EASTERN MICHIGAN PULLS AWAY LATE TO BEAT JMU

Saturday, December 12

Ypsilanti, Mich.

7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

4-4

Eastern Michigan

6-3

James Madison

Eastern Michigan

12/13/2009 4:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Brady Video Press Conference

YPSILANTI, Mich., Dec. 12, 2009 - Junior forward Brandon Bowdry had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Eastern Michigan closed the game with a 25-11 scoring run to beat James Madison 75-64 in non-conference men's basketball Saturday night.

JMU rallied from a 32-29 halftime deficit to lead 53-50 midway through the second half, but the Dukes hit for only three field goals the rest of the way and fell to 4-4 for the season.

The host Eagles, who play in the Mid-American Conference and who raised their record to 6-3, tied the score on a three-point field goal by Antonio Green with 9:44 to play and went in front to stay 55-53 on two free throws by Jamell Harris with 9:18 remaining.

JMU, which had taken a three-point lead on a dunk by junior forward Denzel Bowles (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) with 9:56 left, didn't get its next field goal until sophomore forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) hit for a three-pointer with 4:16 to play to get the Dukes to within 60-58.

Eastern Michigan then sandwiched two of its JMU-opponent-season-high 10 three-pointers around another Bowles Dunk to lead 66-60 at 2:50 and added two Carlos Medlock free throws at 1:16 to lead 68-60.

Senior guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East/Charis Prep) had a three-pointer at 0:57 to pull JMU to within 68-63, but Eastern Michigan hit on seven of 10 free throws during the final 54 seconds.

Eastern Michigan held its three-point halftime lead after connecting for five three-point field goals and getting 12 points from Medlock during the opening period. Four Eagles had three-pointers during the first half.

Eastern Michigan raised the lead 36-31 early during the final period, but JMU tied the score on a three-pointer by freshman guard Darren White (Danville, Va./Dan River) and a layup by junior guard Ben Louis ( Melbourne, Australia/St. Francis Xavier). The Dukes went up 45-43 on a Louis layup with 14:42 left and led 49-45 at 12:32 on a Louis jumper from the lane and 51-47 on a field goal by White at 11:05.

Bowdry hit on eight of 16 shots, including a three-point attempt, and also had three assists and two steals in 30 minutes. The Eagles also got 20 points, including 12 on three-point baskets, from Medlock and 15 from Green, who had three three-pointers.

Wells led JMU with 19 points and 11 rebounds, his second scoring-rebounding "double-double" of the season. He hit on eight of 16 shots and had three assists and a steal in 39 minutes while making an appearance less than an hour from his hometown of Toledo, Ohio.

Bowles, who was making his first JMU appearance, finished with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes. He became eligible to play for the Dukes following the end of JMU's fall semester and after transferring from Texas A&M last January. Bowles had 10 second-half points.

JMU shot 45.9 percent overall (28-61) but hit on only four of 19 three-point tries. The Dukes committed 14 turnovers to Eastern Michigan's eight. The Eagles hit for their 10 three-pointers on 27 attempts.