EMU Closes Out Non-Conference Slate on the Road at UMass

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will remain on the road after taking on the Kentucky Wildcats. EMU is scheduled to travel to Amherst, Mass. to take on the University of Massachusetts for a 2 p.m. contest.
UMass is 9-3 on the season and has defeated all three Mid-American Conference opponents it has taken on this season. First the Minutemen took down defending MAC Tournament Champions Ohio, 85-76, Dec. 19, in Amherst. UMass then topped Northern Illinois, 64-59, in DeKalb, Ill., Dec. 29. And finally, Massachusetts dropped Miami by just one point, 70-69, in Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 2.

ALL-TIME VERSUS UMASS: Eastern is 0-1 all-time against UMass. The last time EMU and the Minutemen faced off was during the 1972-73 season when the Eagles fell, 68-61, in the Motor City Tournament. That game was hosted by the University of Detroit Mercy and played in Detroit, Mich.

25 AND BELOW: Eastern Michigan shot just 24.2 percent from the field against the defending National Champion Kentucky Wildcats, Jan. 2. It was the first time that EMU had shot below 25.0 percent on the season, and is also the lowest shooting percentage by the Eagles since Rob Murphy took over as the head coach prior to the 2011-12 campaign. The 38 points scored by the Eagles is also the second-lowest point scored in Murphy's tenure. EMU scored 36 points against Purdue last season, Dec. 10, 2011, when it dropped a 61-36 decision in West Lafayette, Ind.

SOUNDS LIKE A PROBLEM FOR THE BOARD: The Eagles were outrebounded, 52-27, in their loss to the Wildcats, Jan. 2. This was the lowest amount of rebounds in a game by EMU since it had just 25 boards against Western Michigan last season, Feb. 29, 2012. It is also the most rebounds that a team has recorded against Eastern. Syracuse pulled down 50, while Purdue notched 51 caroms.

PRODUCTION OFF THE BENCH: In Wednesday's game against Kentucky, EMU posted 21 points from players off of the bench, including 10 from junior Glenn Bryant. Those 21 points were more than the amount of points scored by the starting five, who posted just 17 points in the game.

NOT A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER: The Eagles posted a 2-4 record during the month of December. The only wins for EMU in that month were against Siena Heights, Dec. 28, and Purdue, 47-44. Eastern looks to pick up the pieces when conference play begins Wednesday, Jan. 9, when Ball State travels to Ypsilanti to open up Mid-American Conference basketball at the Convocation Center with a 7 p.m. tip.

CONFERENCE PLAY UP AHEAD: After playing in their final non-conference game before the conference season starts, the Eagles return back to Ypsilanti next Wednesday, Jan. 9, when they play host to the Ball State Cardinals at 7 p.m. It will be the 39th season that EMU will compete in the Mid-American Conference.
Eastern is looking to defend its first-ever MAC West Division Title as they went 9-7 last season in conference play. The Green and White was selected to finish second in the West Division behind Toledo.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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