Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Youngstown State Wednesday Night
12/6/2005 1:04:14 PM | Men's Basketball
The game is part of a doubleheader as the EMU women’s team faces Indiana at 6 p.m.
Complete Game Notes.
Listen to the Game Online via WEMU.
BOWLER BIG IN BLOOMINGTON: Senior forward John Bowler (Chicago, Ill.-Notre Dame H.S.) came up big in Saturday’s (Dec. 3) 79-63 loss to the No. 16 ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Bowler led all scorers with a career-best 28 points and he was also the top rebounder in the game with nine. Bowler has now played in 88 games for the Eagles, starting 59 times during his career and he has scored in double figures 53 times, recorded 16 double-doubles and has scored 20 or more points six times.
LONG RANGE BENCH HELP: Guards Derek VanSolkema (Grand Rapids, Mich.-South Christian) and Danny McElhinny (Hermitage, PA-Kennedy Catholic) came off the bench firing on all cylendars in the loss at Indiana Saturday (Dec. 3). Both players hit two three-point field goals to keep the Eagles close to the Hoosiers. Starting guard Nick Freer (Stevensville, Mich.-Lakeshore) made 3-of-5 three-point attempts.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS: Despite giving away a consideragle size advantage to Indiana Saturday (Dec. 3), Eastern won the battle of the boards, 29-26.
RETURN TO BLOOMINGTON: The EMU men’s basketball team made its third trip to Bloomington, Ind. last weekend when the Eagles squared off with the nation’s 16th ranked team, the Indiana University Hoosiers. Eastern dropped a 99-82 decision at Indiana, Dec. 1, 1970. The then-Hurons were led by Kennedy McIntosh with 22 while Bill James added 20, Lindell Reason 18 and Earl Dixon scored 14. Indiana was led by George McGinnis with 26. Eastern also played Indiana in the first round of the 9th Annual Indiana Classic, Dec. 10, 1982, and the Hoosiers captured an 85-48 decision. Spencer Gardner paced EMU with 12 while Anthony Miller added 10. Indiana was led by John Flowers and Uwe Blab with 16 points each. EMU then lost in the consolation game of that tourney ,68-64,to UNC-Wilmington, Dec. 11.
CASHEN’ IN: Junior forward Craig Cashen (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier) came up with a solid effort in the Eagles’ 64-60 loss to Detroit (Nov. 29) when he scored 11 points in just 24 minutes.
BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA: Two members of the EMU basketball program made trips back to their home state last weekend (Dec. 3) when the Eagles battled Indiana. EMU Assistant Coach Dusty May is a 2000 graduate of Indiana University where he was a student manager for the men’s basketball teams for four years. He spent the past three seasons working with the IU program, as an administrative assistant and video coordinator. EMU junior big man Chris Knaub (South Bend, Ind.-St. Joseph’s-Jacksonville (TX) J.C.) is a native of South Bend, Ind. and played his high school basketball at St. Joseph’s H.S. He spent the past two seasons at Jacksonville (TX) Junior College.
DANNY REACHES THE CENTURY MARK: Senior guard Danny McElhinny became the 10th player in school history to reach the century mark in three-point field goals when he connected on 3-of-5 triples against California (Nov. 18) to give him 102. Since that game he has added six threes to give him 108 on his 86-game career.
TELEVISION CALLS: The Eagles have five games scheduled for television this season. The season opener against California (Nov. 18), the Detroit game (Nov. 29), the Western Michigan contest, January 24, and the EMU at Ball State game, Feb. 4, are all slated to be televised on Comcast Local while the EMU at Indiana tilt, Dec. 3, is scheduled for ESPN Plus.
THE COACHING STAFF: The Eagles have a completely new staff in 2005-06 with the addition of former EMU assistant Charles E. Ramsey as head man with Derrick McDowell serving as assistant head coach, while Dusty May and Carl Thomas are the assistant coaches. Rich Marion is the director of basketball operations.
BOWLER EARNS MAC HONOR: Senior forward John Bowler (Chicago, Ill.-Notre Dame) has earned the first Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honor for the 2005-06 season. Bowler led the Eagles to a 67-65 win over a visiting California team Friday (Nov. 18). Bowler recorded the 16th double-double of his career with 19 points and 12 rebounds against the Golden Bears.
