Men's Basketball Opens MAC Tournament Monday at Kent State

Men's Basketball at No. 6 Kent State \| Mid-American Conference Tournament First Round
Date	Monday, March 9 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Kent, Ohio \| M.A.C. Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Radio	WEMU 89.1
Twitter	@EMUHoops \| @EMUAthletics
Tournament Central	Bracket

KENT, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team begins postseason play Monday, March 9, as the Eagles enter the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 11 seed. The Green and White will travel to No. 6 seed Kent State University for a first round matchup. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. inside the M.A.C. Center.
Eastern Michigan (16-15, 6-12 MAC) dropped a MAC road affair, 79-57, at Toledo in the regular season finale, March 3. Kent State (19-12, 9-9 MAC) fell to Akron, 79-76, to end the regular season Friday.
Fans can watch the action on ESPN+ 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.

MAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: EMU has an all-time record of 32-34 in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, dating back to the 1979-80 season. The Eagles have won the championship and automatic NCAA bid four times, most recently in 1997-98. The Green and White are 9-8 in the MAC Tournament under Rob Murphy during his tenure in Ypsilanti, with two trips to the semifinals, where the Eagles fell to the University of Toledo both times.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY VS. KENT STATE: Monday's matchup will be the fifth time that Eastern Michigan and Kent State have collided in the MAC Tournament and the first time since the 1995-96 season. EMU topped KSU, 84-72, in the quarterfinals in route to the 1996 MAC Tournament Championship. The Eagles have won the last two contests against the Golden Flashes.

1995-96 No. 8 Kent State W, 84-72 1990-91 No. 8 Kent State W, 66-47

1984-85 No. 4 Kent State L, 74-85 1983-84 No. 7 Kent State L, 58-67

MAC TOURNAMENT ON THE ROAD: Monday marks the 10th Mid-American Conference Tournament game on the road for the Eagles, with Eastern holding an all-time record of 0-10. The Eagles have played Toledo on the road three times, Akron and Marshall twice, and Bowling Green, Ohio, and Western Michigan once.
   EMU's rank No. 11 is the lowest mark since the 2010-11 season and in the Rob Murphy era. Murphy's squad has earned the No. 5 seed in his first season of 2011-12, and have been ranked sixth three other times (2012, 2014, 2019).

UNDERDOGS: Eastern Michigan is considered the underdogs heading into Monday's first round game at Kent State, March 9. The Eagles have won six games when they are the underdog (a lower seed). Most recently with Rob Murphy's squad, when the Green and White (No. 6 seed) topped No. 3 seeded Buffalo, 69-64, to advance to the MAC Semifinals, March 13, 2014.
   The first EMU team to defeat a better-seed resulted in the University's first MAC Tournament victory, when Eastern (No. 6 seed) defeated No. 3 Bowling Green, 64-58, in overtime, March 9, 1984.

HAVE KENT'S NUMBER?: Eastern Michigan claimed the lone game against Kent State in the 2019-20 campaign, when the Eagles topped the Golden Flashes, 70-49, in Ypsilanti, Feb. 18. The matchup between these two teams has been even, as the series is tied 5-5 over the last 10 games.
   With a Eastern win Monday, March 9, would give EMU a two-game season sweep over the Golden Flashes for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan ranks third in the nation and leads the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (9.9). Stephen F. Austin is first in the NCAA with 10.4 swipes per game, while Nicholls State follows with 10.0, respectively. EMU also ranks fourth among Division I teams in total steals with 306. The Eagles are forcing 16.7 turnovers per game, which leads the league and ranks 13th in the nation. EMU has attempted 695 free throws which leads the conference and ranks 25th in the nation. Eastern's scoring defense of 63.4 points per game is good for second in the conference.
   Individually, redshirt senior Boubacar Toure leads the MAC with a 65.1 field goal percentage (138-of-212) and ranks third (38th nationally) with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game. The Dakar, Senegal native is also fourth in the conference in rebounds per contest with 9.2. Junior Yeikson Montero is leading the team with 55 steals, which ranks second in the league and 48th in the nation.

