Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
Men's Hoops Host Adrian to Continue Non-Conference Slate
12/7/2020 4:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Eagles and Bulldogs will meet for the 57th time in program history on Wednesday
| Men's Basketball vs. Adrian | |
| Date | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Ypsilanti, Mich. | Convocation Center |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes | Game Program |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats | Media Stats |
| Watch | ESPN3 |
| @EMU_MBB | @EMUAthletics | |
| Attendance Information | No general public attendance will be allowed |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team continues its non-conference slate Wednesday, Dec. 9, when the Eagles host Division III opponent Adrian College inside the Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The Eagles (0-2, 0-1 MAC) dropped its Mid-American Conference season opener, 91-74, to the University of Toledo, Dec. 4. Adrian (0-3, 0-0 MIAA) have had the last four games canceled and have not played since Nov. 20. The Bulldogs posted a close 61-59 loss at Bluffton, Nov. 20.
Although fans will not be able to attend the contest, there is an opportunity to catch the game on ESPN3, with Ryan Wooley providing the play-by-play and Matt Dery serving as the analyst. As always, fans can follow along on EMUEagles.com/livestats or on Twitter by following @EMU_MBB.
AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan is tied for third in the Mid-American Conference in assists per game with 13.50, and fourth in both assist-to-turnover ratio (1.17) and blocks per game (3.0). In addition, the Eagles are fifth in the conference with a +2.5 turnover margin.
Individually, redshirt senior Ty Groce ranks second the MAC and 26th in the NCAA in blocks per game (2.5). In addition, the Ypsilanti, Mich. native ranks second in the conference with five total blocks; which is also good for 93rd in the nation. Newcomer Bryce McBride is tied for first in both the conference and NCAA with a perfect free throw percentage. The junior also ranks third in the league with a 3.50 assist-to-turnover ratio.
100th CAREER GAME: The Friday, Dec. 4, game against Toledo marked redshirt senior Ty Groce's 100th career game in a Eastern Michigan uniform. In the game against the Rockets, he registered a team-leading 21 points, as well as six rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists.
Over his career, the Ypsilanti, Mich. native is averaging 6.9 points per game and was the leading scorer for the Eagles last season (11.5 ppg). Groce is shooting a 41.4 career field goal percentage and is inching his way into the EMU record books in career steals (116). The forward needs nine more swipes to rank 10th in program history.
TYrant: Redshirt senior Ty Groce has played a total of 74 minutes over the first two games of the season, playing center the majority of those minutes for the first time in his career and emerging as a tyrant protecting the rim. Groce ranks second in the Mid-American Conference in total blocks (5.0) and blocks per game (2.5), which are good for 93rd and 26th in the nation, respectively.
SETTLING IN: Junior college transfer Bryce McBride from Dyerberg Community College (Tenn.) is settling in well in Ypsilanti, scoring 15 points in his first home game at the Convocation Center against Toledo, Dec. 4. Down 16 points to begin the final scoring stanza (46-30), McBride led a second half surge to pull within two, 66-64. During that time, the junior transfer scored 11 points to accompany one rebound, one assist, and one steal in nearly 12 minutes. The assist went to sophomore Drew Lowder, who made a big three to pull the Eagles within two.
McBride is currently first in the Mid-American Conference in free throw percentage, hitting 5-of-5 from the charity stripe thus far, and third in assist to turnover ratio, 3.50. The Jackson, Tenn. native tallied three assists in the game against UT, and did not turn the ball over.
COMBINED WINS: Eastern Michigan men's basketball has tallied 203 victories in the Convocation Center since it opened for the 1998-99 season. The Eagles notched their 200th win in the Convo with a 66-62 win over Buffalo, Feb. 4, 2020.
The Convocation Center's dedication game was on Dec. 9, 1998 with a men's basketball game against the University of Michigan in front of a crowd of 7,647 - the largest attendance since its opening. The EMU men's and women's basketball programs have a combined 393 victories inside the Convo - the women's program has accumulated 190 wins since 1998-99.
EXECUTING OFF TURNOVERS: Eastern Michigan's defense was in full force despite the 83-67 loss to No. 13/12 Michigan State, Nov. 25. The Eagles capitalized off 18 Spartan turnovers by scoring 29 points off those takeaways.
