Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, March 11
Cleveland, Ohio
6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Bowling Green
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Eagles Head to Cleveland For Second Round Showdown with BGSU
3/10/2015 11:18:00 AM | Men's Basketball
No. 8 seeded EMU and No. 5 seeded Bowling Green square off Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
| Game Notes | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats |
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- For the third-straight season, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will head to Cleveland, Ohio for the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. The Eagles (20-12, 8-10 MAC), seeded eighth, will square off with the No. 5 seed Bowling Green State University. The Green and White is coming into the contest following a thrilling 62-61 overtime win against Miami University in a first round game hosted at the EMU Convocation Center, while the Falcons (20-10, 11-7 MAC) head to Quicken Loans Arena following an 88-75 victory over Ball State University at the Stroh Center. Eastern Michigan is looking for its third-straight trip to the quarterfinals with a victory over Bowling Green Wednesday night. Tip time is slated for 6:30 p.m. at 'The Q' in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Bowling Green contest can be found on 89.1 FM WEMU, Comcast Infinity 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. In addition, Greg Steiner will handle the engineer duties. Coverage of the game on 89.1 will begin at 6:20 p.m.
For those who prefer to watch the game, it will be broadcast on Comcast Infinity 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 40-48. The Eagles and Falcons have split the last 10 matchups between the squads and EMU Head Coach Rob Murphy holds a 3-2 record over Bowling Green, including a pair of victories during the 2013-14 campaign. The Eagles are hoping to pick up their third victory in four tries Wednesday evening.
Earlier this year, the Green and White dropped a 74-58 decision at the Stroh Center. Tim Bond led the Eagles offensively, recording a career-best 13 points, while Raven Lee added 11 by knocking down three buckets from the beyond the arc and a pair of free throws. Anali Okoloji led the Green and White in rebounds, with nine, while Jodan Price added six. Karrington Ward and Mike Samuels each caromed five rebounds.
RAVEN LEE AND KARRINGTON WARD EARN ALL-MAC ACCOLADES: Both Raven Lee and Karrington Ward each earned postseason All-Mid-American Conference accolades after successful campaigns. Lee earned All-MAC Third Team honors, while Ward was named ALl-MAC Honorable Mention.
Lee earned his first MAC postseason award after averaging the third-most points in the conference (16.4 ppg) while leading EMU in that category. The redshirt-sophomore guard posted nine games of 20-or-more points scored, to go along with two 30-plus point performances. Lee posted the eighth-best free throw percentage in the conference, knocking down 78.1 percent of his free throw attempts, and the 6-foot-3 combo guard was named MAC West Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 23.
Earning All-MAC honorable mention makes it the second-straight season that Ward has been named to a postseason award list by the conference. The Lockport, Ill. native finished the regular season averaging 12.7 points per game, good for 16th in the conference while pulling down the eighth-most rebounds (6.4 rpg) in the conference. The senior recorded seven double-doubles on the season, while scoring 20-or-more points in five games this season. The 6-foot-7 forward was named MAC West Player of the Week for the first time in his career, Feb. 16.
ALL THE EAGLES FLOCK TO CLEVELAND: For the first time since the 2006-07 season, both the men's and women's basketball teams have advanced to the second round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament after the two teams posted wins in a doubleheader, March 9. The women came away with a 70-52 win over Kent State, while the men had a thrilling 62-61 overtime victory over Ohio. In the 2006-07 campaign, the women took down Ohio in the first round, 79-69, before dropping the second round contest to No. 18/19 Bowling Green, 57-71. The men had a similar story, beating Ball state in a 51-48 decision before exiting the tournament following a 62-54 setback to Toledo.
20/20: After downing Miami in overtime of the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, 62-61, the Eagles have posted 20 wins in the 2014-15 campaign, marking the first time since the 1996-97 and 1997-98 season that the Eagles have posted 20-or-more wins in back-to-back campaigns. The last time the feat was accomplished, the Green and White compiled a record of 22-10 in the 1996-97 season to finish fourth in the MAC before going 20-10 and qualifying for the NCAA tournament in the 1997-98 campaign.
THE GO-TO GUY: Redshirt-sophomore combo guard Raven Lee proved why he was named an All-MAC honoree as he came up clutch in the Eagles' 62-61 overtime victory over Miami, March 9. Lee had struggled from three-point range, hitting just one long ball on five attempts before the final seconds of regulation play. Down 54-51, Lee was entrusted with the ball off an inbound play, and sank his second three-pointer of the night to knot the score and send the game into overtime. The Eagles went on to outlast the RedHawks, not allowing a field goal in over 13 minutes of play between the end of the second half and the opening minutes of the overtime period.