ALL-TIME VS. KENT STATE: Monday's game will be the 78th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Kent State. The Golden Flashes own the advantage in the all-time series at 42-35, which dates back to the 1949-50 season. The Eagles won the lone game of the 2019-20 campaign, when the Green and White posted an convincing victory over KSU, 70-49, Feb. 18. The two teams split the 2018-19 season series as the Green and White won 95-61 inside the Convocation Center on Jan. 12, 2019. Then just over a month later, KSU defeated the Eagles, 71-58, on Feb. 16, 2019, in Kent, Ohio.
   Eastern has won three of the last four games against the Golden Flashes. EMU snapped a 17-game winning streak for Kent State with a 70-53 win on Feb. 8, 2014. The Green and White hold a 24-12 record inside the Convo, but struggle on the road against KSU with a 9-28 mark.

AGAINST KENT STATE IN THE MURPHY ERA: Eastern Michigan holds a 5-6 mark against Kent State in the Rob Murphy era. However, the Eagles snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Golden Flashes and notched their first win against KSU, 70-53, during Murphy's tenure, Feb. 8, 2014. The Green and White have also won three of the last four matchups against Kent State.

SCOUTING KENT STATE: Led by ninth-year Head Coach Rob Senderoff, Kent State enters Monday's game with a 19-12 overall record and a 9-9 Mid-American Conference mark. The Golden Flashes concluded the 2019-20 campaign with a 79-76 loss to Akron, March 6.
   Kent State has four players scoring in double-figures and is led by Antonio Williams, who is averaging 14.6 points per game. Danny Pippen and Troy Simons are adding 14.1 and 12.9, respectively, while Anthony Roberts is tallying 12.7 per game. Pippen is also leading the team with 7.0 rebounds per game, and Simons has drained a team-best 91 triples.
   The Golden Flashes are averaging 76.0 points per game and are shooting 45.1 percent from the field. KSU holds a +0.7 rebounding margin (36.2-35.5) and is dishing out 13.7 assists per contest. On the defensive side, Kent State is holding opponents to 69.8 points per game (+6.2 scoring margin) and forcing 14.3 turnovers a game.

IF THE EAGLES WIN: A EMU win against Kent State Monday, March 9, would mean the Eagles advance to the Quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Eastern would play Thursday, March 12, against No. 3 seed Ball State at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. EMU has played 17 tournament games in The Land and holds a 7-10 mark over those games.
   Should the Eagles advance, Thursday's quarterfinal matchup against the Cardinals would mark the 108th meeting between the two teams. BSU earned the regular-season sweep, as the Red and White downed the Eagles, 69-52, Jan. 14, and 64-55, Feb. 22. EMU trails BSU, 64-43, in the all-time series with the Eagles losing the last three.

SCOUTING BALL STATE: Ball State is led by seventh-year Head Coach James Whitford. The Cardinals finished the 2019-20 season with a 18-13 overall record with a 11-7 conference mark. BSU claimed the MAC West Division title after a 75-54 win over Northern Illinois, March 6. The win secured a first round bye and the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.

TROPHY WINNERS: With EMU's 67-63 victory over Central Michigan, Feb. 29, Eastern Michigan clinched the Michigan MAC Trophy. The trophy rotates and is held by the team who has the best head-to-head record in each season of each sport.
   The men's basketball trophy originated in 2006 by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame with Western Michigan claiming the inaugural trophy. The Broncos have won the most total trophies with seven, while CMU has garnered the award five times. The Green and White have won three times, which includes the 2019-20 season. EMU has clinched the Michigan MAC Trophy three of the last four years.

TROPHY BREAKDOWN
Western Michigan: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014
Central Michigan: 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019
Eastern Michigan: 2017, 2018, 2020

NAIL-BITERS: Close games are no stranger to EMU, as it has seen contests down to the wire in 11 of the last 17 games. In all 11 games, the outcome has been decided with a margin of six-or-less points. Of those 11 games, six of them have been a three points or less scoring margin.
   Overall, 50 of the MAC's 102 (49.0 percent) conference games played this year have been decided by six-or-fewer points. Of those 50 games, half (25 games) has been decided by three points or less.

