Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, January 21
Bowling Green, Ohio
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Bowling Green
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Eastern Heads to Bowling Green for Cross-Divisional Matchup Wednesday Night
1/19/2015 4:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Eagles are looking for their second-straight MAC win
| Game Notes | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After starting 0-3 in Mid-American Conference play, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team got the monkey off its back by defeating Northern Illinois University, 54-46, Saturday, Jan. 17, earning its first MAC win of the season. The Eagles (12-5, 1-3 MAC) will now travel to Bowling Green, Ohio to square off with Bowling Green State University in a cross-divisional matchup at the Stroh Center. It will be the only time that EMU and BGSU (11-4, 3-1 MAC) will square off during the 2014-15 regular season.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Bowling Green contest can be found on 89.1 FM WEMU, Buckeye CableSystems and ESPN3. Fans can dial into 89.1 FM or listen over the internet to the smooth sounds of veteran play-by-play voice, Chad Bush. Joining Bush on the call will be analyst Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director Sean Hostetter. Coverage of the game on 89.1 will begin at 6:50 p.m.
For those who prefer to watch the game, it will be broadcast on Buckeye CableSystems for those whose coverage carries the channel. Fans with access to ESPN will be able to tune into the game on ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app.
ALL-TIME VERSUS BOWLING GREEN: The Eagles are behind in the series with BGSU as Eastern trails by a tally of 40-47. While the Falcons own a seven-game lead in the history of these programs, EMU got the best of Bowling Green in recent years. In fact, the Eagles are 3-1 against BGSU since Head Coach Rob Murphy took over the reigns of the program.
Last season, Eastern took both matchups between the two squads, first knocking off the Falcons at the Stroh Center, 56-51, Jan. 8, before Bowling Green left Ypsilanti after a 69-57 loss at the Convocation Center, Jan. 29.
LIKELY LOOK FOR BOWLING GREEN...
| # | Name | Pos. | Cl. | Ht. | Wt. | ppg | rpg | apg | Hometown-Previous School |
| 2 | Anthony Henderson | G | Sr. | 6-1 | 175 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 0.9 | Toledo, Ohio-Start |
| 3 | Spencer Parker | F | Jr. | 6-7 | 210 | 8.0 | 3.8 | 0.9 | Detroit, Mich.-Fishburne Military |
| 4 | Zack Denny | G | So. | 6-2 | 184 | 9.9 | 5.6 | 0.7 | Germantown, Ohio-Valley View |
| 10 | David Joseph | G | Jr. | 6-0 | 187 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 3.4 | Queens, N.Y.-Howard College |
| 22 | Richaun Holmes | F | Sr. | 6-8 | 245 | 14.2 | 8.3 | 0.7 | Lockport, Ill.-Morain Valley C.C. |
A LOOK AT BGSU: The Falcons enter play sporting an 11-4 record, while they've lost just one Mid-American Conference contest, which was on the road at Akron, Jan. 14. Richaun Holmes is the leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and rebounder (8.3 rpg) and is the only Falcon to score an average in double-figures. In addition, Holmes is the premiere shot blocker in the MAC, averaging a conference-best 2.7 rejections per contest. In addition to Holmes, the Falcons are a strong defensive team, holding teams to a 39.7 shooting percentage along with a 30.7 three-point shooting percentage.
TALLEY RECORDS HIS 1,000th CAREER POINT: Eastern Michigan senior guard Mike Talley has proven his talent year in and year out at the NCAA Division I level and the Detroit, Mich. proved it on Saturday, Jan. 17, in the Eagles win over Northern Illinois. The 6-foot tall point guard stepped to the free throw line with just 21 seconds on the clock and knocked down the first of two free throws to record the 1,000th point of his career. Talley started his career at Duquesne, where he spent two seasons. In his first year as a Duke, Talley notched 222 points, averaging 6.9 per game before recording 231 in his sophomore campaign for a total of 453. Add that to his 548 at EMU, and Talley has 1,001 career points as a collegiate student-athlete.