SHARING THE WEALTH: Despite not having a full team at Michigan State, Nov. 25, six of the seven Eagles who played scored five-plus points in a 83-67 loss to the Spartans. Senior Yeikson Montero led EMU with 16 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field, while redshirt senior Ty Groce and classmate Darion Spottsville added 14 and 12, respectively. Making their EMU debuts, redshirt junior Miles Gibson notched 11 points, and sophomore Drew Lowder and junior Bryce McBride tallied 9 and 5, respectively.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: EMU has won 109-of-143 games at home during the Rob Murphy era, and started last season 6-0 at the Convocation Center. Under coach Murphy, the Eagles have opened the season 6-0 at home in six of his first nine seasons as head coach. EMU posted a 7-0 start in the Convo in three seasons (2014-15; 2016-17; 2017-18).
PROTECTING THE BALL: Eastern Michigan started the 2020-21 season protecting the rock as the Eagles only committed nine turnovers in a 83-76 loss to No. 13 Michigan State, Nov. 25. Out of the seven EMU student-athletes who played at MSU, four of them committed one turnover or less.
MAKING THEIR DEBUT: Three Eagles suited up for the first time in the Green and White at Michigan State, Nov. 25 - redshirt junior Miles Gibson, junior Bryce McBride, and sophomore Drew Lowder.
Gibson played 31 minutes and recorded a double-figure scoring performance with 11 points. The Richmond, Va. native grabbed four rebounds and added a steal. McBride was the team's assist leader at MSU with four helpers, while he posted five points with three boards and two steals. Lowder tallied nine points to go along with three dimes, two steals, and two rebounds.
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan fell in its first bit of Mid-American Conference action to Toledo, 91-74, inside the Convocation Center, Dec. 4. The Eagles were paced by redshirt senior Ty Groce's 21 points in 38 minutes of play.
The Green and White saw four players score in double digits: Groce (21), juniors Bryce McBride (15) and Miles Gibson (11), and senior Yeikson Montero (10). Montero led the team with seven rebounds, while McBride dished out a team-high three assists. Sophomore Drew Lowder added eight points and five rebounds in his Convo debut.
Defensively, Groce led the way with a team-leading three steals and two blocks, while Montero also registered a block, respectively. Four Eagles swiped a steal in the game; Montero, McBride, Gibson, and redshirt junior Derek Ballard Jr.
Eastern finished the evening with a 42.1 field goal percentage (27-of-64), while the Rockets shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61). The Eagles were outscored in the paint, 38-82, and in second chance points, 8-2, but held a slight lead in rebounds having pulled down 36 to Toledo's 35.
SCOUTING ADRIAN: Led by fifth-year Head Coach Kyle Lindsay, Adrian enters Wednesday's game with a 0-3 overall record. The Bulldogs have had their last four contests canceled and have not played a game since Nov. 20 when AC fell in a close 61-59 matchup at Bluffton. Adrian will play an exhibition game at Western Michigan Monday, Dec. 7 before heading to Ypsilanti.
The Bulldogs are led by junior Kendall Bellamy who is averaging 21.0 points per game, while seniors Connor Pelham and Robert Warrick are adding 13.0 and 12.7, respectively. Warrick has a team-best 62.5 field goal percentage (15-of-24), while both Bellamy and Pelham are grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game, respectively.
Adrian is averaging 66.3 points per game and is shooting 42.2 percent from the field. The Bulldogs are draining 7.0 three-pointers per game and grabbing 41.3 rebounds. On the defensive side, AC is giving up 70.3 points a game, and forcing 10.7 opponent turnovers.
LAST TIME VS. ADRIAN: Eastern Michigan posted an impressive 91-60 victory over Adrian inside Bowen Field House, on Jan. 4, 1967. Tug Bowens led the then-Hurons with 17 points, while Harvey Marlatt added 13, and Roy McNeely and Harold Simons tallied 10 each, respectively. McNeely recorded a team-high 18 rebounds, while Bowens notched 14 boards.
ALL-TIME VS. ADRIAN: Wednesday's game will be the 57th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Adrian College with the series dating back to the 1903-04 season . EMU leads the all-time series at 44-12 and has not played AC since the 1966-67 season. EMU is 29-5 against Adrian at home and holds the 9-1 advantage over the last 10 games.
ALL-TIME VS. MIAA: The Green and White holds a 187-105 program mark against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) teams. Eastern has played Adrian and Alma the most at 56 times each, while facing Albion 53 times.
