didn’t have a point before the 3:53 mark of the second half, nailed two midrange jumpers that started the run.
And to keep the run alive, senior guard Travis Wilkins went to the floor to retrieve a defensive rebound and immediately called a timeout to prevent a traveling call or a tie-up.
Eastern Michigan set a harsh tone early on, taking an early 9-0 lead and confounding Ohio with the same 2-3 zone defense that gave the Bobcats fits in their Wednesday loss to Bowling Green.
The Bobcats shot 6 of 30 (20 percent) from the field in the first half, with the only significant scoring coming from junior guard Stevie Taylor, who knocked down three of his four three point attempts for nine first half points.
“Everybody wants it to be great, I get it,” Christian said. “Everybody wants it to look like the Lakers every night. …I’m not happy we’re not making shots. I’m not happy we’re missing layups. But that’s basketball and you’ve got to find ways to win.”
After one of the threes, Taylor received a technical for taunting, as he made a hand motion towards the Eastern Michigan bench that the referees deemed inappropriate. Taylor fouled out with 5:15 remaining in the game with a team high 14 points.
Ohio held serve on the boards, with a 45-42 advantage on the glass. Smith and junior forward Maurice Ndour combined for 24 of those rebounds