COMING ALIVE: Junior Yeikson Montero was clutch from beyond the arc in EMU's 67-63 win over Central Michigan, Feb. 29. The guard tallied 17 points to lead the Eagles and tied a career-high five triples on seven attempts. This was the first time Montero has scored in double-digits since his 26-point performance against Toledo, Feb. 1. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native has recorded 15 double-figure scoring performances and has led the Green and White in scoring four times this season.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure recorded his 12th double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds in the 67-63 victory over Central Michigan, Feb. 29. The Dakar, Senegal native has pulled down double-figure rebounds in 16 games this year, including 12 of the last 19 games. The redshirt senior has led the Eagles on the boards in 26-of-31 games in the 2019-20 campaign. Toure has tallied 20 double-doubles in his EMU career.

THANK YOU, BOUBACAR: Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure played in the Green and White for the final time in the Convocation Center during the regular season, as the Eagles rallied from a 14-point deficit to down the Chippewas, 67-63, Feb. 29.
`Toure joined Eastern Michigan after a two-year stint at Grand Canyon and made an immediate impact after arriving in Ypsilanti. In his 62 career games as an Eagle, the Dakar, Senegal native has tallied 593 points and has pulled down 529 rebounds.
   He ranks first in EMU program history with a 65.1 field-goal percentage (246-of-378). Toure has recorded 20 double-doubles in his career and has led the Green and White in rebounding 33 times in an EMU uniform. Toure will graduate in the spring with a master's degree in sport management and plans to continue playing basketball at the professional level.

300th GAME: Eastern Michigan Head Coach Rob Murphy coached his 300th career game when the Eagles defeated Central Michigan, 67-63, inside the Convocation Center, Feb. 29. Over the last nine years, Murphy has recorded a 160-142 record and helped guide the Green and White to a 2012 Mid-American Conference West Title.

SHARING THE BURDEN: Ten of the 11 Eagles who played against Central Michigan, Feb. 29, etched their names in the box score with at least two points. Four of those played scored seven-or-more points in the 67-63 victory over the Chippewas with three of those four who tallied double-digits (Yeikson Montero, 17; Ty Groce, 14; Boubacar Toure, 13).
   Earlier this season, nine of the 10 players who saw minutes against Kent State, Feb. 18, recorded at least two points. Five of those players scored eight-or-more points in the 70-49 victory over the Golden Flashes with three of those five who scored in double-figures (Groce, 15; Thomas Binelli, 13; Toure, 10). EMU has had five players score eight points or more in 10 games this season with four of those coming in conference play.

HOT SPARK FROM BINELLI: Junior Thomas Binelli sparked the offense from downtown with a career-high 26 points with six triples in the 73-71 loss to Northern Illinois, Feb. 25. The forward went 7-of-14 from the field to go along with five rebounds and a steals in 36 minutes against the Huskies. Binelli is the first Eagle to score at least six triples in a game since Feb. 28, 2017 when former great Raven Lee drained 10 from deep at Central Michigan.
   The Bologna, Italy native has tallied 10 double-figure scoring performance and has led the Green and White in three-pointers 13 times this season. Binelli has tallied 55 triples this year and has made at least three 3's in 10 contests during the 2019-20 campaign. The junior ranks 10th in the MAC with 2.3 triples per game.

EAGLES HOT STREAK: Eastern Michigan is on a hot streak in the second half of Mid-American Conference play, as the Eagles have won four of their last eight conference games (at Central Michigan, Feb. 11; vs. Western Michigan, Feb. 15; vs. Kent State, Feb. 18; vs. Central Michigan, Feb. 29) and are 5-5 over the last 10 games.
   Over the last four wins, the Green and White are averaging 69.8 points per game, while holding opponents to 58.3 points per game (+11.6 scoring margin). EMU is shooting 48.0 percent (98-of-204) from the field, compared to its opponents only shooting a 37.8 clip (79-of-209).

