EMU Hoops Welcomes Detroit to the Convo for Saturday Showdown

Men's Basketball vs. Detroit Mercy
Date	Saturday, Nov. 24 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUHoops \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

YPISLANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team returns home to the Convocation Center to take on nearby rival Detroit Mercy Saturday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m.
   Eastern Michigan enters the meeting 4-2 on the season after falling to Rutgers in New Jersey, Nov. 19. Meanwhile, Detroit Mercy, who is 2-3 in 2018-19, looks to build off its recent momentum from a 82-67 win over Bowling Green, Nov. 20.
   The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Ryan Wooley on the play-by-play and Greg Steiner providing analysis. Chad Bush and Kyler Ludlow will also have the call on WEMU 89.1 FM. Additional coverage can be found by following @EMUHoops on Twitter, and through live stats at EMUEagles.com.

EMU IS NOT WHO OPPONENTS WANT TO SEE: Coming off a loss at No. 1 Duke, Nov. 14, Eastern Michigan bounced back with a convincing 80-62 win over Boston, Nov. 17. In fact, EMU has rebounded from losses quite well dating back to last season. Since the beginning of the 2017-18 campaign, the Eagles are 10-3 when coming off a loss.

STRONG SECOND HALF TEAM: Though struggling out of the gate at times this season, EMU has proven to be a strong second half team in every game this season. The Eagles have only been outscored once in a second half this season, and that was by just three points (at Duke, Nov. 14).
BALANCED ATTACK: So far in the 2018-19 season Eastern Michigan has had a balanced offensive attack, with different leading scorers in four of six games and five players averaging over 8.0 points per game. Redshirt seniors Paul Jackson and Elijah Minnie are the only players to lead the team in scoring twice.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: After totaling 20 double-doubles a season ago, senior James Thompson IV collected his first of the 2018-19 season with a 14-point, 14-rebound performance against Boston University Saturday, Nov. 17. The Baton Rouge, La. native is the active NCAA leader in rebounding with 1,150 in his career, and second in career double-doubles with 60.

ALL-TIME VS. DETROIT: Eastern Michigan and Detroit Mercy have a long history against one another, dating back to the first season of EMU hoops in 1897-98. The two teams have played one another 82 times since, with the Titans holding a significant edge, 21-61.
   The last time EMU and UDM hooked up on the court was Nov. 30, 2016, when the Eagles used stifling defense to come away with a 87-61 victory in Calihan Hall. Just one player remains from that Eastern roster, as then-freshman James Thompson IV registered a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds.
   Eastern and Detroit's last matchup in Ypsilanti was Dec. 28, 2015, with the Green and White rolling to an 88-73 win and snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Titans.

ALL-TIME VS. HORIZON LEAGUE: EMU has an overall record of 78-93 in games against Horizon League opponents over its 120 year history, with most coming against Detroit (82 games), Cleveland State (31 games) and Oakland (17 games).
   The last time an Eastern team faced an opponent from the Horizon League was last season as the Eagles and Golden Grizzlies of Oakland played a rare in-season home-and-home series. Both teams won on their home court.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Eastern Michigan has won 96 of its 123 home games during the Rob Murphy era of Eagles' basketball. EMU has racked up a solid home-court advantage inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center since the doors opened during the 1998-99 campaign, winning 61.6 percent of the contests played in the building, piling up a 189-118 all-time mark.

A SPARK OFF THE BENCH: Eastern was stuck in a funk against Rutgers on both sides of the ball until the bench picked up production. The Eagles' bench outscored the Scarlet Knights 19-6 overall, while redshirt junior Boubacar Toure and senior Isaiah Green provided the main contributions for EMU, scoring seven and five points, respectively.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles hit the road for a two-game stretch, taking on No. 21 TCU in Fort Worth, Texas Monday, Nov. 26, before heading back east to take on Northeastern University Saturday, Dec. 1.
   After a week's break, Eastern returns to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center Dec. 8 to take on Central State University at 12 p.m.

EMU Hoops Welcomes Detroit to the Convo for Saturday Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Green

Paul Jackson

Elijah Minnie

James Thompson IV

Boubacar Toure

Eastern Michigan Athletics