DETROIT (AP) — Emoni Bates scored 17 of his career-high 30 points to help Eastern Michigan lead No. 22 Michigan at halftime and Hunter Dickinson finished with 31 points in the Wolverines’ 88-83 win over the Eagles on Friday night.
The Wolverines (2-0) went ahead on Jaelin Llewellyn’s layup with 2:49 left in a game with 17 lead changes and 11 ties.
The Eagles (1-1) were up 45-40 at halftime and had an eight-point lead early in the second half, but ended up losing a 22nd straight game against a ranked opponent.
Eastern Michigan coach Stan Heath did not play Bates in the team’s season-opening game on Monday and the former Michigan State assistant would not say why he sat the sophomore, who transferred last summer from Memphis.
Bates was reinstated to the team last month after prosecutors agreed to drop felony charges against him after police say they found a gun that had altered ID marks in a car he was driving. Defense attorney Steve Haney said the vehicle and the gun didn’t belong to Bates.
Two years ago, the 6-foot-9 guard became the first high school sophomore to win the Gatorade national player of the year award in 2020. He beat out future NBA standouts Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley for the award.
Bates’ 17 first half points matched his season high from a year ago with Memphis.
He finished 12 of 19, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, entertaining both schools’ fans who attended the game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
UP NEXT
Eastern Michigan: Plays at Bradley on Tuesday night.
Michigan: Plays Pittsburgh on Wednesday night in New York.