EMU VS. BGSU IN THE TOURNEY: Eastern Michigan has squared off with Bowling Green on five occasions since the MAC Tournament first began following the 1980 season. The Eagles own a 4-1 lead in the series. The last time EMU and BGSU saw each other in a MAC Tournament game, the Green and White came away with a 73-64 victory in the tournament semifinals, March 7, 1997. The 1996-97 squad eventually fell to the Miami in the championship game at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio.
FRIENDS OFF THE COURT, FOES ON: Eastern Michigan senior forward Karrington Ward and Bowling Green forward Richaun Holmes both hail from Lockport, Ill. and played together at Lockport Township High School. The two also played a single season at Moraine Valley Community College, although they were in different seasons. The two were each named NJCAA Division II All-Americans and each earned the Skyway Conference Player of the Year honor.
LET'S KEEP IT ROLLING: Eastern Michigan is currently riding a three-game winning streak heading into the Mid-American Conference Tournament. This is the Eagles first three-game winning streak since entering MAC play.
ALL-TIME IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Since its inception, the Eagles hold a 28-29 record in MAC Tournament games. In fact, since head coach Rob Murphy took over the program, Eastern Michigan is 6-3 in MAC Tournament contests.
MURPHY IN THE MAC TOURNEY: Head Coach Rob Murphy has been successful in the MAC Tournament boasting a 6-3 record. Following a first round exit of the tournament in his inaugural season, the Detroit, Mich. native has had at least two wins in each of the next two tournaments, making it to the quarterfinals in 2013 and the semifinals in 2014.
TALLEY NAMED MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THE SECOND TIME: Eastern Michigan University redshirt-senior point guard Mike Talley was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week for the final week of the season, the league office announced Saturday, March 7. It is the second time the Detroit, Mich. native has garnered the award in his career.
Talley put on a clinic in the final week of the regular season, leading the Eagles to a perfect 2-0 record as he averaged 19.5 points per game to help Eastern Michigan lock up the No. 8 seed in the 2015 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Detroit, Mich. native went 19-of-21 from the line, including a perfect 9-for-9 versus Ball State. In addition, the point guard dished out five assists per contest. Defensively, Talley picked Ball State's pocket on six occasions, tying the fourth most in a single game in EMU history. Overall on the week, the senior had 10 steals good for five per game.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Bowling Green contest can be found on 89.1 FM WEMU, Comcast Infinity 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. In addition, Greg Steiner will handle the engineer duties. Coverage of the game on 89.1 will begin at 6:20 p.m.
For those who prefer to watch the game, it will be broadcast on Comcast Infinity 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 40-48. The Eagles and Falcons have split the last 10 matchups between the squads and EMU Head Coach Rob Murphy holds a 3-2 record over Bowling Green, including a pair of victories during the 2013-14 campaign. The Eagles are hoping to pick up their third victory in four tries Wednesday evening.
Earlier this year, the Green and White dropped a 74-58 decision at the Stroh Center. Tim Bond led the Eagles offensively, recording a career-best 13 points, while Raven Lee added 11 by knocking down three buckets from the beyond the arc and a pair of free throws. Anali Okoloji led the Green and White in rebounds, with nine, while Jodan Price added six. Karrington Ward and Mike Samuels each caromed five rebounds.
LIKELY LOOK FOR THE FALCONS...
| # | Name | Pos. | Cl. | Ht. | Wt. | ppg | rpg | apg | Hometown-Previous School |
| 2 | Anthony Henderson | G | Sr. | 6-1 | 175 | 8.5 | 3.1 | 1.3 | Toledo, Ohio-Start |
| 3 | Spencer Parker | F | Jr. | 6-7 | 210 | 8.3 | 3.7 | 0.9 | Detroit, Mich.-West Bloomfield |
| 4 | Zack Denny | G | So. | 6-2 | 184 | 9.1 | 5.3 | 0.9 | Germantown, Ohio-Valley View |
| 10 | David Joseph | G | Jr. | 6-0 | 187 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 3.2 | Queens, N.Y.-Westlake Prep (Fla.) |
| 22 | Richaun Holmes | F | Sr. | 6-8 | 245 | 14.7 | 8.0 | 0.9 | Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township |
RAVEN LEE AND KARRINGTON WARD EARN ALL-MAC ACCOLADES: Both Raven Lee and Karrington Ward each earned postseason All-Mid-American Conference accolades after successful campaigns. Lee earned All-MAC Third Team honors, while Ward was named ALl-MAC Honorable Mention.
