Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 7
Athens, Ohio
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Ohio
Photo by: Scott W. Grau/Icon SMI
Eagles Head to Athens for a Rematch with the Bobcats
2/5/2015 4:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern defeated Ohio, 76-40, earlier this season
| Game Notes | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After winning two-straight at home, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team hit the road for a Mid-American Conference West Division matchup with Toledo, Feb. 4. The Eagles (14-8, 3-6 MAC) dropped that game, 84-60, and will stay on the road this Saturday, Feb. 7, to square off with Ohio University. The Bobcats (8-12, 3-6 MAC) come into the 2 p.m. game after a big, 83-82, home win against the University of Akron on Wednesday evening. The Saturday afternoon game will be part of a doubleheader at the OU Convocation Center with the Ohio women's basketball game to be played at 7 p.m. that night.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Ohio contest can be found on both 89.1 FM WEMU. 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. The pregame show and analysis will begin at 1:50 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
For those who prefer to watch the game, it will be broadcast on Ohio's live webstreaming service at OhioBobcats.com.
ALL-TIME VERSUS OHIO: The Eagles are behind in the series with Ohio as Eastern trails by a tally of 45-24. Although they've been fairly dominant in the overall series, the Bobcats have not had the same success they're used to in recent years. In the last 10 meetings, the Eagles are 4-6 against OU.
The 36-point win earlier this season, Jan. 27, was also the Eagles largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent since Eastern downed Navy, 99-52, on Jan. 7, 2004. It was also the largest margin in a MAC game since EMU defeated Central Michigan, 104-67, Jan. 8, 1997. Behind a team-high 19 points from Raven Lee, 11 different Eagles scored throughout the game. Mike Talley recorded 16 points, while dishing out seven assists and Karrington Ward reached double figures with 12 points as well. While he was one of two Eagles to not find the bucket, Olalekan Ajayi pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds. Eastern found success on offense, sinking half of its shots by going 32-of-64 from the floor. The Eagles' defense forced 18 Ohio turnovers and converted them into 24 points. EMU also dominated the paint, 44-18, and pushed the ball down the court to hold a 24-2 advantage in fastbreak points.
A LOOK AT THE BOBCATS: Ohio comes into Saturday's game following a one-point, 83-82, victory over Akron, which is one-of-four teams tied for first in the MAC East. Ndour leads the Bobcats in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). In addition, the 6-foot-9 forward shoots 76.6 percent from the charity stripe. Ohio's secondary scorer is Javarez "Bean" Willis, who records 14.9 points per contest and just went off for 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting in Ohio's win over Akron on Wednesday night. As a team, the Bobcats shoot 43.3 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
A RECAP AT TOLEDO: The Eagles were upended by the Rockets, 84-60, in their fourth-straight loss in Toledo, Ohio. UT scored on the first possession of the game and never relinquished the lead in the contest. The Green and White saw a trio of student-athletes post double-figure scoring performances with Mike Talley leading the way, scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Raven Lee followed suit, pouring in 15 points, while knocking down six free throws on seven attempts and Tim Bond added 10 points on 5-of-11 field goal attempts. That was the largest margin of victory over the Eagles in MAC play since Toledo knocked off EMU, 76-51, March 3, 2012, in Rob Murphy's first season as head coach.
TALLEY TURNS IT ON: Although he has scored over 1,000 points in his career, Mike Talley had never been the go-to scorer and quietly averaged 10-or-more points per game. The senior has lit up the stat sheet as of late, averaging 19.3 points per game to go along with 4.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds and a steal in the last three games. In those contests, the Detroit, Mich. native is shooting at a 54.3 percent clip, while knocking down 5-of-10 three-point attempts. In addition, the redshirt-senior guard has knocked down 15-of-17 free throw attempts, good for an 88.2 percent mark.
THE OTHER CONVO IS NOT SO FRIENDLY: Eastern Michigan prefers to play at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, rather than the one that resides in Athens, Ohio. In their last trip to Athens, the Eagles dropped a 23-point contest to the Bobcats, Feb. 20, 2013. The 73-50 setback was the fifth-straight for EMU at the OU Convocation Center. The last time Eastern defeated the Bobcats on the road was back in 2003 when the Eagles took Ohio to overtime and came away with a 76-73 victory, Jan. 19.
HALF-MAC: We have arrived at the midway point of the 2015 Mid-American Conference season and we've learned, well, not a lot. There are five teams tied for first place at 6-3, while a pair sit at 5-4, four are 3-6 and one holds a 2-7 record at the halfway point. Eastern is one-of-three teams with a 3-6 record and currently holds the No. 9 seed if the 2015 MAC Tournament were to begin today.
