Eagles Welcome Siena Heights to the Convocation Center

Men's Basketball vs. Siena Heights
Date	Sunday, Dec. 11 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,784)
Game Notes	EMU Game Notes
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Watch	ESPN 3
Listen	89.1 FM WEMU
Twitter	@EMUHoops \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Riding a three-game winning streak and coming off of a 10-day lay off, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team returns to the court Sunday, Dec. 11, when it hosts Siena Heights University for a non-conference tilt at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (5-3) will be playing for the first time since Nov. 30 when they went to the Motor City to square off with Detroit Mercy, while the Saints (6-4, 3-3 WHAC) will be returning to the floor after a Saturday, Dec. 10, contest with Lawrence Tech.

Eastern Michigan comes into the contest as winners of three games in a row, most recently taking down Detroit Mercy, 87-61, Nov. 30, in a non-conference contest at Calihan Hall in Detroit, Mich. On the other side of the court, Siena Heights has won two in a row, however, the Saints will play a game versus LTU, Dec. 10.

FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Siena Heights matchup will have both audio and video on Sunday afternoon. Fans can dial into 89.1 FM or listen over the internet at WEMU.org to hear the smooth sounds of veteran play-by-play voice, Chad Bush. Coverage on 89.1 WEMU will begin 10 minutes prior to the tip of each game this year.
   In addition to the WEMU broadcast, the Eagles' contest will air live on ESPN3. On the call will be EMU Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations Greg Steiner, while Assistant Director of Media Relations Sean Hostetter will provide analysis for the non-conference matchup between EMU and SHU.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE TITANS: Sunday afternoon's 2 p.m. contest will be the third time that EMU and Siena Heights meet on the hardwood. Eastern Michigan won both of its contests with the Saints. The Eagles last defeated Siena Heights during the 2015-16 season, 79-34, but also won during the 2012-13 campaign, 87-49.

In the last dance with the Saints, Willie Mangum IV finished with a career-high 29 points on 12-of-15 shooting (80 percent). The efficient shooting performance tied a school record for field goal percentage in a game, taking 15-or-more field goal attempts, with fellow teammate Ray Lee, who also shot 12-of-15 from the field on his way to scoring 38 points vs. UT Arlington, Nov. 23, 2013. The Richmond, Va. native also went a perfect 2-of-2 from three point range, while adding seven rebounds and four steals.

LIKELY LOOK FOR SIENA HEIGHTS...

#	Name	Pos.	Cl.	Ht.	Wt.	ppg	rpg	apg	Hometown-Previous School
0	Nick Randle	G	Jr.-So.	5-10	160	6.5	3.4	3.6	Flint, Mich.-Grand Blanc
3	Chris Pearl	F	So.-So.	6-5	210	13.8	5.1	2.3	Ostego, Mich.-Ostego
13	Tony Jackson II	G	Jr.-Jr.	6-4	180	11.2	3.6	1.7	Detroit, Mich.-Fitzgerald
40	Trevor Holston	F	Jr.-Jr.	6-7	210	4.8	4.4	0.5	Armada, Mich.-Armada
42	Jerrell Martin	F	Sr.-Sr.	6-8	200	12.8	6.6	0.4	Detroit, Mich.-Community

LAST TIME OUT: The Eagles' offense continued to roll, scoring 85-plus points in its third-straight contest, as the Green and White knocked off Detroit Mercy, 87-61, Wednesday, Nov. 30, on the road at Calihan Hall. It was Eastern Michigan's first true road win of the season, marking the earliest true road win in a season since Head Coach Rob Murphy's first season when the Eagles' defeated IUPUI, Nov. 20, 2011.

Willie Mangum IV was the the Green and White's leading scorer, pouring in 21, while Ray Lee added 17. James Thompson IV and Ty Toney each added double-digit scoring performances with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Thompson also grabbed his sixth-straight double-double with 13 rebounds. As a team, Eastern shot 49.2 percent from the floor, while holding Detroit Mercy to just a 38 percent clip.

TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE: In the last three games, the Eagles have scored 87-or-more points. In fact, they are averaging 92.7 points per game over that stretch. Many would attribute that to strong offensive play, but it can also be looked at as great defensive prowess. In those three games, Eastern has turned the opponent over at least 19 times in each of them, including a high of 24 versus Omaha, Nov. 26. Overall, the Green and White has forced an average of 22 turnovers per game in the three-game span and have averaged 30.7 points off turnovers.