The Eagles have played seven of the nine MIAA programs, with the best records against Adrian (44-12), Albion (38-15), and St. Mary's (32-13). EMU will add another MIAA team to its opponents list when it faces Calvin College for the first time in program history, Jan. 14.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will hit the road to Valparaiso University Wednesday, Dec. 16 inside the ARC. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
The all-time series is tied at 2-2 with Eastern pulling off the 85-79 victory inside the Convocation Center, Dec. 3, 2019.
The Eagles (0-2, 0-1 MAC) dropped its Mid-American Conference season opener, 91-74, to the University of Toledo, Dec. 4. Adrian (0-3, 0-0 MIAA) have had the last four games canceled and have not played since Nov. 20. The Bulldogs posted a close 61-59 loss at Bluffton, Nov. 20.
Although fans will not be able to attend the contest, there is an opportunity to catch the game on ESPN3, with Ryan Wooley providing the play-by-play and Matt Dery serving as the analyst. As always, fans can follow along on EMUEagles.com/livestats or on Twitter by following @EMU_MBB.
AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan is tied for third in the Mid-American Conference in assists per game with 13.50, and fourth in both assist-to-turnover ratio (1.17) and blocks per game (3.0). In addition, the Eagles are fifth in the conference with a +2.5 turnover margin.
Individually, redshirt senior Ty Groce ranks second the MAC and 26th in the NCAA in blocks per game (2.5). In addition, the Ypsilanti, Mich. native ranks second in the conference with five total blocks; which is also good for 93rd in the nation. Newcomer Bryce McBride is tied for first in both the conference and NCAA with a perfect free throw percentage. The junior also ranks third in the league with a 3.50 assist-to-turnover ratio.
100th CAREER GAME: The Friday, Dec. 4, game against Toledo marked redshirt senior Ty Groce's 100th career game in a Eastern Michigan uniform. In the game against the Rockets, he registered a team-leading 21 points, as well as six rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists.
Over his career, the Ypsilanti, Mich. native is averaging 6.9 points per game and was the leading scorer for the Eagles last season (11.5 ppg). Groce is shooting a 41.4 career field goal percentage and is inching his way into the EMU record books in career steals (116). The forward needs nine more swipes to rank 10th in program history.
TYrant: Redshirt senior Ty Groce has played a total of 74 minutes over the first two games of the season, playing center the majority of those minutes for the first time in his career and emerging as a tyrant protecting the rim. Groce ranks second in the Mid-American Conference in total blocks (5.0) and blocks per game (2.5), which are good for 93rd and 26th in the nation, respectively.
SETTLING IN: Junior college transfer Bryce McBride from Dyerberg Community College (Tenn.) is settling in well in Ypsilanti, scoring 15 points in his first home game at the Convocation Center against Toledo, Dec. 4. Down 16 points to begin the final scoring stanza (46-30), McBride led a second half surge to pull within two, 66-64. During that time, the junior transfer scored 11 points to accompany one rebound, one assist, and one steal in nearly 12 minutes. The assist went to sophomore Drew Lowder, who made a big three to pull the Eagles within two.
McBride is currently first in the Mid-American Conference in free throw percentage, hitting 5-of-5 from the charity stripe thus far, and third in assist to turnover ratio, 3.50. The Jackson, Tenn. native tallied three assists in the game against UT, and did not turn the ball over.
COMBINED WINS: Eastern Michigan men's basketball has tallied 203 victories in the Convocation Center since it opened for the 1998-99 season. The Eagles notched their 200th win in the Convo with a 66-62 win over Buffalo, Feb. 4, 2020.
The Convocation Center's dedication game was on Dec. 9, 1998 with a men's basketball game against the University of Michigan in front of a crowd of 7,647 - the largest attendance since its opening. The EMU men's and women's basketball programs have a combined 393 victories inside the Convo - the women's program has accumulated 190 wins since 1998-99.
EXECUTING OFF TURNOVERS: Eastern Michigan's defense was in full force despite the 83-67 loss to No. 13/12 Michigan State, Nov. 25. The Eagles capitalized off 18 Spartan turnovers by scoring 29 points off those takeaways.
SHARING THE WEALTH: Despite not having a full team at Michigan State, Nov. 25, six of the seven Eagles who played scored five-plus points in a 83-67 loss to the Spartans. Senior Yeikson Montero led EMU with 16 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field, while redshirt senior Ty Groce and classmate Darion Spottsville added 14 and 12, respectively. Making their EMU debuts, redshirt junior Miles Gibson notched 11 points, and sophomore Drew Lowder and junior Bryce McBride tallied 9 and 5, respectively.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: EMU has won 109-of-143 games at home during the Rob Murphy era, and started last season 6-0 at the Convocation Center. Under coach Murphy, the Eagles have opened the season 6-0 at home in six of his first nine seasons as head coach. EMU posted a 7-0 start in the Convo in three seasons (2014-15; 2016-17; 2017-18).
