Eagles Travel to Akron Saturday for MAC Rematch

Men's Basketball at Akron
Date	Saturday, Feb. 8 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Akron, Ohio \| James A. Rhodes Arena
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Radio	WEMU 89.1
Twitter	@EMUHoops \| @EMUAthletics

AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team hits the road again Saturday, Feb. 8, as the Eagles travel to Akron, Ohio, to take on the University of Akron in a Mid-American Conference rematch. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. inside James A. Rhodes Arena, as the Green and White will look to avenge its first MAC loss to Akron (69-45), Jan. 4.
   EMU (12-10, 2-7 MAC) earned its second-consecutive conference win of the 2019-20 season, as it topped Buffalo, 66-62, Feb. 4, inside the Convocation Center. The Zips hold a 16-6 overall record with a 6-3 league mark, and are on a two-game losing streak as UA dropped a close 68-67 affair at Kent State, Jan. 31.
   Fans can watch the action on ESPN3 or listen to WEMU (89.1 FM) where Chad Bush will have the call. Fans can also follow along on EMUEagles.com or on Twitter by following @EMUHoops.

AMONG THE LEADING LEADERS: Eastern Michigan leads both the nation and the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (11.0). EMU also ranks third among Division I teams in total steals with 241. The Eagles are forcing 17.7 turnovers per game, which leads the league and ranks 12th in the nation. EMU has attempted 497 free throws which leads the conference and ranks 44th in the nation. Eastern's scoring defense of 63.0 points per game ranks second in the conference behind Ball State (61.6 ppg).
   Individually, redshirt senior Boubacar Toure leads the MAC with a 66.0 field goal percentage (93-of-141) and ranks third (38th nationally) with 3.2 offensive rebounds per game. The Dakar, Senegal native is also fourth in the conference in total blocks (33) and fifth in rebounds per game with 9.0. Redshirt junior Ty Groce and junior Yeikson Montero are both leading the team with 44 steals each, which ranks first in the MAC and 43rd in the nation.

BACK-TO-BACK: The Green and White notched its second-consecutive conference win, when the Eagles defeated Buffalo, 66-62, Feb. 4 inside the Convocation Center. The victory marks the first EMU victory over the Bulls since January 2016 and the fourth in the Rob Murphy era.

HISTORY MADE: EMU men's basketball has tallied 200 victories in the Convocation Center since it opened for the 1998-99 season with the 66-62 victory over Buffalo, Feb. 4. The Convo'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 men's and EMU women's basketball programs have a combined 387 victories in the Convo - the women's program has accumulated 187 wins since 1998-99.

HEY DJ, THAT'S MY DJ: Redshirt sophomore Derek Ballard Jr. was the definition of clutch in EMU's 66-62 win over Buffalo, Feb. 4. Coming off the bench, Ballard Jr. reinvigorated the EMU offensive snatching two offensive rebounds from the grasps of the Bulls and earned the put-back with the foul. The Southfield, Mich.-product drained the old-fashioned three-point play to give EMU the one-point lead with five minutes left in the game. With 1:42 left, Ballard wrangled yet another offensive-rebound that he put back to tie a career-high in points (5), giving EMU the five-point lead.
   The redshirt sophomore finished the evening with five points, five rebounds, and a steal in seven minutes of play.

DARION BREAKING THROUGH: Junior Darion Spottsville posted another double-figure scoring performance, as he scored 11 points in a 66-62 win over Buffalo, Feb. 4. He went 3-of-6 from the field and 5-of-8 from the charity stripe against the Bulls.
   The Phoenix, Ariz. native totaled a career-high 12 points at Miami (Jan. 25) and his first double-digit scoring performance in an EMU uniform.

TURNING THE PAGE: Eastern's new game plan is working as the Eagles have won two-straight matchups (vs. Toledo, Feb. 1; vs. Buffalo, Feb. 4). Over the last two games, EMU holds a +4.0 scoring margin and is holding opponents to less than 60 points per game (59.5). In addition, the Eagles are shooting 44.3 percent (47-of-106) from the field, compared to its 38 percent clip during the first seven games of league play.
   Junior Yeikson Montero is leading the team averaging 17.5 points per game in the two-game stretch, while redshirt junior Ty Groce and redshirt senior Boubacar Toure are adding 12.0 and 10.0, respectively.