Lee earned his first MAC postseason award after averaging the third-most points in the conference (16.4 ppg) while leading EMU in that category. The redshirt-sophomore guard posted nine games of 20-or-more points scored, to go along with two 30-plus point performances. Lee posted the eighth-best free throw percentage in the conference, knocking down 78.1 percent of his free throw attempts, and the 6-foot-3 combo guard was named MAC West Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 23.
Earning All-MAC honorable mention makes it the second-straight season that Ward has been named to a postseason award list by the conference. The Lockport, Ill. native finished the regular season averaging 12.7 points per game, good for 16th in the conference while pulling down the eighth-most rebounds (6.4 rpg) in the conference. The senior recorded seven double-doubles on the season, while scoring 20-or-more points in five games this season. The 6-foot-7 forward was named MAC West Player of the Week for the first time in his career, Feb. 16.
ALL THE EAGLES FLOCK TO CLEVELAND: For the first time since the 2006-07 season, both the men's and women's basketball teams have advanced to the second round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament after the two teams posted wins in a doubleheader, March 9. The women came away with a 70-52 win over Kent State, while the men had a thrilling 62-61 overtime victory over Ohio. In the 2006-07 campaign, the women took down Ohio in the first round, 79-69, before dropping the second round contest to No. 18/19 Bowling Green, 57-71. The men had a similar story, beating Ball state in a 51-48 decision before exiting the tournament following a 62-54 setback to Toledo.
20/20: After downing Miami in overtime of the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, 62-61, the Eagles have posted 20 wins in the 2014-15 campaign, marking the first time since the 1996-97 and 1997-98 season that the Eagles have posted 20-or-more wins in back-to-back campaigns. The last time the feat was accomplished, the Green and White compiled a record of 22-10 in the 1996-97 season to finish fourth in the MAC before going 20-10 and qualifying for the NCAA tournament in the 1997-98 campaign.
THE GO-TO GUY: Redshirt-sophomore combo guard Raven Lee proved why he was named an All-MAC honoree as he came up clutch in the Eagles' 62-61 overtime victory over Miami, March 9. Lee had struggled from three-point range, hitting just one long ball on five attempts before the final seconds of regulation play. Down 54-51, Lee was entrusted with the ball off an inbound play, and sank his second three-pointer of the night to knot the score and send the game into overtime. The Eagles went on to outlast the RedHawks, not allowing a field goal in over 13 minutes of play between the end of the second half and the opening minutes of the overtime period.
EMU VS. BGSU IN THE TOURNEY: Eastern Michigan has squared off with Bowling Green on five occasions since the MAC Tournament first began following the 1980 season. The Eagles own a 4-1 lead in the series. The last time EMU and BGSU saw each other in a MAC Tournament game, the Green and White came away with a 73-64 victory in the tournament semifinals, March 7, 1997. The 1996-97 squad eventually fell to the Miami in the championship game at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio.
FRIENDS OFF THE COURT, FOES ON: Eastern Michigan senior forward Karrington Ward and Bowling Green forward Richaun Holmes both hail from Lockport, Ill. and played together at Lockport Township High School. The two also played a single season at Moraine Valley Community College, although they were in different seasons. The two were each named NJCAA Division II All-Americans and each earned the Skyway Conference Player of the Year honor.
LET'S KEEP IT ROLLING: Eastern Michigan is currently riding a three-game winning streak heading into the Mid-American Conference Tournament. This is the Eagles first three-game winning streak since entering MAC play.
ALL-TIME IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Since its inception, the Eagles hold a 28-29 record in MAC Tournament games. In fact, since head coach Rob Murphy took over the program, Eastern Michigan is 6-3 in MAC Tournament contests.
MURPHY IN THE MAC TOURNEY: Head Coach Rob Murphy has been successful in the MAC Tournament boasting a 6-3 record. Following a first round exit of the tournament in his inaugural season, the Detroit, Mich. native has had at least two wins in each of the next two tournaments, making it to the quarterfinals in 2013 and the semifinals in 2014.
TALLEY NAMED MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THE SECOND TIME: Eastern Michigan University redshirt-senior point guard Mike Talley was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week for the final week of the season, the league office announced Saturday, March 7. It is the second time the Detroit, Mich. native has garnered the award in his career.
Talley put on a clinic in the final week of the regular season, leading the Eagles to a perfect 2-0 record as he averaged 19.5 points per game to help Eastern Michigan lock up the No. 8 seed in the 2015 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Detroit, Mich. native went 19-of-21 from the line, including a perfect 9-for-9 versus Ball State. In addition, the point guard dished out five assists per contest. Defensively, Talley picked Ball State's pocket on six occasions, tying the fourth most in a single game in EMU history. Overall on the week, the senior had 10 steals good for five per game.
Players Mentioned
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