PROTECTING THE BALL: Eastern Michigan started the 2020-21 season protecting the rock as the Eagles only committed nine turnovers in a 83-76 loss to No. 13 Michigan State, Nov. 25. Out of the seven EMU student-athletes who played at MSU, four of them committed one turnover or less.
MAKING THEIR DEBUT: Three Eagles suited up for the first time in the Green and White at Michigan State, Nov. 25 - redshirt junior Miles Gibson, junior Bryce McBride, and sophomore Drew Lowder.
Gibson played 31 minutes and recorded a double-figure scoring performance with 11 points. The Richmond, Va. native grabbed four rebounds and added a steal. McBride was the team's assist leader at MSU with four helpers, while he posted five points with three boards and two steals. Lowder tallied nine points to go along with three dimes, two steals, and two rebounds.
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan fell in its first bit of Mid-American Conference action to Toledo, 91-74, inside the Convocation Center, Dec. 4. The Eagles were paced by redshirt senior Ty Groce's 21 points in 38 minutes of play.
The Green and White saw four players score in double digits: Groce (21), juniors Bryce McBride (15) and Miles Gibson (11), and senior Yeikson Montero (10). Montero led the team with seven rebounds, while McBride dished out a team-high three assists. Sophomore Drew Lowder added eight points and five rebounds in his Convo debut.
Defensively, Groce led the way with a team-leading three steals and two blocks, while Montero also registered a block, respectively. Four Eagles swiped a steal in the game; Montero, McBride, Gibson, and redshirt junior Derek Ballard Jr.
Eastern finished the evening with a 42.1 field goal percentage (27-of-64), while the Rockets shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61). The Eagles were outscored in the paint, 38-82, and in second chance points, 8-2, but held a slight lead in rebounds having pulled down 36 to Toledo's 35.
SCOUTING ADRIAN: Led by fifth-year Head Coach Kyle Lindsay, Adrian enters Wednesday's game with a 0-3 overall record. The Bulldogs have had their last four contests canceled and have not played a game since Nov. 20 when AC fell in a close 61-59 matchup at Bluffton. Adrian will play an exhibition game at Western Michigan Monday, Dec. 7 before heading to Ypsilanti.
The Bulldogs are led by junior Kendall Bellamy who is averaging 21.0 points per game, while seniors Connor Pelham and Robert Warrick are adding 13.0 and 12.7, respectively. Warrick has a team-best 62.5 field goal percentage (15-of-24), while both Bellamy and Pelham are grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game, respectively.
Adrian is averaging 66.3 points per game and is shooting 42.2 percent from the field. The Bulldogs are draining 7.0 three-pointers per game and grabbing 41.3 rebounds. On the defensive side, AC is giving up 70.3 points a game, and forcing 10.7 opponent turnovers.
LAST TIME VS. ADRIAN: Eastern Michigan posted an impressive 91-60 victory over Adrian inside Bowen Field House, on Jan. 4, 1967. Tug Bowens led the then-Hurons with 17 points, while Harvey Marlatt added 13, and Roy McNeely and Harold Simons tallied 10 each, respectively. McNeely recorded a team-high 18 rebounds, while Bowens notched 14 boards.
ALL-TIME VS. ADRIAN: Wednesday's game will be the 57th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Adrian College with the series dating back to the 1903-04 season . EMU leads the all-time series at 44-12 and has not played AC since the 1966-67 season. EMU is 29-5 against Adrian at home and holds the 9-1 advantage over the last 10 games.
ALL-TIME VS. MIAA: The Green and White holds a 187-105 program mark against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) teams. Eastern has played Adrian and Alma the most at 56 times each, while facing Albion 53 times.
The Eagles have played seven of the nine MIAA programs, with the best records against Adrian (44-12), Albion (38-15), and St. Mary's (32-13). EMU will add another MIAA team to its opponents list when it faces Calvin College for the first time in program history, Jan. 14.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will hit the road to Valparaiso University Wednesday, Dec. 16 inside the ARC. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
The all-time series is tied at 2-2 with Eastern pulling off the 85-79 victory inside the Convocation Center, Dec. 3, 2019.
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