Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Hoops Battles Akron
1/31/2008 5:43:45 PM | Men's Basketball
Game time set for 7 p.m. in Akron, Ohio
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Series Record: EMU leads the series, 17-15. Akron has won the last five games and 11 of the last 14. EMU’s previous win was Feb. 7, 2004, 77-54, at home.
CHECKING THE ZIPS: Akron head coach Keith Dambrot is in his fourth season and has a 68-27 record. Dambrot was an assistant coach at EMU from 1986-89, under then-head coach Ben Braun. The Zips are tied for second in the MAC East Division at 5-2 and have a 15-5 overall mark. Akron defeated Toledo, 68-52, Wednesday (Jan. 30).
FOR THE 111th TIME: The 2007-08 season is the 111th year of men’s intercollegiate basketball at Eastern Michigan University. EMU played its inaugural season in 1897-98 and split games with Detroit, losing a 2-0 decision before coming back for a 4-0 victory. This year will also be the 33rd for the Eagles as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The first year of MAC play for EMU was 1974-75 when the then-Hurons went 12-14 overall and 4-9 in league play. EMU has won three Mid-American Conference titles: 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1995-96, and the Green and White captured MAC Tournament crowns in all three of those years in addition to winning the MAC tourney title in 1997-98.
MR. CONSISTENT: EMU junior point guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) has been a consistent performer for the Eagles his entire career. He has played in 65 games for EMU and has recorded 46 double-figure scoring games, has scored 20 or more points 13 times and has led or tied the team in scoring 26 times.
EAGLES CONTINUE MAC EAST PLAY: The Eagles played their first Mid-American Conference East Division foe Saturday (Jan. 26) at Miami and came out on the short end of a 65-52 contest. Eastern will stay in cross-divisional play for the next five games before returning to West Division action for the final five league tilts. The Eagles lost, 77-67, to East Division leader Kent State Wednesday (Jan. 30). EMU now travels to Akron, Ohio Saturday (Feb. 2) for a 7 p.m. tilt against Akron. Akron is coached by former EMU assistant coach Keith Dambrot.
LARGEST MARGIN SINCE 2004: When EMU won by 24 points against Toledo (Jan. 22) it marked the biggest winning margin in head coach Charles E. Ramsey’s three-year EMU tenure. It was the largest winning margin over an NCAA Division I team since a 99-52 victory (47 points) over a visiting Navy team, Jan. 7, 2004, under then-head coach Jim Boone.
MATTHEWS DISMISSED FROM TEAM: EMU head coach Charles E. Ramsey has announced that senior center James Matthews (Detroit, Mich.-Denby) has been dismissed from the team for the remainder of the 2007-08 season for conduct detrimental to the program. Matthews missed the first eight games of the season and returned to play in 10 games, averaging 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds.
LUCKY SEVEN: EMU senior guard Jarred Axon (Jackson, Mich.-Jackson-Schoolcraft C.C.) not only set a career-best with his 23-point effort in the win over Northern Illinois (Jan. 16), but his seven three-point field goals tied for the fifth-best effort in EMU history. His seven triples ties him with Bryant Kennedy (1-4-92 at Rhode Island) and Brian Tolbert (3-16-96 vs. UConn in the NCAA Tournament) for fifth. Derrick Dial (1-5-98 vs. MARSHALL) set the single-game EMU record with nine.
LONG-TIME COMING: EMU’s 65-61 win at Northern Illinois (Jan. 16) broke a nine-game EMU losing streak in DeKalb. The last time EMU had won at NIU was ironically, Jan. 17, 1998.
HALL OF FAME FEB. 16: The 32nd Annual EMU Athletic Hall of Fame, sponsored by the E-Club Alumni Chapter, will be held Saturday, Feb. 16, 2007, in the new EMU Student Center. The Class of 2007 includes: Al Jagutis (basketball, men’s tennis), Marci Kelley (softball), Mark Leonard (men’s swimming), Tamyka McCord (track and field), Stan Vinson (track and field), and Doug Willer (wrestling).
TWO TWINBILLS: EMU’s Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix) and James Matthews (Detroit, Mich., Denby) both turned in double-double scoring and rebounding games in an 81-71 win over Western Michigan (Jan. 12). Lewis scored 15 points with 11 rebounds while Matthews had 15 points with 10 boards. The last time EMU had two players record double-doubles was Feb. 21, 2004, when John Bowler (18-15) and Boo Jackson (14-12) turned the task in an 87-66 win at Cleveland State, a total of 108 games between double-doubles.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Eagles have had six different players lead them in scoring and eight in rebounding through the first 18 games. Junior point guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) has led the way in scoring 10 times this year while Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott C.C.) is second with three. Sophomore center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) and junior guard Zane Gay (Olivet, Mich.-Olivet) have been the top scorers in two games while junior wingman Wendale Farrow (Sacramento, Calif.-Mira Loma-American River J.C.) and senior guard Jarred Axon (Jackson, Mich.-Jackson-Schoolcraft C.C.) have led in scoring once. Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix) has led or tied in rebounding 11 times with Dobbins a close second with seven. Farrow has led or tied for the top rebound effort four times with five others, Tyler Jones (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville), Zane Gay (Olivet, Mich.-Olivet), Kyle Dodd (Rockwood, Ont., Canada-John F. Ross), Medlock and Axon leading in one game.
MOVING ON UP: Guards Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) and Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott C.C.) continue to climb in the EMU career record book. Medlock has moved into 38th in career scoring (835), 12th in three-point field goals (114) and 19th in assists (231). Bunkley is now 79th in EMU scoring (538) and tied for eighth with Ricky Cottrill (2000-04) in threes at 124.