ROAD WOES: Eastern Michigan has not seen its best play on the road this season. The Eagles are just 2-7 away from Ypsilanti, averaging just 60.1 points per game, while allowing the opponent 68.4 points per contest. The Green and White is a team that holds the opposition to a 36.2 field goal percentage, which is top-five in the nation. However, away from the EMU Convocation Center, Eastern allows teams to shoot 40.6 percent in shot opportunities.
TIC-TAC-TURNOVER: Eastern Michigan is forcing the competition into 14.8 turnovers per game this season. The Eagles have forced their opponents into 20-or-more turnovers on four separate occasions, including when the Green and White forced Longwood into 24, Nov. 23. The Eagles hold a +3.3 in turnover margin, which ranks as the best in the MAC and 23rd nationally. Eastern has been forced into more turnovers than the opposition on just four occasions this season.
TALLEY NAMED MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eastern Michigan redshirt-senior point guard Mike Talley was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday, Feb. 2. Talley led the Green and White to the sweep of a pair of Mid-American Conference games this weekend. On the back of Talley, the Eagles moved to 3-5 in MAC play after a 76-40 win over Ohio and a 69-63 victory versus Western Michigan. Overall on the week, the point guard averaged 20 points per game, shooting at a 52.2 percent clip, knocking down 4-of-8 three point attempts and missing just one free throw in 13 attempts, good for a 92.3 free throw percentage. In addition, the Detroit, Mich. native averaged 5.5 assists per game, while pulling down two rebounds and stripping the opponent once per game. In the Eagles' win over Western Michigan, Jan. 31, Talley led Eastern with a career-best 24 points, connecting on 6-of-12 from the floor, while knocking down a career-high four three-point baskets.
MILTON TO MURPHY: Eastern Michigan had not seen a coach with a winning record since Milton Barnes led the Green and White from 1996-2000. Barnes had a career record of 62-53 good for a .539 winning percentage. Currently, Head Coach Rob Murphy owns a record of 66-59. He has held a record of .500-or-better since the 2012-13 season when his squad opened the year 5-1 to bring his overall record to 19-19.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Ohio contest can be found on both 89.1 FM WEMU. 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. The pregame show and analysis will begin at 1:50 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
For those who prefer to watch the game, it will be broadcast on Ohio's live webstreaming service at OhioBobcats.com.
ALL-TIME VERSUS OHIO: The Eagles are behind in the series with Ohio as Eastern trails by a tally of 45-24. Although they've been fairly dominant in the overall series, the Bobcats have not had the same success they're used to in recent years. In the last 10 meetings, the Eagles are 4-6 against OU.
The 36-point win earlier this season, Jan. 27, was also the Eagles largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent since Eastern downed Navy, 99-52, on Jan. 7, 2004. It was also the largest margin in a MAC game since EMU defeated Central Michigan, 104-67, Jan. 8, 1997. Behind a team-high 19 points from Raven Lee, 11 different Eagles scored throughout the game. Mike Talley recorded 16 points, while dishing out seven assists and Karrington Ward reached double figures with 12 points as well. While he was one of two Eagles to not find the bucket, Olalekan Ajayi pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds. Eastern found success on offense, sinking half of its shots by going 32-of-64 from the floor. The Eagles' defense forced 18 Ohio turnovers and converted them into 24 points. EMU also dominated the paint, 44-18, and pushed the ball down the court to hold a 24-2 advantage in fastbreak points.
LIKELY LOOK FOR THE BOBCATS...
