Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Kent State
Eagles Hit the Road for First Battle with a MAC East foe
1/26/2009 3:26:01 PM | Men's Basketball
Game time set for Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. in Kent, Ohio
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FIRST EAST DIVISION BATTLE: The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will get its first taste of the Mid-American Conference East Division when the Eagles travel to Kent, Ohio Tuesday, Jan. 27, for a 7 p.m. tilt against the Kent State University Golden Flashes. On the other side, it will be Kent's first action against a West Division club.
BOWDRY NAMED WEST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) was named the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball West Division Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 18. This marked Bowdry's first career MAC weekly award. Bowdry averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one assist to help EMU go 1-1 in MAC action last week. He turned in a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds in an 84-77 double-overtime win over instate rival Central Michigan University, Jan. 13, and followed that up with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists in a 69-57 loss at the University of Toledo, Jan. 17.
RAMSEY SIDELINED: EMU Head Men's Basketball Coach Charles E. Ramsey will miss his second game in a row, when the Eagles play Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Kent State University. Ramsey is suffering from a benign case of vertigo that also forced him to miss Saturday's, Jan. 24, contest versus Western Michigan. Associate Head Coach Derrick McDowell served as the interim head coach against Western and will continue in that role if Ramsey does not travel to Kent.
ENGLISH AND ZOOPERSTARS ON TAP SATURDAY: There will be a lot of excitement when the EMU men host Miami Saturday, Jan. 31. New EMU Head Football Coach Ron English will be on hand to greet the EMU fans at halftime of the basketball game. In addition, the Zooperstars, an entertaining troupe of inflatable mascots, will entertain before, during and at halftime of the basketball game.
FOR THE 112th TIME: The 2008-09 season is the 112th of intercollegiate basketball for the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. Eastern played its first season in 1897-98 and split games with Detroit, losing a 2-0 decision before coming back for a 4-0 victory. The 2008-09 season will also be the 35th for the Eagles in 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 the league. 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 tournament title in 1997-98.
EMU AND KENT STATE: EMU enters Tuesday's, Jan. 27, game at Kent State University with a 3-16 overall record and a 1-4 MAC mark. The Eagles dropped a 53-45 MAC West Division game Saturday, Jan. 24, at home to Western Michigan University. Kent State is 8-11 and 1-4 in league action after dropping a 68-54 MAC East Division match-up at Akron Saturday, Jan. 24. The Golden Flashes have three players averaging in double figures with Al Fisher at 15.8, Chris Singletary at 13.5 and Tyree Evans at 12.8.
THE SERIES: EMU and KSU will be meeting for the 65th time in history and Kent holds a 34-30 advantage in the series. The Golden Flashes have won 12 in a row with the last EMU victory a 79-74 decision, Feb. 7, 1998 in Kent, Ohio.
JUST SHORT OF A DOUBLE-DOUBLE: EMU redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) just missed recording two back-to-back double-doubles last week when he scored 16 points with nine rebounds at Northern Illinois, Jan. 20, and following that up with 12 points and nine boards versus Western Michigan, Jan. 24.
REACHING 600/300: Junior center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) is the 72nd player in EMU history to reach the 600-point plateau with 640 heading into the KSU game, Jan. 27, 2009. Dobbins has played in 75 games, starting 60 times, and his 640 points is good for 65th in EMU history and his 324 rebounds is ranked 57th.
BOWDRY MOVES UP: Despite playing in just 51 games in his career, redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman), is climbing the EMU career points and rebound ladder at a brisk pace. Bowdry, who has started in 46 of the 51 games in which he has played, is currently 77th on the EMU career scoring list with 567 points and his 308 career rebounds is 61st. A total of 61 players in EMU history have recorded 300+ rebounds in their careers.
SOLOMON FARRIS SUSPENDED: EMU sophomore guard Solomon Farris (Detroit, Mich.-Osborn) has been suspended for the remainder of the season for violation of teams rules, EMU Head Coach Charles E. Ramsey has announced. Farris played in 17 games this season and is averaging 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. The suspension is effective immediately.
“We hope that Solomon takes this time away from basketball to get his life back in order and also to concentrate on his academic endeavours,” Ramsey said of the suspension.
