Previous Evening MAC Review: Misdirection

Last night in MACsketball:

South Dakota State 72, Central Michigan 69 (video highlights) — Hey, when you lose via a buzzer-beating three-point shot, you probably did all you could. What was especially nice was that they did it against an upstart Summit League team who came into the shindig at 7-3. Jalin Thomas brought his usual 15 points, but Finis Craddock also hit the 15-point mark, aided by three 3-pointers in the second half which helped cut into SDSU's annoying single-digit lead which lingered for much of the game. Great competition, but a lousy finish for the Chippewas, who are a disappointing 2-9. This team's still gonna compete for the West, right? Central Michigan's next game: Tomorrow vs. Cornerstone (NAIA)

Valparaiso 74, Eastern Michigan 67 — The first game of the Lou Henson Award Holiday Tournament went basically like so many EMU affairs this year: Brandon Bowdry had a wonderful game (this time: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 13-of-15 FT) but few else were able to score freely. Darrell Lampley came the closest with 10 points and a couple of threes, but the team had 21 turnovers. Crusaders of any type, be they basketball or holy, are always gonna hop on you when 21 turnovers are present. They coulda had a crack at Oakland had they won this game, but the search for their first Division I victory trudges onward. Eastern Michigan's next game: Today vs. Rochester College (Division III USCAA) in the Lou Henson consolation game

Today's full set o' games:

7 p.m. — Cincinnati at Miami (TV: ESPN3)
7 p.m. — Mount St. Joseph at Ball State
7 p.m. — Youngstown State at Kent State
7 p.m. — Indiana-Northwest at Toledo
7:30 p.m. — Akron vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic)
7:30 p.m. — Western Michigan vs. Troy (World Vision Basketball Invitational, Logan, UT)
TBA — Eastern Michigan vs. Rochester College