EMU Continues Keightley Classic with Cleveland State

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team continues its home slate to start the 2013-14 campaign Monday, Nov. 18, when Cleveland State University travels to Ypsilanti for a 7 p.m. matchup. The Eagles have started the season 3-0, including a win over their first NCAA Division I opponent Thursday, Nov. 14, when the Green and White knocked off the Robert Morris University Colonials, 69-64.

Despite trailing by as many as 11 in the opening half, the Eagles used a pair of top notch performances from Ray Lee and Karrington Ward to return-fire and take control of the game heading into half time. Lee posted a career-best 21 points, while Ward notched the first double-double of the 2013-14 campaign for EMU and the first of his career. On top of that, he totaled 18 points and 12 rebounds, both of which are the best of his short career at Eastern.

WHAT'S TO COME: The Green and White remain at home for the first five games of the 2013-14 season. Eastern opened with Albion, Nov. 8, and hosted Concordia, Nov. 12. The Eagles then began the Keightley classic with a game against Robert Morris, Nov. 14. EMU will now take on Cleveland State, Nov. 18, and Texas-Arlington, Nov. 23, before hitting the road for the first time.

FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eagles' contest with the Vikings will hit the airwaves of 89.1 FM (WEMU). In addition to the WEMU broadcast, fans can watch live streaming video on Eastern Michigan's Eagle All-Access. Subscriptions for Eagle All-Access start at just $6.95.

Veteran "Voice of the Eagles" Chad Bush will serve as EMU's play-by-play announcer for both the radio and streaming broadcasts, while Sean Hostetter will be the analyst of the Green and White's contest with Cleveland State.

ALL-TIME AGAINST CLEVLAND STATE: Eastern and Cleveland State have fairly storied series, seeing each other on the court 31 times to this point in the season. The Green and White hold a commanding 22-9 lead in the series.

Most recently, the Eagles took down the Vikings in a game at the Convocation Center, 89-76, Dec. 23, 2004. The 89 points was the second-most that Eastern laid on an opponent during the 2004-05 season under then-Head Coach Jim Boone.

WATERS' TIES TO EASTERN: Cleveland State's Head Men's Basketball Coach Gary Waters has strong EMU ties. The seventh-year head coach at CSU was an assistant coach at EMU from 1989-96 under then-head coach and all-time wins leader at EMU, Ben Braun. He served as just an assistant coach from 1989-93 and was promoted to associate head coach for the final three years of service at EMU. During his time with the Eagles, they compiled a 127-87 record including two Mid-American Conference titles.

LEETHAL TO START THE CAMPAIGN: After sustaining a foot injury that sidelined him for the majority of the 2012-13 campaign, redshirt-freshman Ray Lee has not missed a step this season, proving his value to the Eagles as he exploded with a career-high 21 points to lead the Eagles to a 69-64 victory over Robert Morris, Nov.14. Not only did the EMU finish 7-of-16 from the field, but he also made huge contributions defensively, nabbing four steals, a personal-best for the Detroit, Mich. native. Lee's previous best game as an Eagle came against Madonna, Nov. 24, 2012, where he scored 14 points in an EMU win over the Crusaders.

COMFORTABLE AT THE CONVO: Under Head Coach Rob Murphy, the EMU basketball team has been comfortable opening up the season inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center. Throughout the past three seasons, EMU holds an impressive 11-1 record at home in the 11th month of the calendar year. In Murphy's first year roaming the EMU sideline, the Green and White won its first three home games before falling to Michigan State, Nov. 27, 2011. Last season, Eastern completed a perfect 5-0 campaign during November, including an Ice Man Classic crown.

Thus far in 2013, the Eagles have won all three regular season contests in the Convocation Center with two remaining November games in the arena. EMU hosts Cleveland State, Nov. 18, before Texas-Arlington comes to town Saturday, Nov. 23. Both games are part of the Keightley Classic hosted by EMU and the University of Kentucky.

BEST START THIS CENTURY: With a 3-0 record to start the 2013-14 campaign, the EMU hoops team is off to its best start in the 21st century. The last time the Eagles opened up the season with three straight victories was the 1996-97 season when Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial led EMU to six consecutive wins to begin the season. That season was sandwiched between two trips to the NCAA Tournament for the Green and White.

AJAYI MAKES HIS PRESENCE KNOWN: With starting center, Da'Shonte Riley, in foul trouble against Robert Morris the new big man for the Eagles off the bench, Olalekan Ajayi, filled right in for him. Ajayi blocked a pair of shots for EMU, while pulling down 10 boards for the Eagles

DEFYING MURPHY'S LAW: Although defense has been Head Coach Rob Murphy's philosophy since he stepped foot on the campus of Eastern Michigan, the 2013-14 basketball team seems to be showing the third-year head coach that it might be able to win games on the offensive side of the ball as well. Since coming to Ypsilanti, Murphy's squads have averaged 53.2 and 56.6 points per game, respectively. On the other side of the ball, Murphy's Eagles have allowed just 58.7 and 59.1 points per contest in those two seasons. After two games this season, the Eagles are averaging 80.3 points on the offensive side, while allowing just 53.0 points on the defensive side. It seems as though these Eagles are embracing the defensive philosophy while exploding on the other side of the court as well.

STUFF YOU VERY MUCH: Eastern Michigan's defensive prowess is what has allowed the team to be successful the last few years. That stealthy defense includes their shot blocking ability. In its first three games, EMU has blocked 32 shots. Those rejections are already 18.9 percent of last season's total of 169 swatted shots. Projections say the Eagles are on pace for 331 blocked shots this season.

Da'Shonte Riley has led that defensive block party. The senior who transferred from Syracuse just two seasons ago has racked up 16 blocks already this season. The Detroit, Mich. native is also earning his spot in the EMU record books. The seven-footer has blocked 112 shots in his career, good for the fourth-most in EMU history. He is just eight shy of Brian Nolan, while he trails the all-time leader Theron Wilson by a wide margin. Wilson finished his career with 257 rejections. Riley, however, has only played just over one and a half seasons for the Green and White, while Wilson appeared on the EMU roster for four seasons (1992-96).

KINETIC KARRINGTON: Eastern Michigan's new wingman, Karrington Ward, is currently leading the Eagles in scoring after the first three games of the season with 17.3 points a game, while also pulling down a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game. The junior college transfer also posted the first double-double for an Eagle this season when he pulled down 12 rebounds and poured in 18 points against Robert Morris, Nov. 14. Ward has become a human highlight reel at EMU, as the two-time junior college All-American has shown his versatility to the fans by dunking, draining threes, rebounding and swiping the ball from the opposition.

DROPPIN' DIMES: The Eagles had struggled the last few seasons to find the open man, but 2013-14 has been a different story. The Green and White is averaging 15 assists per game this season, compared to last season when they notched 10.7 per tilt. Missing a true point guard the last two seasons, it seems Mike Talley has emerged as the 2013-14 floor general for EMU and has dished out four assists per game.

EMU FOR THREE!: Eastern's offense has clicked on all cylinders in its first three contests. The Eagles have knocked down 15 three-pointers in its first three games of the season, but what is more impressive is that they are shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

IT AIN'T NO THING: After starting 30-of-34 games last season for EMU, senior Glenn Bryant finds himself coming off the bench for Rob Murphy's squad. However, Bryant has embraced the role from the bench, doing whatever he can to help the team win.
Despite not starting the game on the floor in the first two contests of the season, Bryant is averaging 13.0 points a game, good for the third most on this highly explosive offensive attack from the Eagles.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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