After Michigan did not reciprocate Emoni Bates' interest in the program, and Bates selected Eastern Michigan as his destination, and the two teams drew each other on the upcoming schedule, you knew Bates would come ready to play. The ole chip on your shoulder, revenge game sort of thing. Bates came ready to play and in the process, helped propel his Eastern Michigan Eagles to a near-upset of the Wolverines at neutral Little Caesars Arena in Detroit tonight, falling just short by a score of 88-83. Michigan's at-times lackadaisical defense, poor showing at the free throw line, and all-around less-than-stellar effort helped make it a rollercoaster, but a win is a win. Eastern Michigan showed they were ready to play right from the jump. They started 5/6 from the field to lead 11-9 at the first TO. Bates was making shots from all over the court and his sidekick for the evening, guard Noah Farrakhan, was electric off the dribble from the opening tip-off. Michigan had difficulty
Whether toying with Rudy Gobert or making three 3-pointers from the same spot in the third quarter, it was a Luka highlight reel as the Mavs grabbed a 3-2 series lead with a dominating victory.