| # | Name | Pos. | Cl. | Ht. | Wt. | ppg | rpg | apg | Hometown-Previous School |
| 3 | Javarez "Bean" Willis | G | Sr. | 5-11 | 172 | 14.9 | 3.2 | 3.1 | Homer, La.-Texas Tech |
| 5 | Maurice Ndour | F | Sr. | 6-9 | 200 | 15.2 | 8.5 | 1.6 | Mbour, Senegal-Monroe College |
| 14 | Ryan Taylor | G | Fr. | 6-5 | 187 | 9.4 | 2.7 | 1.5 | Gary, Ind.-St. John's NW Military |
| 24 | Mike Laster | G | Fr. | 6-4 | 180 | 4.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 | Detroit, Mich.-Cass Technical |
| 33 | Antonio Campbell | F | So. | 6-8 | 260 | 10.0 | 6.8 | 0.4 | Cincinnati, Ohio-Holy Cross |
A LOOK AT THE BOBCATS: Ohio comes into Saturday's game following a one-point, 83-82, victory over Akron, which is one-of-four teams tied for first in the MAC East. Ndour leads the Bobcats in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). In addition, the 6-foot-9 forward shoots 76.6 percent from the charity stripe. Ohio's secondary scorer is Javarez "Bean" Willis, who records 14.9 points per contest and just went off for 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting in Ohio's win over Akron on Wednesday night. As a team, the Bobcats shoot 43.3 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
A RECAP AT TOLEDO: The Eagles were upended by the Rockets, 84-60, in their fourth-straight loss in Toledo, Ohio. UT scored on the first possession of the game and never relinquished the lead in the contest. The Green and White saw a trio of student-athletes post double-figure scoring performances with Mike Talley leading the way, scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Raven Lee followed suit, pouring in 15 points, while knocking down six free throws on seven attempts and Tim Bond added 10 points on 5-of-11 field goal attempts. That was the largest margin of victory over the Eagles in MAC play since Toledo knocked off EMU, 76-51, March 3, 2012, in Rob Murphy's first season as head coach.
TALLEY TURNS IT ON: Although he has scored over 1,000 points in his career, Mike Talley had never been the go-to scorer and quietly averaged 10-or-more points per game. The senior has lit up the stat sheet as of late, averaging 19.3 points per game to go along with 4.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds and a steal in the last three games. In those contests, the Detroit, Mich. native is shooting at a 54.3 percent clip, while knocking down 5-of-10 three-point attempts. In addition, the redshirt-senior guard has knocked down 15-of-17 free throw attempts, good for an 88.2 percent mark.
THE OTHER CONVO IS NOT SO FRIENDLY: Eastern Michigan prefers to play at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, rather than the one that resides in Athens, Ohio. In their last trip to Athens, the Eagles dropped a 23-point contest to the Bobcats, Feb. 20, 2013. The 73-50 setback was the fifth-straight for EMU at the OU Convocation Center. The last time Eastern defeated the Bobcats on the road was back in 2003 when the Eagles took Ohio to overtime and came away with a 76-73 victory, Jan. 19.
HALF-MAC: We have arrived at the midway point of the 2015 Mid-American Conference season and we've learned, well, not a lot. There are five teams tied for first place at 6-3, while a pair sit at 5-4, four are 3-6 and one holds a 2-7 record at the halfway point. Eastern is one-of-three teams with a 3-6 record and currently holds the No. 9 seed if the 2015 MAC Tournament were to begin today.
ROAD WOES: Eastern Michigan has not seen its best play on the road this season. The Eagles are just 2-7 away from Ypsilanti, averaging just 60.1 points per game, while allowing the opponent 68.4 points per contest. The Green and White is a team that holds the opposition to a 36.2 field goal percentage, which is top-five in the nation. However, away from the EMU Convocation Center, Eastern allows teams to shoot 40.6 percent in shot opportunities.
TIC-TAC-TURNOVER: Eastern Michigan is forcing the competition into 14.8 turnovers per game this season. The Eagles have forced their opponents into 20-or-more turnovers on four separate occasions, including when the Green and White forced Longwood into 24, Nov. 23. The Eagles hold a +3.3 in turnover margin, which ranks as the best in the MAC and 23rd nationally. Eastern has been forced into more turnovers than the opposition on just four occasions this season.
TALLEY NAMED MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eastern Michigan redshirt-senior point guard Mike Talley was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday, Feb. 2. Talley led the Green and White to the sweep of a pair of Mid-American Conference games this weekend. On the back of Talley, the Eagles moved to 3-5 in MAC play after a 76-40 win over Ohio and a 69-63 victory versus Western Michigan. Overall on the week, the point guard averaged 20 points per game, shooting at a 52.2 percent clip, knocking down 4-of-8 three point attempts and missing just one free throw in 13 attempts, good for a 92.3 free throw percentage. In addition, the Detroit, Mich. native averaged 5.5 assists per game, while pulling down two rebounds and stripping the opponent once per game. In the Eagles' win over Western Michigan, Jan. 31, Talley led Eastern with a career-best 24 points, connecting on 6-of-12 from the floor, while knocking down a career-high four three-point baskets.
MILTON TO MURPHY: Eastern Michigan had not seen a coach with a winning record since Milton Barnes led the Green and White from 1996-2000. Barnes had a career record of 62-53 good for a .539 winning percentage. Currently, Head Coach Rob Murphy owns a record of 66-59. He has held a record of .500-or-better since the 2012-13 season when his squad opened the year 5-1 to bring his overall record to 19-19.
Players Mentioned
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