Eagles Open MAC Play Wednesday with Ball State at Home

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team returns home after a pair of non-conference road contests to start Mid-American Conference play Wednesday, Jan. 9. The Eagles will play host to MAC West foe Ball State University. Tip is set for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
    Last season in a pair of games, the Green and White came out victorious in both matchups with the Cardinals. Eastern won the first in Muncie, Ind., Jan. 14, on a buzzer-beating three-point basket from Antonio Green, 51-48, and then took care of the Cardinals at home, Feb. 25, 61-50, to grab at least a share of the MAC West crown on EMU's Senior Day.

FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eagles' matchup with the Cardinals will be broadcast on WEMU (89.1 FM). Veteran play-by-play voice Chad Bush will be on the call from Ypsilanti, with Assistant Athletics Director, Greg Steiner, serving at the analyst.
    The contest between EMU and Ball State is also available on Eagle All-Access. Subscriptions for Eagle All-Access start at just $6.95.

ALL-TIME VERSUS BALL STATE: Eastern is 38-55 in the all-time series against Ball State. They first got together back when the Cardinals topped the then-Hurons, 73-32, Feb. 9, 1947. BSU took the first eight contests until Dec. 14, 1960, when EMU defeated Ball State, 86-81.
    The last time these two teams met on the hardwood was last season in the Eagles' final home game of the 2011-12 campaign. Darrell Lampley and Antonio Green scored 13 and 10 points respectively, to lead EMU to a 61-50 win over Ball State in a Mid-American Conference West Division game. The win gave EMU its second over BSU last season and at least a share of what would become an outright MAC West title.

EASTERN IN MAC OPENERS: EMU is 15-23 all-time in Mid-American Conference lid-lifters. Wednesday's contest with Ball State will serve as the beginning of the 39th season that Eastern has competed in the MAC.
    The Green and White first started competing in the MAC in the 1974-75 season. The then-Hurons went 4-9 in conference play, picking up wins over Kent State, Western Michigan and a pair against Ohio.

EARNING HIS KEEP: Junior guard J.R. Sims joined the starting lineup for the last three games and has since upped his production, averaging 6.3 points and 21 minutes per game, including a season-best 12 points at UMass, Jan. 5. In his first 11 games of the season, Sims was posting just 2.9 points and 13.7 minutes per game.

BURNED BY THE THREE: Over a three game stretch, Dec. 15-22, the Eagles were torched by the three-point ball in three games, surrendering 31 made baskets from beyond the arc. Both Michigan and Illinois-Chicago made a dozen three-balls, while Oakland knocked down seven.
    Against both Kentucky, Jan. 2, and UMass, Jan. 5, the Eagles saw their chances in those games dwindle due to the three-ball. The Wildcats shot 38.5 percent from three, while knocking down 10 from beyond the arc and the Minutemen hit 11 three-pointers while shooting 44.0 percent from three-point land.

TURNOVERS ARE THE KEY: The Eagles have forced 15-or-less turnovers in all but one of the seven losses this season. Eastern did force 18 turnovers against No. 4/4-ranked Syracuse, Dec. 3, in a 84-48 loss on the road. In EMU's losses, it has forced 13.4 turnovers per game, while the Eagles are forcing 16.9 turnovers per game in victories.

KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE: Ball State is one-of-three teams in the MAC that EMU Head Coach Rob Murphy has defeated on multiple occasions in his short stint at Eastern. Murphy and his Eagles look to make it a perfect 3-0 against the Cardinals Wednesday. Murphy is also 2-0 against Western Michigan, and is 2-1 against Northern Illinois.

NEXT ON THE DOCKET, BOWLING GREEN: After opening conference play with Ball State at home, the Green and White will travel to Bowling Green, Ohio to take on MAC East foe Bowling Green State University, Jan. 12, at the Stroh Center. The Falcons hold the all-time series lead with Eastern, posting a 38-46 record.
    Last season, EMU topped Bowling Green, 55-50, in the only contest between the teams. Darrell Lampley led the way with a 20-point night while Anthony Strickland added eight points and six rebounds, including two clutch free throws with just 6.3 seconds left.

IN THE NATIONAL RANKS: As of the last NCAA statistical update (Jan. 6), EMU ranks 17th in the NCAA in blocked shots per game (5.6). Da'Shonte Riley is tied for 22nd in the nation for blocked shots per game (2.57) and Daylen Harrison is 18th shooting 90.0 percent from the free throw line.

MISSING SOME TIME: EMU “true” freshman, Ray Lee, will be out indefinitely with an injury to his foot.

BLOCKING HIS WAY IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Eastern Michigan senior forward, Jamell Harris, posted 40 blocks last season which ranks as the ninth-most in EMU laurels. The Euclid, Ohio native trails former EMU defensive great Theron Wilson (1992-96) by 108 blocks. Harris sits second in the record books with 151 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 451 career rebounds, he is 30th all-time. Kennedy McIntosh (1967-71) has the most with 1,426.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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