SHARING THE WEALTH: Eastern Michigan has had four Eagles score in double-figures in three of the last eight games (Central Michigan, Feb. 11; Western Michigan, Feb. 15; Northern Illinois, Feb. 25). Despite the 73-71 heartbreaking loss to NIU, the Green and White still had four players produce offensively in double-digits. Junior Thomas Binelli paced all Eagles with a career-high 26 points, while redshirt junior Ty Groce tallied 12 points. Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure and junior Darion Spottsville added 11 and 10, respectively.
   In the 69-51 victory over WMU, Toure led the way with 17 points. Freshman Chris James and junior Noah Morgan each added 15, while Spottsville tallied 10, respectively. Against the Chippewas, Groce led the way with 22 points, while Toure totaled 20. Binelli and Morgan also scored double-figures with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
   EMU has had nine games this season where four-or-more Eagles score in double-figures, and five in MAC play (at Northern Illinois, Jan. 11; at Miami, Jan. 25; at Central Michigan, Feb. 11; vs. Western Michigan, Feb. 15; Northern Illinois, Feb. 25). In those nine games, Eastern Michigan holds a 6-3 record.

DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN: The Eagles posted its second consecutive double-digit win over a Mid-American Conference team this season with a 70-49 victory Kent State, Feb. 18. The 21-point win is the third highest victory margin over the Golden Flashes since the all-time series started in 1950, and the eighth time EMU defeated KSU by double-figures.
   Eastern's first double-figure win over a conference team was against Western Michigan, when the Green and White topped the Broncos by 17 (69-51), Feb. 15. That victory was the first double-digit win over a Division I school since UMBC in the Jamaica Classic (62-45), Nov. 22. Ten of the 14 wins over the 2019-20 campaign, have been within six points-or-less.

FINDING THE GROOVE: With the 70-49 win over Kent State, Feb. 18, the Eagles shot 50 percent from the floor (23-of-46). This is the third time EMU has shot 50 percent-or-higher in MAC play this season. Eastern first found its groove inside the arc, when it shot 50 percent from the field (19-of-38) in a heartbreaking loss, 59-58, to Akron, Feb. 8. Two games later, the Green and White sparked its offense again and went 27-of-51 (52.9 percent) from the field in a 69-51 victory over in-state rival Western Michigan, Feb. 15.
   The Green and White have shot 50 percent-or-above in seven games during the 2019-20 campaign. Eastern Michigan's season-high is a 61.4 percent efficiency, when the Eagles downed Valparaiso, 85-79, Dec. 3.

LOCK IT UP: Eastern Michigan's signature zone defense was on point in the 70-49 victory over Kent State, Feb. 15. Going into Tuesday's game, the Golden Flashes ranked first with a 45.3 field-goal percentage and shot above 45 percent in 14 games. The Eagle defense held the Flashes to its lowest shooting percentage in a game with a 29.1 clip (16-of-55).
   Eastern has held two teams to shooting less than 30 percent (23.2, Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7; 29.1, Kent State, Feb. 18) and holds a 13-6 mark when opponents shoot less than 45 percent.

JAMES, CHRIS JAMES: Freshman Chris James broke out of his offensive slump as he tied a career-high 15 points, including three triples in a 69-51 victory over Western Michigan, Feb. 15. James has scored in double-digits four times this season, including the first three-straight games of the season (14 vs. Siena Heights, Nov. 8; 11 vs. Goshen, Nov. 12; 15 vs. Michigan-Dearborn, Nov. 14).

PERFECT SHOOTING: Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure led the Eagles with 17 points on a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor in an 69-51 win over Western Michigan, Feb. 15. This is the second time this season Toure has shot 100 percent from the field with the first coming at Miami, Jan. 25, when the center went 4-of-4. The Dakar, Senegal native leads the league with a 65.1 field-goal percentage (138-of-212).