SWITCHING IT UP: Under Head Coach Rob Murphy, the starting lineup has changed seven times this season. Eight of the 12 Eagles who have seen playing time have been part of the starting five. Redshirt junior Ty Groce and redshirt senior Boubacar Toure are the only members of the squad to have started all 22 games played so far in the 2019-20 campaign.

SPLASH CITY: Junior Thomas Binelli has proved to be Eastern Michigan's deep-shooter, as he leads the team with 30 three-pointers this season. The Bologna, Italy native has made at least one from beyond the arc in 14 of the 15 games he has played and in the last seven-straight contests. Binelli has drained three-plus triples in five games this year, including a career-high five 3's at Miami, Jan. 25. Binelli is averaging 7.4 points per game with 2.0 triples a contest.

FIRST MAC VICTORY: Eastern Michigan notched its first Mid-American Conference win of the 2019-20 season and made its way back into the win column for the first time since Dec. 30 (vs. Concordia), as the Eagles downed Toledo, 61-57, Feb. 1. EMU has won the last three home contests against the Rockets.

HAVE A DAY, YEIKSON: Junior Yeikson Montero led the Eagles with a career-high 26 points against Toledo, Feb. 1. The guard drained a career-best five 3-pointers and tallied 20 points in the second half of play. His 26 points are a team-best this season and he is the third Eagle to reach the 20+ point plateau this season.
   Montero has led the Green and White in scoring three times this year and has tallied double-digit scoring 12 times. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native is tied for second on the team averaging 10.3 points per game.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!: Eastern Michigan has played exceptional defense all season, as the Eagles have held opponents to scoring 60 points-or-less in nine games. The 61-57 victory over Toledo, Feb. 1, helped EMU improve to a 10-0 record when the opposition puts up fewer than 60 points. Under Rob Murphy, the Eagles boast an 83-12 mark.

BROKE THE PATTERN: Trailing at halftime has not been easy for the Eagles this season. Before the 61-57 victory over the Rockets, Feb. 1, EMU held a 0-7 mark when trailing at the half. However, when Eastern Michigan leads after the first 20 minutes, it boasts a 11-2 record.
   In Rob Murphy's tenure, the Eagles are 26-99 when trailing at the half, but hold a 119-27 record when leading at the half.

NAIL-BITERS: Close games are no stranger to Eastern Michigan as it has seen contests down to the wire in the last seven-of-eight games, at Ohio (Jan. 7), at Northern Illinois (Jan. 11), versus Ohio (Jan. 18), at Bowling Green (Jan. 21), at Miami (Jan. 25), versus Toledo (Feb. 1), and versus Buffalo (Feb. 4). In all seven games, the outcome has been decided with a margin of six-or-less points. Before MAC play, the Eagles boasted a 5-0 record in games decided by six-or-fewer.
   Overall, 30 of the MAC's 55 conference games played this year have been decided by six-or-fewer points.

FOR THREE: Junior Thomas Binelli posted a career-day in a 73-68 loss at Miami, Jan. 25. Binelli scored a career-high 17 points and drained five 3-pointers in 35 minutes of play. The 17-point performance is Binelli's first time leading the Eagles in scoring and the fifth-time he has scored in double-figures. The Bologna, Italy native leads the team with 30 triples and is averaging 7.4 points per game.

CAREER DAY FOR SPOTTSVILLE: Junior Darion Spottsville scored a career-best 12 points in a 73-68 loss at Miami, Jan. 25. This is the first time Spottsville scored in double-digits this season. The Phoenix, Ariz. native went 3-of-4 from the field and drained six from the charity stripe against the RedHawks.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: With the 61-57 victory over Toledo, Feb. 1, redshirt senior Boubacar Toure posted his eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 16 rebounds. The Dakar, Senegal native has pulled down double-figure rebounds in 11 games this year, including seven of the last 11 games. The redshirt senior has led the Eagles on the boards in 17-of-22 games in the 2019-20 campaign. Toure has tallied 16 double-doubles in his EMU career.

WE WANT MOR(GAN): Junior Noah Morgan has come alive as he has scored in double-figures in four of the last seven games (16 at Northern Illinois, Jan. 11; 14 vs. Ball State, Jan. 14; 23 vs. Ohio, Jan. 18; 16 at Bowling Green, Jan. 21). His 23 points against Ohio set a career-high and was his 10th double-digit scoring performance of the 2019-20 season. The junior has led the Eagles in scoring in 6-of-20 games, including leading the Green and White in the last three-of-six contests.
   Morgan ranks third on the team averaging 10.4 points per game in MAC play, while averaging 10.3 points per contest for the season.

