| That's when it all started to unravel for the Falcons. Huron reserve Joe James canned a jumper and Fred Cofield then scored to make it 50-48. Under heavy pressure, BG again threw away the ball, giving the Hurons a last chance to tie. Cofield, the prodigal son from Ypsilanti who had transferred to EMU from Oregon, got control of the ball. He waited until the clock showed :20 before letting fly a jumper that fell through to knot the score at 50. At the same time, though, Blevins was fouled while positioning himself for the potential rebound. After the ensuing bedlam subsided along the benches, Blevins stepped to the line and sank both free throws to give Eastern an improbable two point lead. The Falcons rushed the ball upcourt and Jenkins put up the shot. It missed, but Irish was there to tip in the ball with just two seconds left. The BG execution had been postponed. Cofield set the tone for the overtime by hitting a pair of free throws only six seconds into the extra session. After that, EMU played possession basketball, keeping the ball away from the Falcons and daring their frustrated defenders to commit fouls. As a result, the Hurons sank six of seven free throws to take a 60-56 lead with less than a minute left. Working carefully, Bowling Green searched for a good shot. The EMU defense held its ground. After a missed shot, Blevins took an outlet pass and finished off the Falcons with an acrobatic stuff. Boyce and his bench exploded with the joy of victory and the relief of finally ending the MAC playoff losing streak. Blevins scored 19 points in his penultimate game as a Huron. Mr. Inside, Vinnie Giles, scored 17 and Mr. Outside, Fred Cofield, added 16. If nothing else, Eastern's final 64-58 triumph broke a four year tournament hex. Despite its losing record, the 1983-84 Hurons provided a momentary spark that would inspire future EMU teams to better seasons and eventually, championships. Because of this, the playoff victory over Bowling Green warrants a special corner in Huron Hardwood History. Return to: Huron Hardwood History Dave's Attic |
| The first ten years of competition in the Mid-American Conference hadn't been too kind to Eastern Michigan basketball teams. Year after year, ordinary Huron squads struggled in vain, and when the MAC introduced a post-season tournament in 1980, it only provided a new avenue of frustration. EMU had advanced to the league tourney four consecutive seasons, but each time the Hurons returned home after the first round. There were no indications that anything would be different in 1984 as the sixth-seeded Hurons prepared to face Bowling Green in the Rockford Metro Centre. Inconsistent shooting plagued coach Jim Boyce as his team struggled through a streaky, spasmodic season. Eastern stumbled into the playoffs with four consecutive losses. Bowling Green, on the other hand, had the highest-scoring offense in the league. Head Coach Jim Weinart relied upon a talented front line, led by All-Conference forward David Jenkins, for much of the Falcon attack. BG had easily handled the Hurons twice during the regular season, winning two matchups by a total of 27 points. In an effort to stymie his high-flying opponents, Boyce went with his "big" lineup, consisting of 6'9" Vince Giles, 6'7" Ricky Buttrom, and 6'6" Phil Blevins. The strategy worked. Falcon bangers were denied access to the paint repeatedly. Jenkins and the other forwards, Colin Irish and Bill Vaine, were forced to kick the ball out to the perimeter players and hope they could hit from the outside. They didn't, with amazing regularity. The Hurons scoring drought continued also, and Bowling Green took a halftime lead of 25-21. Combined, the two teams managed to hit only 33-percent from the floor. Jenkins began to take advantage of the slower Hurons on transition breaks early in the second half and the Falcons slowly started to pull away. With time running down, BG owned a 45-37 lead; the 4,700 MAC fans were ready to bid a fast if not fair adieu to yet another Eastern Michigan basketball team. But wait...there at midcourt...isn't that Vinnie Giles, breaking away from the pack? Could it be Giles, with a chiseled expression of fierce determination, taking a lead pass and stuffing it home? Giles, single-handedly awakening the slumbering Huron offense? Giles' "thundering two-hand slam dunk" made it 45-39 and the long-dormant Eastern attack suddenly mobilized. Bowling Green responded for a short time until the score stood at 50-44, Falcons, with less than four minutes left. |
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| Fred Cofield |
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March 10, 1984 Rockford, Illinois Eastern Michigan 64 Bowling Green 58 (OT) |