| Few players have dominated Eastern Michigan basketball the way Grant Long did during his final year-and-a-half as a Huron. To say he carried his team to the NCAA Tournament in 1988 would be a major understatement. Even fewer players created so many memories: great plays, determined efforts, and big victories. This is the story of Grant Long, a winning drive to the basket, and a memorable victory over Michigan State. As a player, Long flowered following the ascension of Ben Braun as Head Coach at EMU. Braun, however, credited his predecessor, Jim Boyce, with the development of Long as a player. Boyce recruited and signed the 6'8" forward from Romulus. Long possessed immense raw talent but Braun explained he didn't develop into a star until he put his off-court priorities in order. "Grant became coachable," Braun recalled. "His work habits improved as he matured socially, emotionally, and physically." The EMU-MSU game became a showcase for Long's abilities. But there weren't many memorable moments early in the game. The 4,700 fans who squeezed into Bowen Field House watched the Spartans confidently march out to a 16-7 lead. The Hurons tied it, however, and Long established his presence in the middle when he took a Deron Goheen alley-oop pass and turned it into a "wamma-jamma Fresno dunk."* EMU led at the half, 29-28. The two teams traded leads throughout the first ten minutes of the second half. Eastern, thanks to Long's reliable scoring and rebounding, began to pull away. When Goheen sank a couple of free throws it appeared the game was over; a nice, but relatively routine win for the Hurons. Incredibly, EMU's 72-62 lead with 51 seconds left was not enough. The Spartans rallied amidst a flurry of three-point shots and missed Huron free throws. With :45 left Steve Smith hit a three pointer. With :30 left Smith hit a triple from the top of the stripe. With :18 Scott Sekal sank a trifecta. Suddenly, the Eastern advantage was a mere 72-71. |
| But Long renewed his efforts. As the clock wound down to the one-minute mark, EMU forward Isaac Henderson passed the ball to Long, posting up on the right side of the lane. Long paused a moment and then juked inside. Spartan forward Carlton Valentine, defending, took the bait. Suddenly open, Long drove along the lane and as he put up his shot, he was met by Sekal--hard. The shot banked in and Sekal was called for the foul. Long's subsequent free throw gave EMU an 80-78 lead. A moment later, Lorenzo Neeley hit a pair of free throws to finally ice the Huron victory. The win over Michigan State proved Eastern was indeed for real and provided a catalyst for EMU's first trip to the NCAA Tournament--although, at the time, nobody expected the Hurons to dominate the Mid-American Conference the way they did. Grant Long showed 'em how. And if any one moment stands as a monument to Long's collegiate career, it was the power move that beat Michigan State. As such, it warrants a special place in the Gallery of Vivid Memories for those who remember Huron Hardwood History. *EMU Sports Information Department assistant John Hamel revealed "Fresno" to be a set play. "Wamma-jamma" was his personal, descriptive flourish. Return to Huron Hardwood History Dave's Attic |
 |
 |
 |
| Guard Howard Chambers finally broke the free throw drought for Eastern, but Michigan State rushed the ball upcourt and into the hands of Sekal, who launched a desperation bomb with EMU forward David Clum right in his face. Incredibly, the shot found nothing but net and the game went into overtimed tied at 74. MSU had accomplished the near-impossible, hitting four consecutive three-point shots in less than a minute! A deadly pall hung over Bowen as the Spartans quickly took a 78-77 lead early into the extra session. |
| Grant Long |
 |
| December 17, 1987 Ypsilanti, MI Eastern Michigan 84 Michigan State 80 (OT) |