TOURE IN MACTION: Boubacar Toure has started strong offensively and defensively in the Mid-American Conference portion of the 2019-20 campaign. The redshirt senior is averaging a double-double with 11.0 points and 10.9 rebounds in league play. Toure is one-of-three student-athletes in the MAC who are averaging a double-double in conference play. Toledo's Willie Jackson leads the league with 11.9 rebounds per game to go along with 12.4 points a game, while Ball State's Tahjai Teague is tallying 11.3 rebounds and 17.4 points per game, respectively.
   Toure is shooting a league-best 65.2 percent from the floor (43-of-66) and has recorded 16 blocks. The Dakar, Senegal native notched five double-doubles in MAC play and nearly missed one at Ohio, Jan. 11. Toure's 10.9 rebounds per game ranks third in the conference, to go along with his 1.8 blocks per contest is good for second.

FINDERS KEEPERS: The Eagles leads both the nation and the Mid-American Conference with 11.0 steals per game. In-state foe Central Michigan is second in the league with 9.3. The Green and White have stolen the ball 241 times this season, including 10+ swipes in 13 games this season. The Eagles notched a season-high 22 steals against Goshen, Nov. 11, which leads the MAC for single-game performances, and 18 swipes versus Concordia, Dec. 30. The 15 steals against UMBC in the Jamaica Classic, Nov. 22, are tied for the most in Classic history.
   Redshirt junior Ty Groce co-leads the team with 2.0 steals per game (44 this season), which is tied for second in the MAC with junior Yeikson Montero also swiping 2.0 balls per game. Nine players have double-digit steals on the season, which includes EMU's primary starting-five: Groce (44), Montero (44), junior Noah Morgan (37), junior Darion Spottsville (27), redshirt senior Boubacar Toure (27), freshman Chris James (16), junior Chris Barnes (14), and juniors Thomas Binelli and Jalen King have 11 and 10, respectively. Eastern Michigan is one-of-two schools (Kent State) in the MAC that has nine players with steals in double figures with Central Michigan close behind with eight players, respectively.

STEAL MACHINES: The Eagles are averaging 11.0 steals per game with redshirt junior Ty Groce, and juniors Yeikson Montero and Noah Morgan are leading EMU in swipes this season. Groce co-leads the way with 44 steals and has recorded at least one steal in 18 games this season. Montero also co-leads the team with 44 swipes and has tallied one steal in 19 games, while Morgan has totaled one swipe in 20 games this year, respectively.

BLOCK PARTY: Eastern Michigan ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference with 77 blocks this season. Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure leads the team with 33 swats and is averaging 1.5 blocks per game, which is good for fourth in the conference. The Dakar, Senegal tied a career-high in blocks (4) at Miami, Jan. 25. Redshirt junior Ty Groce and junior Jalen King also have tallied double-digit blocks this season with 18 and 14, respectively.

GIBBS MAKES DEBUT: Freshman Marcus Gibbs made his EMU debut against Ohio, Jan. 18, in nine minutes of play. The Detroit native pulled down his first career rebounds in a 60-58 loss against the Bobcats. Gibbs saw more game action at Bowling Green, Jan. 21, and scored his first collegiate points at the charity stripe to push the Eagles away by one before eventually falling to the Falcons by three (62-59). The freshman finished the evening in Bowling Green with four points.

CRASHIN' THE BOARDS: Boubacar Toure has pulled down 10+ rebounds in 11 games this season and has led the team in rebounding 17-of-22 games this year. The redshirt senior leads the team averaging 9.0 boards per game (199 total), including 5.8 defensive and 3.2 offensive rebounds per contest. In MAC play, Toure is averaging 10.9 boards to go along with 11.0 points per game.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DEDICATION: Redshirt junior Ty Groce leads Eastern Michigan in scoring with 11.3 points per points, while junior Noah Morgan, classmate Yeikson Montero, and redshirt senior Boubacar Toure are averaging 10.3, 10.3, and 10.0, respectively. Groce is the only Eagle to reach double-digits in 15 games this year, and Montero have tallied double figures in 12 games, respectively.
   Groce posted a career-high 23 points against Valpo, Dec. 3, while Montero scored a career-best 26 points versus Toledo, Feb. 1. Morgan tallied a career-best 23 points against Ohio, Jan. 18.
   In MAC play, four Eagles are averaging in double-figures in Montero (11.2), Toure (11.0), Morgan (10.4), and Groce (10.0).

