Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Men's Basketball to Recognize Four Seniors Wednesday
3/2/2009 2:06:40 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles seek revenge in rematch with visiting Huskies
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EAGLES AND HUSKIES TO MEET IN REMATCH: The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will be seeking to avenge an earlier season loss at Northern Illinois University Wednesday, March 4, when the Eagles host the Huskies in a 7 p.m. game in the Convocation Center. Eastern lost a 72-52 decision in DeKalb, Ill, Jan. 20, in the first meeting this year.
SENIORS CLOSE IT OUT: EMU will have four seniors making their final Convocation Center appearances Wednesday, March 4, against Northern Illinois. The four seniors are: Kyle Dodd (Rockwood, Ontario, Canada-John F. Ross Collegiate), Wendale Farrow (Sacramento, Calif.-Mira Loma-American River J.C.), Zane Gay (Olivet, Mich.-Olivet) and Tyler Jones (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville). Dodd has played in 60 career games for the Eagles, starting 13 while scoring 73 points with 68 rebounds. Farrow has played in 55 games, 25 as a starter, and scored 172 points with 199 rebounds. Gay has played in 95 contests, starting 20 times, and has 417 career points and 195 rebounds while also connecting on 65 three-point field goals. Jones, who also started on the EMU football team for the past two seasons, has seen action in 48 games, 22 as a starter and has scored 222 points with 102 rebounds.
TELEVISION TIME: EMU's 2008-09 regular-season finale at Ball State Sunday, March 8, has been scheduled for television covererage by Fox Sports Detroit Plus. Stations scheduled to cover the game are satellite providers Direct TV (channel 664) and Dish Network (channel 447) along with Comcast (channel 901).
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 NIU: EMU and Northern Illinois are both entering Wednesday's, March 4, match-up on winning streaks. The Eagles posted their first two-game winning streak of the season last week with back-to-back victories over Toledo, 58-49, Feb. 25, and Central Michigan, 57-56, Feb. 28. The wins boosted EMU to 6-23 overall and 4-10 in Mid-American Conference action. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) continues to lead the Eagles in both scoring, 14.7 ppg, and rebounding, 6.9 rpg. NIU, meanwhile, is heading into the mid-week game with a three-game winning streak. The Huskies defeated Southeast Missouri, 97-73, in a BracketBuster game, Feb. 21, and followed that up with two MAC wins, 78-63, Feb. 25, over Western Michigan and 56-55, against Ball State, Feb. 28. Darion “Jake” Anderson is one of three Huskies in double figures with a 16.7 per-game scoring average while Mike DiNunno is at 12.3 and Sean Kowal is averaging an even 10 points.
THE SERIES: EMU and NIU will be meeting for the 73rd time and Northern holds a 46-26 advantage in the series. Eastern won both battles last year, recording a 65-61 win in DeKalb, Ill., Jan. 16, and following that up with an 82-63 victory, March 9, in Ypsilanti, Mich. NIU won the first meeting this season by a 72-52 count, Jan. 20. The two teams have split the last eight match-ups.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Junior center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) and redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) continue to climb the EMU career scoring and rebounding lists. Dobbins is the 56th player in school history to reach the 700-point plateau with 737 in his 85-game EMU career. That total ranks 48th in school history and his 382 career rebounds is good for 43rd.
Bowdry has scored 693 career points in his 61-game career to rank in 58th and his 374 rebounds is good for the 45th spot.
CLUTCH DOWN THE STRETCH: Freshman Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud) came up with two outstanding late-game performances last week to help boost the Eagles to a two-game winning streak. In Saturday's, Feb. 28, game at CMU, the Eagles trailed by two, 56-54, with just 13 seconds left when Green was fouled on a three-point attempt . He went to the line and calmly made all three free throws to give Eastern the 57-56 victory, Feb. 28. On Wednesday, Feb. 25, at home against Toledo, Green made five of six free throws in the final seven minutes of action to help EMU break a 45-45 tie and lead the Eagles to the 58-49 victory.
TWO IN A ROW: EMU turned in back-to-back wins last week, beating Toledo at home Wednesday, Feb. 25, 58-49, and capturing a 57-56 road win at Central Michigan, the Eagles' first two-game streak this season.
