Eastern Hits the Road for In-State Matchup

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - After hosting a pair of Mid-American Conference games the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will take a trek Wednesday, Jan. 23, when it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. in anticipation of another in-state rivalry game. The Eagles will square off with the Broncos of Western Michigan University at Universty Arena at 7 p.m.
     Eastern is now 9-9 on the campaign and 2-2 in conference play after winning two straight at home against Central Michigan and Miami. Senior guard Derek Thompson is leading the way offensively, posting 11.7 points per game. Leading the Eagles in rebounding is junior center Da'Shonte Riley who is pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game. Other notables this season have been transfers Glenn Bryant and Daylen Harrison. Bryant is posting 9.8 points per contest, while Harrison has been averaging 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in his first season competing for EMU. Freshman Jalen Ross is dishing out a team-high 3.3 assists per game.
    The Broncos come into the contest boasting a 10-7 record, going 2-2 in MAC games this season. Nate Hutcheson and Shay Whttington are each pouring in 11.2 points per game this season, with Whittington leading WMU with 8.8 rebounds a game. Austin Richie averages 3.2 assists a game.

FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eagles' contest with the Broncos will be broadcast on WEMU (89.1 FM). Veteran play-by-play voice Chad Bush will be on the call from University Arena alongside EMU Assistant Athletics Director Greg Steiner as the analyst.

ALL-TIME VERSUS WESTERN MICHIGAN: Wednesday night's matchup will mark the 98th all-time meeting between the Broncos and Eagles. Western Michigan holds the all-time series edge, 54-43. EMU and WMU first met during the 1914-15 campaign when Thomas Ransom was head coach and 1976 E-Club Hall of Fame inductee Elton J. Rynearson was serving as the team's captain. That team was victorious in a road contest, 37-24, Feb. 13, 1915. That team went 9-4 on the season, also topping Central Michigan in its season finale.
Last season, Eastern won a pair of contests with the Broncos. First, the Eagles played host to WMU, Jan. 18, 2012, and saw a 62-59 win in which the Eagles won in an overtime battle at the Convocation Center. The second matchup with the Broncos was not without drama, as Eastern's Darrell Lampley hit a four-foot jumper on the right side of the lane with one second left to give the Eagles a 54-53 win, Feb. 29, 2012, at University Arena.

IN SEARCH OF THREE STRAIGHT: The Eagles are looking to make it three-straight victories in Mid-American Conference play Wednesday when they travel to Kalamazoo. The Eagles completed that feat on two seperate occasions last season. Western Michigan was a part of both of those three-game win streaks.

DEFENDING THE TREY: Eastern has held its MAC opponents to a 26.4 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Only Ball State has eclipsed the 25 percent from three-point land against EMU.

SHOOTING 50 PLUS: The Eagles have shot over 50 percent from the floor on three separate occasions this season. EMU won its first contest in which it shot 50-plus percent from the floor against Siena Heights, 87-49, Dec. 28. Eastern shot 55 percent from the field against the Saints.
    Against Ball State, Jan. 9, the Eagles shot 51.2 percent from the floor. Despite their blistering shooting percentage, the Eagles were unable to top the Cardinals as they fell, 60-58, on a last-second free throws.
     Finally, in the tilt with Miami, Jan. 19, the Eagles shot 51.2 percent yet again, this time they came out on top, 65-58.

FIRST STRING PRODUCTION: Eastern saw great production from its starting lineup in the win against the RedHawks. The lineup of Glenn Bryant, Jamell Harris, Daylen Harrison, Da'Shonte Riley and Jalen Ross shot 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from the floor in the win. The starters accounted for 41 of EMU's 65 points, while J.R. Sims and Derek Thompson posted the last 24 points in the win.

CONSIDER THE CURSE REVERESED: Eastern had not defeated Miami in its last 16 attempts until coming away victorious, Jan. 19, with a 65-58 win at the Convocation Center. The Eagles had not won a game against Miami since the 1996-97 campaign. The last EMU victory prior to this year over MU came, Feb. 6, 1997, when the Eagles took an 82-77 decision in venerable Bowen Field House. The then-Redskins later returned the favor during that season, dropping the Eagles, 86-77, Oxford, Ohio, Feb. 24, 1997, to begin the streak of 16-straight. Miami also topped EMU by 20, 96-76, in EMU's second game of the 1997 MAC Tournament, March 8, at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio.

RILEY MAKING HISTORY: After 18 games this season Da'Shonte Riley has posted 41 blocked shots, which rank as the ninth most in a single season. He is averaging 2.3 blocks per game and is on pace to stuff 71 shots this season which would be the fifth-most blocks in a single season at EMU. Theron Wilson (1992-93) holds the record for the most blocks in a single season with 96.

BLOCKING HIS WAY INTO THE RECORD BOOKS: Eastern Michigan senior forward, Jamell Harris, posted 40 blocks last season which ranks as the ninth-most in EMU laurels and his 72 blocks in 2009-10 ranks as fourth in the record book. The Euclid, Ohio native trails former EMU defensive great Theron Wilson (1992-96) by 98 blocks. Harris sits second in the record books with 157 career blocks.
     Harris not only has been a force blocking shots, but he has made a name for himself on the glass as well. With 478 career rebounds, he is 24th all-time. Kennedy McIntosh (1967-71) has the most with 1,426.

BENCH PRODUCTION: Despite posting a losing record through its first two MAC contests of the 2012-13 campaign, the Eagles have seen a lot of production from its non-starters in those games. First against Ball State, Jan. 9, the Eagles' bench outscored the Cardinals' bench, 28-2. In its loss to Bowling Green, Eastern's bench outscored the Falcons' bench, 19-4. In MAC games, EMU's bench is outscoring its opponents' bench, 87-41.
    Overall this season, Eastern is outscoring its opponents benches by 85 points, 378-293.

NEXT ON THE DOCKET, NORTHERN ILLINOIS: After traveling to Kalamazoo, Mich. for a MAC tilt with Western Michigan, the Green and White will return home Saturday, Jan. 26, for a contest with Northern Illinois. The Eagles will square off with the Huskies at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
Last season, Eastern saw Northern Illinois three times during the campaign. First, the Eagles traveled to DeKalb, Ill., Jan. 7, 2012, and took a 47-40 win to open MAC play. The second matchup with the Huskies, Eastern used a 15-0 run with just under 12 minutes remaining to post a 48-45 win in Ypsilanti, Feb. 22, 2012. The Eagles hosted NIU again in the first round of the 2012 FirstEnery Mid-American Conference Tournament. Despite playing the game in thier home arena, the Eagles dropped the contest, 55-52, March 5, 2012.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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