PLENTY OF OPTIONS: EMU has proven to have plenty of options on the offensive end of the floor this season. In fact, the Eagles are the only team in the Mid-American Conference with three student-athletes averaging 15-or-more points per contest. Ray Lee leads the Green and White with 19.1 points per contest, good for fourth in the MAC, while Willie Mangum IV's 16.8 points per game is good for ninth in the conference and James Thompson IV's 15 is 16th-best in the league.

AN IMPRESSIVE VICTORY: With the 26-point victory over Detroit, the Eastern Michigan men's basketball team recorded their biggest margin of victory over an NCAA Division I opponent since the Eagles defeated Toledo, 85-59, in their final home game of the 2014-15 season, March 6, 2015.

BREAKING THE CALIHAN CURSE: Eastern Michigan has seen its struggles when traveling to the Motor City for contests with Detroit Mercy, however that was not the case in the Green and White's Nov. 30 game in Detroit. The Eagles, who had not won a game at Calihan Hall since 1988, cruised to an 87-61 victory over the Titans.

WELCOME TO THE ISLANDS: The EMU men's basketball team took a foreign tour to Nassau in the Bahamas in August where they went a perfect 3-0 in exhibition contests with Bahamian national teams. Now, the Eastern Michigan football team is headed to its first bowl since the 1987 campaign and coincidentally will be traveling to Nassau as well. This will be the first time that the EMU Athletics Department will see two of its teams travel to a foreign country in the same year for competition, let alone travel to the same country in one calendar year. The football team will play Old Dominion Friday, Dec. 23, in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.

THE COMEBACK KIDS: Eastern Michigan has trailed at some point in four of its five victories this season. The Eagles have seen a pair of double-digit deficits and come back to knock off their opponent. EMU was trailing by 14 in their Nov. 18 matchup with Gardner-Webb and eventually came back to defeat the Runnin' Bulldogs by eight. Additionally, the Green and White was trailing Detroit Mercy by 10, Nov. 30, before racing to a 26-point, 87-61, win over UDM. Also, the Eagles was trailing by six to Omaha and two to Rochester before picking up double-digit victories. In the season opening loss to Pittsburgh, Nov. 11, the Eagles were trailing by 12 with just over 10 minutes left in the game and were able to come back and force double overtime before eventually falling, 93-90.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE: EMU sophomore James Thomspon IV has proven to be one of the premier frontcourt players in the Mid-American Conference and country through his short time at Eastern Michigan. The Baton Rouge, La. native has racked up 25 double-doubles in just 41 games donning the Green and White. That number ranks as the seventh-most double-doubles recorded in EMU history. The 6-foot-10 forward needs just two more to jump up to sixth in the all-time rankings. As of Nov. 28, Thompson's six double-doubles ranked as the second-most in NCAA Division I basketball during the 2016-17 season.

STREAKING AT THE CONVO: In the metaphorical sense, the Eagles have been streaking at the Convo, winning its last 10 contests in their home building. Eastern's home win streak dates back to Feb. 2, 2016, when it posted a 25-point, 94-69, win over Miami. Since that win, the Eagles have a perfect record at home. That number is tied as the NCAA's 20th-best winning streak inside a team's home building, while Kansas leads that category with 47-straight victories at Allen Fieldhouse. Akron is the only Mid-American Conference member that has a longer home winning streak with 22 victories in a row at James A. Rhodes Arena.

A NORTH AMERICAN AFFAIR: Since Rob Murphy took over as the head coach of the EMU men's basketball program, the Eagles have been known to pull student-athletes from across the United States into Ypsilanti with open arms, including the 2016-17 roster. The Eagles' roster includes player from 11 different states in the U.S. and two different countries, as redshirt junior Nick Madray hails from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

MAKING WAVES: For the third season in EMU history, the Eagles have received national attention via the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll. Earning a spot in the top-25 during both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, the Green and White are receiving 33 votes by mid-major coaches across the country following their 5-3 start to the season. The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic.

FILLING IT UP: EMU combo-guard Ray Lee has already posted five 20-or-more point performances this season. A season ago, Lee totaled five 20-plus point games. Currently averaging 19.1 points per contest, the Detroit, Mich. native has the best scoring average by an Eagle since Brandon Bowdry averaged 19.9 points per game during the 2010-11 campaign. Additionally, Lee is on pace to score 617 points through the regular season and one Mid-American Conference Tournament game. That number would be the eighth-most scored in a single season by an Eagle. Should he keep that pace, Lee would finish his career third in Eastern Michigan scoring history.