versaTYle: Redshirt junior Ty Groce has proven to be a versatile player on the floor. He leads the team with 248 points (11.3 ppg). The Ypsilanti, Mich. native has hit double-digits in 15 games during the 2019-20 campaign, and in three-straight games (10 at Miami, Jan. 25; 10 vs. Toledo, Feb. 1; 14 vs. Buffalo, Feb. 4). Groce has led the Green and White in scoring in nine games this season, including a career-high 23 points versus Valpo, Dec. 3. The forward also posted a career-best in rebounds (11) against UMBC, Nov. 22, in the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic, dished out a career-high in assists (5) versus Concordia, Dec. 30, and tied his career-best in blocks (3) versus Buffalo, Feb. 4.
   In conference, the redshirt junior is recording 10.0 points per game to go along with 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals a contest.

PRESSURE LEADS TO TURNOVERS: The Eastern Michigan defense is forcing opponents to turn the ball over 17.7 times a game, which leads the MAC and ranks 12th among Division I teams. EMU also holds a +2.5 turnover margin (17.7-15.3), which is good for second in the league and 46th in the NCAA. Eastern holds a 8-5 mark (13 games) when it forces more opponents turnovers.
   In addition, the EMU's defensive pressure has forced 20+ opponent turnovers in seven games this season. The Eagles are protecting the ball well as they have posted 13 games with 15 or less turnovers and two with less than 10.

SHUT 'EM DOWN: The Green and White ranks second in the MAC and 32nd in the nation holding their opponents to 63.0 points per game. Ball State leads the conference in scoring defense (61.6 ppg). The Eagles have held eight opponents to under 55 points in 2019. This fierce defense has outscored the opposition by double-digits in five games this season.
   EMU has topped three opponents by 30+ points in the non-conference portion of its 2019-20 schedule (Siena Heights, Nov. 8; Goshen, Nov. 12; Concordia; Dec. 30). Eastern's largest victory margin was against Goshen when the Eagles won by 52 points (101-49). The 52-point margin is tied for fourth in the Rob Murphy era.
   The highest victory margin under Murphy is 62 points when the Eagles defeated Siena Heights, 117-55, Dec. 11, 2016, inside the Convocation Center. This victory margin (+62) and points scored (117) ranks first in the EMU record books.

DISHING DIMES: Five Eagles have tallied 25-or-more assists this season in junior Darion Spottsville (43), redshirt junior Ty Groce (38), juniors Noah Morgan (36) and Yeikson Montero (28), and redshirt junior Chris Barnes (25). Spottsville leads the team with 1.95 helpers per game, while Morgan, Groce and Montero are dishing out 1.7, 1.6, 1.3, and 1.25, respectively.
   Spottsville registered seven of the team's 12 assists at Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7 and has led the Eagles in assists eight times this season. Groce notched a career-high five helpers versus Concordia, Dec. 30, and has led the Eagles in assists seven times during the 2019-20 campaign. Morgan posted five assists in back-to-back contests (vs. Siena Heights, Nov. 8; vs. Goshen, Nov. 12) to start the 2019-20 season and has also led the Eagles in assists five times this season.

.500 OR BETTER: The Eagles have two players that are shooting 50 percent-or-better from the field. The Green and White are led by redshirt senior Boubacar Toure, hitting at 66.0 percent on 93-of-141 shooting, which ranks first among MAC players. Toure has shot over 70 percent from the field (min. seven attempts) in eight games this season. His season-high of 80.0 percent (8-of-10) was hit at Bowling Green, Jan. 21. The Dakar, Senegal native is followed by junior Jalen King at 50.0 percent (14-of-28). King drained five field-goals (on seven attempts) in the season-opener against Siena Heights, Nov. 8.