GETTING THE MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK: No one saw it coming, but Eastern Michigan started the first three games of MAC play without a victory. Finally, the Green and White was able to knock off a gritty Northern Illinois team Saturday, Jan. 17, by a score of 54-46 at the Convocation Center, grabbing their first conference victory of the 2014-15 campaign.
LEE TRYING TO CHART TOP: Redshirt-sophomore Raven Lee holds the record for the most points scored by a freshman in a single season at Eastern Michigan. The Detroit, Mich. native is trying to make a push to become the highest scorer as a sophomore as well. Currently, Lee has scored 250 points this year and is averaging 14.7 points per game. Without including any postseason contests, the six-foot three-inch combo guard is on pace to amass 455 points this year which would rank sixth on the sophomore scoring list at Eastern Michigan.
FRIENDS OFF THE COURT: Eastern Michigan senior forward Karrington Ward and Bowling Green senior forward Richaun Holmes go way back. In fact, they grew up together in Lockport, Ill. where they played at Lockport Township High School. In addition, the two high flyers played a season at Moraine Valley Community College before heading to their respective Mid-American Conference institutions. Last season, Holmes got the best of the hometown rivalry, averaging 18.5 points per season, to go along eight rebounds, while Ward averaged nine points and seven rebounds in the two games between BGSU and EMU a year ago.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Although Eastern Michigan is well-known for its defensive abilities, the Eagles had one of their best defensive performances of the season versus Northern Illinois. EMU held the Huskies to just 46 points which was the second-lowest point total by any NCAA Division I team the Green and White has squared off with. Eastern held Rochester College to a season-low 35 points earlier in the season.
BENCH BATTLE: Eastern has proved itself as a very deep team this season and it shows by the bench production. EMU has been outscored by the opposing bench just four times this season. They lead the bench scoring battle 359-325, scoring, with the reserves 30 percent of the Eagles' offense.
SHARP SHOOTING FROM JODAN PRICE: Adding to the Eagles' depth on the bench, redshirt-sophomore Jodan Price has shown that he can provide a spark to the EMU offense courtesy of the long ball. Out of the DePaul transfer's 130 shots made from the floor this season, 95 of them have been from beyond the arc. When Price raises to let off a shot this season, 73.1 percent of the shots he takes are three-point attempts.
MID-MAJOR MADNESS: After starting the season 6-0, the 31-coach panel of mid-major head coaches across the country felt that EMU had earned a spot in the Dec. 1 version of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Eagles came in at No. 20, marking the second time Eastern earned a spot in the poll in the history of the mid-major top 25. Not only is it the second year in a row that the Eagles earned a spot in the poll, but as of the Jan. 12 poll the Eagles are ranked 18th.
JUST COULDN'T FINISH IT: In its first three MAC games, the Green and White was 0-3, being outscored by an average of three points per game. The most disappointing part about the Eagles' early struggles was that EMU had not been able to slam the door on an opponent as it had led by at least nine points in all three contests.
Eastern held its largest lead in the loss at Miami, Jan. 10. EMU led by 25 points at the 5:55 mark in the first half, while they held a 16-point lead over Kent State, Jan. 14. In addition to those setbacks, the Green and White were leading Ball State by nine with just 13 minutes remaining in the contest but fell, 60-59, in overtime.
THE SCHOOL OF REJECTION: Last season the Eagles proved to be one of the best defenses in the country, including their shot blocking ability. Despite losing one of the most prolific shot blockers in EMU history in Da'Shonte Riley, EMU's Karrington Ward has filled in nicely. Last season, Ward blocked a total of 25 blocks last season and this year he has rejected 25 already. Along with Jodan Price (16 blocks) the Eagles lead the MAC at 5.2 blocks per game.
TALLEY RECORDS HIS 1,000th CAREER POINT: Eastern Michigan senior guard Mike Talley has proven his talent year in and year out at the NCAA Division I level and the Detroit, Mich. proved it on Saturday, Jan. 17, in the Eagles win over Northern Illinois. The 6-foot tall point guard stepped to the free throw line with just 21 seconds on the clock and knocked down the first of two free throws to record the 1,000th point of his career. Talley started his career at Duquesne, where he spent two seasons. In his first year as a Duke, Talley notched 222 points, averaging 6.9 per game before recording 231 in his sophomore campaign for a total of 453. Add that to his 548 at EMU, and Talley has 1,001 career points as a collegiate student-athlete.
