Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU To Tangle With Ball State in MAC Tourney Opener
3/10/2008 6:22:42 PM | Men's Basketball
Gamer time set for Wednesday, March 12, at 12:30 p.m
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SERIES RECORD: Ball State leads the series, 52-32. The two teams split this year’s games with Ball State winning the first meeting, 64-60, (Jan. 19) in Muncie, Ind. and EMU coming back to take a 75-64 win (March 1) in Ypsilanti, Mich. Prior to those games the Eagles had won the previous three consecutive games, including a 51-48 win (March 7, 2007) in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
THE MATCHUP: EMU is the No. 7 seed while Ball State is the 10th seed. The winner of Wednesday’s (March 12) battle will square off against West Division champion Western Michigan at noon, March 13.
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 34th 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.
SENIORS CLOSE IT OUT IN STYLE: Four EMU seniors closed out their Convocation Center careers in style in Sunday’s (March 9) regular-season finale against Northern Illinois. Playing their final home contests were Jarred Axon (Jackson, Mich.-Jackson-Schoolcraft C.C.), Nenad Banjanin (Belgrade, Serbia-Lon Morris (Texas) J.C.), Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott C.C.) and Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix). In addition, team managers Marlon Murray and Ralph Sylvester were also honored in pre-game ceremonies. Bunkley closed it out with 11 points, followed by Axon with 10, Lewis with eight points and nine rebounds and Banjanin added four points and two boards in the 82-63 EMU win.
MAC TOURNAMENT NEXT: The Eagles enter next week’s FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament in Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio with the No. 7 seed in the field. The Eagles will square off against No. 10 seed Ball State in the first game of the tournament, Wednesday (March 12) at 12:30 p.m. The winner of that game will meet West Division-champion Western Michigan at noon Thursday (March 13). All four games Thursday, and two on Friday (March 14) will be televised live on FSN Ohio. The championship tilt, set for Saturday (March 15) at 7 p.m. will be on ESPN2.
MEDLOCK HITS A GRAND: EMU junior point guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) became the 26th player in EMU men’s basketball history to score 1,000 points when he totaled 23 in an 82-63 win over a visiting Northern Illinois team. Those 23 boosted Medlock to 1,005 points for his outstanding three-year career. Medlock has been a consistent performer for the Eagles his entire career. He has played in 75 games for EMU and has scored the 1,005 points, recorded 56 double-figure scoring games, has scored 20 or more points 18 times and has led or tied the team in scoring 31 times.
THIRD TIME FOR FOUR DOUBLES: The win over NIU Sunday (March 9) was the second time this season the Eagles have placed four players in double-figure scoring. Against the Huskies, Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) scored 23, Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) had 20, Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott C.C.) added 11 and Jarred Axon (Jackson, Mich.-Jackson-Schoolcraft C.C.) had 10. In a 75-64 win over Ball State (March 1) the Eagles also had four in doubles led by Medlock with 20, Axon with 16, Bunkley with 14, while Nenad Banjanin (Belgrade, Serbia-Lon Morris (Texas) J.C.) added a career-best 11 points. In an 81-71 win over Western Michigan (Jan. 12) the Eagles had a season-high five players score in double figures. Medlock led the way with 16 followed by Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix) and James Matthews (Detroit, Mich.-Denby) with 15 each, Axon added 12 and Zane Gay (Olivet, Mich.-Olivet) chipped in 10.
SETTING THE BAR: EMU’s 33 free throws and 86 points in the win over Southeast Missouri State (Feb. 23) in the O’Reilly BacketBuster game were both season-best performances for the Eagles.
FIVE IN A ROW: EMU’s 82-63 win over a visiting NIU team Sunday (March 9) was the fifth straight Mid-American Conference win at home. The last time the Eagles won five straight MAC home games was 1997-98 when they won seven league tilts in a row.
BEST SINCE 1999-2000: EMU’s 8-8 Mid-American Conference record this season is the best for the Eagles since the 1999-2000 team finished 9-9. This year’s 8-8 record also tied the Eagles for second in the MAC West Division with Central Michigan, the best finish for the Green and White since divisional play began in 1997-98.
TOP 10 IN FIVE CATEGORIES: Junior point guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) is ranked in the top 10 in five seperate MAC categories. Medlock is fifth in assists (4.17), sixth in free-throw percentage (.826), seventh in assists/turnover ratio (1.19), eighth in both scoring (14.9) and 3-pointers made (2.10).
RAMSEY IMPROVES TO 3-0 IN BRACKETBUSTER ACTION: EMU head coach Charles E. Ramsey is now 3-0 in O’Reilly Auto Parts ESPNU BracketBuster competition after an 86-82 win over a visiting Southeast Missouri State University team (Feb. 23).
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 25th in career scoring (1,005), eighth in 3-point field goals (136) and 13th in assists (273). Bunkley is now tied for 64th in EMU scoring (626) and seventh in threes at 144.