CHARITY STRIPE: The Eagles have found their way to the charity stripe 497 times so far this season, which ranks 44th in the nation and first in the MAC. EMU is averaging 22.6 free throw attempts per game, which ranks second in the league with Central Michigan leading the MAC with 22.9, respectively. In fact, the Green and White have had more free-throw attempts than its opponent in 17 games this year.
   Converting those opportunities into points, junior Chris Barnes leads the team from the charity stripe, shooting 81.5 percent on 22-of-27, Barnes is followed by classmate Yeikson Montero and redshirt junior Ty Groce who hit 75.8 (47-of-62) and 72.2 (65-of-90) percent from the free-throw line, respectively.

TOURE TAKEOFF: Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure is shooting a team leading 66.0 percent (93-of-141) from the field this year, which ranks first in the MAC. He is averaging 3.3 offensive boards a game (71), which is good for third in the Mid-American Conference. The Dakar, Senegal native has notched 11 double-figure scoring performances as well as pulling down 10+ boards in 11 games this season. Toure leads the team with eight double-doubles with his most recent performance (12 pts., 16 rebs.) versus Toledo, Feb. 1.
   The redshirt senior has been efficient while shooting, but also anchors the Eagles' 2-3 zone, having tied his career-high in blocks (4) against the RedHawks, Jan. 25. The redshirt senior center ranks fourth in the league with 1.5 blocks per game (33 total) and has totaled 27 steals.

LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan notched its second consecutive victory as it thwarted the University of Buffalo 66-62, Tuesday, Feb. 4, inside the Convocation Center. The win marks the first EMU victory over the Bulls since January 2016. The win tallied the 200th victory for the Eastern Michigan men's basketball program inside the Convocation Center since it's opening during the 1998-99 season.
   Redshirt junior Ty Groce paced the Green and White with 14 points, while juniors Thomas Binelli and Darion Spottsville added 11 each, respectively. Redshirt sophomore Derek Ballard Jr. ended the night with a career-high five rebounds and five points in seven minutes, and redshirt senior Boubacar Toure co-led the team with five boards.

ALL-TIME VS. AKRON: Eastern Michigan trails Akron, 29-23, in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1967-68 season. The Eagles have dropped the last two games, including a 65-49 loss to the Zips to open Mid-American Conference play this season. EMU hold a 9-15 mark inside the JAR in Akron.
   Eastern Michigan posted a nine-game winning streak over Akron from 1993-1997 and the Eagles have only won eight games since. Over the 51-game series, EMU and UA have had 18 nail-biters with the scoring margin of 10 points or less. Of those 18 games, eight of those have been by three points or less with EMU winning five of those eight.

SCOUTING AKRON: Led by third-year head coach John Groce, Akron enters Saturday's game coming off a close 78-77 loss to in-state rival Kent State, Jan. 31. The Zips hold a 16-6 overall record and a 6-3 MAC mark.
   UA has four players averaging double-digit scoring, which is led by Loren Cristian Jackson (19.0 ppg). He is followed by Tyler Cheese (15.7), Xeyrius Williams (14.5) and Channel Banks (11.2), respectively. Banks leads the team with 66 triples and shoots 46.2 percent (66-of-143) from deep; while Williams is just shy of double-figure rebounding with 9.5 boards per game.
   The Zips averages 76.8 points per game and are shooting 44.8 percent from the floor (576-of-1286), while dishing out 14.1 assists per contest. On the defensive side, Akron is holding their opponents to 66.0 points per game with a 31.1 shooting percentage from the three-line line.

ALL-TIME VS. MAC: The Green and White hold a 339-429 program mark against Mid-American Conference teams. Eastern has played Central Michigan the most (195 times), while facing Western Michigan 111 times and Toledo 108 times. Since the 1974-75 season when Eastern started competing in the MAC, EMU has won four regular-season titles and four MAC Tournament titles (1988, 1991, 1996, 1998), which led to four NCAA Tournament appearances. Under Rob Murphy, the Eagles hold a 72-77 MAC record and clinched a MAC West title in 2012.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan continues a two-game road swing, as the Eagle will travel north to in-state rival Central Michigan Tuesday, Feb. 11. Game action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside McGuirk Arena. This will be the 196th meeting between the two teams with CMU holding the all-time series advantage at 102-93.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Derek Ballard Jr.

Chris Barnes

Thomas Binelli

Marcus Gibbs

Ty Groce

Chris James

Jalen King

Yeikson Montero

Noah Morgan

Darion Spottsville

Boubacar Toure

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