GETTING THE MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK: No one saw it coming, but Eastern Michigan started the first three games of MAC play without a victory. Finally, the Green and White was able to knock off a gritty Northern Illinois team Saturday, Jan. 17, by a score of 54-46 at the Convocation Center, grabbing their first conference victory of the 2014-15 campaign.
LEE TRYING TO CHART TOP: Redshirt-sophomore Raven Lee holds the record for the most points scored by a freshman in a single season at Eastern Michigan. The Detroit, Mich. native is trying to make a push to become the highest scorer as a sophomore as well. Currently, Lee has scored 250 points this year and is averaging 14.7 points per game. Without including any postseason contests, the six-foot three-inch combo guard is on pace to amass 455 points this year which would rank sixth on the sophomore scoring list at Eastern Michigan.
FRIENDS OFF THE COURT: Eastern Michigan senior forward Karrington Ward and Bowling Green senior forward Richaun Holmes go way back. In fact, they grew up together in Lockport, Ill. where they played at Lockport Township High School. In addition, the two high flyers played a season at Moraine Valley Community College before heading to their respective Mid-American Conference institutions. Last season, Holmes got the best of the hometown rivalry, averaging 18.5 points per season, to go along eight rebounds, while Ward averaged nine points and seven rebounds in the two games between BGSU and EMU a year ago.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Although Eastern Michigan is well-known for its defensive abilities, the Eagles had one of their best defensive performances of the season versus Northern Illinois. EMU held the Huskies to just 46 points which was the second-lowest point total by any NCAA Division I team the Green and White has squared off with. Eastern held Rochester College to a season-low 35 points earlier in the season.
BENCH BATTLE: Eastern has proved itself as a very deep team this season and it shows by the bench production. EMU has been outscored by the opposing bench just four times this season. They lead the bench scoring battle 359-325, scoring, with the reserves 30 percent of the Eagles' offense.
SHARP SHOOTING FROM JODAN PRICE: Adding to the Eagles' depth on the bench, redshirt-sophomore Jodan Price has shown that he can provide a spark to the EMU offense courtesy of the long ball. Out of the DePaul transfer's 130 shots made from the floor this season, 95 of them have been from beyond the arc. When Price raises to let off a shot this season, 73.1 percent of the shots he takes are three-point attempts.
MID-MAJOR MADNESS: After starting the season 6-0, the 31-coach panel of mid-major head coaches across the country felt that EMU had earned a spot in the Dec. 1 version of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Eagles came in at No. 20, marking the second time Eastern earned a spot in the poll in the history of the mid-major top 25. Not only is it the second year in a row that the Eagles earned a spot in the poll, but as of the Jan. 12 poll the Eagles are ranked 18th.
JUST COULDN'T FINISH IT: In its first three MAC games, the Green and White was 0-3, being outscored by an average of three points per game. The most disappointing part about the Eagles' early struggles was that EMU had not been able to slam the door on an opponent as it had led by at least nine points in all three contests.
Eastern held its largest lead in the loss at Miami, Jan. 10. EMU led by 25 points at the 5:55 mark in the first half, while they held a 16-point lead over Kent State, Jan. 14. In addition to those setbacks, the Green and White were leading Ball State by nine with just 13 minutes remaining in the contest but fell, 60-59, in overtime.
THE SCHOOL OF REJECTION: Last season the Eagles proved to be one of the best defenses in the country, including their shot blocking ability. Despite losing one of the most prolific shot blockers in EMU history in Da'Shonte Riley, EMU's Karrington Ward has filled in nicely. Last season, Ward blocked a total of 25 blocks last season and this year he has rejected 25 already. Along with Jodan Price (16 blocks) the Eagles lead the MAC at 5.2 blocks per game.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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