THOMPSON EARNS MAC WEEKLY AWARD: James Thompson IV led the EMU men's basketball team to a 2-0 record last week on his way to being named the Mid-American Conference West Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday, Nov. 28. It was the second time that Thompson has earned the award in his career and first for the 2016-17 campaign.

Thompson posted his fourth and fifth double-doubles of the year to lead the Eagles to a perfect 2-0 week, on their way to earning their first winning record of the 2016-17 campaign. In the Eagles 97-60 victory over Madonna, Nov. 23, the 6-foot-10 forward went for 24 points and 10 rebounds, while posting 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Green and White's 94-77 win versus Omaha, Nov. 26. In total, the Baton Rouge, La. native averaged 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.5 steals per contest. Additionally, he shot 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the floor, while connecting on 91.7 percent (11-of-12) of his free throw attempts.

TURNING OVER THE COMPETITION: Eastern Michigan has continued its dominance on the defensive end of the floor. The Eagles are forcing an average of 19 turnovers per game. As of Dec. 8, that number ranked fifth in the country and is first in the Mid-American Conference. The Green and White has forced the opposition into 20-or-more turnovers on three occasions and 15-or-more on six different dates. EMU saw its season-high of 24 in its victory over Gardner-Webb, Nov. 18, and in their 97-60 win over Madonna, Nov. 23.

ON THE HORIZON: Following their Sunday afternoon contest with Siena Heights, the Eagles take a six-day lay off before returning to the hardwood and embarking on their final road trip of the 2016-17 non-conference season. The Green and White will head to Burlington, Vt. to square off with Vermont Saturday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m. before heading to Syracuse just a few days later to take on the Orange, Dec. 19., for a 7 p.m. contest on ESPNU.

CHARITY CHAMPIONS: A season ago, EMU converted 72.1 percent of its free throw attempts, marking the third-best free throw percentage as a team in Eastern Michigan history. To this point of the season, the 2016-17 Eagles are hitting their free throws at an 74.2 percent clip, which would break the EMU all-time record of 72.9 percent.

In addition, EMU's Ray Lee has continued to show his worth at the free throw line in the early goings of this year. The Detroit, Mich. native ranks eighth overall in EMU history for free throws made (394), while also being tied for 10th in career free throw percentage (.785). This season, the 6-foot-3 combo guard connected on his first 19 free throw attempts this year.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING: As of Dec. 8, the Eagles are near the top of the country in multiple categories. Ray Lee is the 10th active leading scorer in the country. Additionally, James Thompson IV is one of the best rebounders in the country with 93 total rebounds, ranking 22nd, while his 11.6 per game are good for eighth. In addition, Thompson's six double-doubles are the second-most in NCAA Division I basketball and his 4.9 offensive rebounds per game rank third. Ty Toney has emerged as one of the top defensive players in the country as well. The Atlanta, Ga. native has 20 total steals which ranks as the 26th most in the country, while his 2.5 swipes per game are the 19th best in NCAA Division I basketball.

As a team, the Eagles are fifth in the country in total steals with 96, while ranking second in steals per game (12.0). Additionally, the Green and White are fifth in turnovers forced per game (19) and eighth in the nation in turnover margin (+6.3).

LASER FROM LONG RANGE: EMU's Willie Mangum IV has been known to spark the Eastern Michigan offense from time to time. He did just that in the Eagles' victory over Gardner-Webb, Nov. 18. With EMU looking at a 14-0 deficit, the senior guard began his offensive onslaught throughout the game. Mangum connected on 8-of-10 shooting overall, while knocking down 6-of-7 three-point field goal attempts. The three-point shooting ranks as the best percentage in a single game with at least seven attempts in EMU history. In total, Mangum racked up 28 points in the victory.

MURPHY AND NON-DI OPPONENTS: Eastern Michigan's men's basketball program has been perfect in its games versus non-NCAA Division I opponents since Rob Murphy took over prior to the 2011-12 campaign. Currently, the Eagles are 16-0 versus opponents from outside the NCAA Division I ranks since the 2011-12 season.

CHASING 100: EMU Head Men's Basketball Coach Rob Murphy is in his sixth season at the helm of the Eagles' men's basketball program. After five seasons and into this year, he has amassed a record of 96-83 for Eastern Michigan. Should Murphy and his 2016-17 squad win nine games this season, the Detroit, Mich. native will become just the fourth coach in Eastern Michigan history to cross the 100-win mark.

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Players Mentioned

Ray Lee

Nick Madray

Willie Mangum IV

James Thompson IV

Ty Toney

Eastern Michigan Athletics