Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Miami
EMU Hosts Miami in Saturday Afternoon Tilt
1/30/2009 11:27:38 AM | Men's Basketball
Game time set for 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center
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EMU HOSTS FIRST EAST TEAM: The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team got its first taste of the Mid-American Conference East Division when the Eagles traveled to Kent, Ohio Tuesday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 31, the Green and White will close out the month of January with another East Division opponent, Miami University, at home in the Convocation Center. Game time is 2 p.m.
RAMSEY RETURNS: EMU Head Men's Basketball Coach Charles E. Ramsey has missed the last two EMU games while suffering from a benign case of vertigo. He is expected to return Saturday, Jan. 31, for the Miami game. Associate Head Coach Derrick McDowell served as the interim head coach against Western Michigan University and Kent State University in Ramsey's absence.
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.
TWO IN DOUBLES: Redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor, Mich.-Truman) and junior Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) continue to average in double figures with Bowdry at 5.7 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds, and Dobbins at 10.1 ppg. Dobbins is also second on the team in rebounding at 4.5 per 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 MIAMI: EMU enters Saturday's, Jan. 31, home game against Miami University with a 3-17 overall record and a 1-5 MAC mark. The Eagles are coming off a 68-46 loss at Kent State Tuesday, Jan. 27. The Eagles are paced by redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor, Mich.-Truman) with a 15.7 scoring average and a 7.0 rebound mark.
Miami is 11-7 overall and 4-2 in league play after recording an 80-52 win at home Wednesday, Jan. 28, against Northern Illinois. The RedHawks are led by 6-foot-5 senior Michael Bramos, a product of Grosse Pointe North High School in Grosse Pointe, Mich., who has a 17.4 scoring average.
THE SERIES: EMU and Miami will be meeting for the 63rd time with Miami holding a 43-19 edge in the series. The RedHawks have won 12 in a row. The last EMU win was a 71-67 decision, March 4, 1998 in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Toledo, 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 followed 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 659 heading into the Miami game, Jan. 31, 2009. Dobbins has played in 76 games, starting 61 times, and his 659 points is tied for 62nd in EMU history with Marcus Kennedy (1990-91). He is currently 54th in rebounding at 329.
BOWDRY MOVES UP: Despite playing in just 52 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 47 of the 52 games in which he has played, is currently 77th on the EMU career scoring list with 579 points and his 312 career rebounds is 60th 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.
LOOKING AHEAD: After Saturday's, Jan. 31, Miami game the Eagles stay at home Tuesday, Feb. 3, when they play host to another East Division rival, Akron. The Zips are led by Head Coach Keith Dambrot, an EMU assistant men's basketball coach from 1986-89.