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!: Eastern Michigan has played exceptional defense all season, as the Eagles have held opponents to scoring 60 points-or-less in 13 games. The Eagles lost its first game when holding the opposition under 60 points at Akron (59-58), Feb. 8. Its record when accomplishing this feat is 12-1.
   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 85-13 mark.

SCORING FRENZY: Junior Darion Spottsville is breaking through offensively, as he has scored in double-figures in six of the last 11 games. Most recently, Spottsville tallied 10 points in a 70-54 loss at Western Michigan, March, 3 and added 10 points in a 73-71 loss to Northern Illinois, Feb. 25. Spottsville tallied 10 points in a 69-51 win over in-state rival Western Michigan, Feb. 15, and scored a career-high 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting and made five free throws in the 59-58 loss at Akron, Feb. 8. Spottsville has tallied six double-digit scoring performances this season. The junior totaled 11 points in a 66-62 win over Buffalo, Feb. 4 and added 12 at Miami, Jan. 25; which was his first 10-plus point performance in an EMU uniform.

TWO WILL GIVE YOU 20: Two Eagles scored over 20 points in a game for the second time this season at Central Michigan, Feb. 11. Redshirt junior Ty Groce and redshirt senior Boubacar Toure tallied 20+ points in a 73-70 victory over the Chippewas. Groce led the Eagles with 22 points, while Toure went 9-of-10 from the floor and added 20 points.
   Earlier this season, Groce and junior Noah Morgan scored over 20 points to lead the team to an 85-79 victory, Dec. 3 against Valparaiso. Groce had a career-best performance to lead the Green and White, scoring 23 points, and hitting 9-of-10 free throws. Morgan was right behind the Ypsilanti, Mich. native, also with a career-high of 21 points and went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. The performances by Groce and Morgan was the first time Eastern had two players score 20+ since last season when Paul Jackson and Kevin McAdoo scored 21 and 20, respectively, at Central Michigan, Jan. 29, 2018.

GROCE REACHING TO NEW HEIGHTS: Redshirt junior Ty Groce notched his first career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Green and White past Central Michigan, 73-70, Feb. 11. The Ypsilanti, Mich. native went 8-of-12 from the field and sank six free throws. Groce has led the Eagles in scoring in 12 games this season and has notched double-figures in 20-of-29 contests during the 2019-20 campaign. The redshirt junior has also grabbed 10+ rebounds in two games this year.
   Groce is averaging a team-best 11.4 points per game, while grabbing 5.3 boards a game, which ranks second on the team.

DYNAMIC DUO: Redshirt junior Ty Groce and redshirt senior Boubacar Toure both posted double-doubles in a 73-70 victory over Central Michigan, Feb. 11. Groce totaled a team-best 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Toure added 20 points and notched a team-high 13 rebounds. This is the first time this season two Eagles has earned a double-double in the same game. Former Eagle James Thompson IV (15 pts., 17 rebs.) and Toure (12 pts., 16 rebs.) were the last pair in the Green and White to reach this feat, March 2, 2019.
   Groce and Toure are the first EMU players to each notch a double-double and score 20-plus points in the same game since 2017 when Thompson IV and Elijah Minnie reached 20+ points and double-digit rebounds against Oakland, Dec. 6, 2017.

AKRON THREE-BALL DENIED: The Eastern Michigan defense was ruthless in the first half of play at Akron, Feb. 8. The Eagles held the Zips to 25 points, which tied a season-low for UA. In addition, EMU held Akron scoreless from beyond the arc, forcing UA to go 0-of-14 from deep.
   This is the first time this season that EMU has held an opponent to a zero percent field-goal percentage from behind the 3-point line. Eastern held North Carolina A&T to shooting 1-of-10 from deep in the first half at the Jamaica Classic, Nov. 24.

HISTORY MADE: EMU 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 on the Convo 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 391 victories in the Convo - the women's program has accumulated 188 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-fashion 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.

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 31 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 55 three-pointers this season. The Bologna, Italy native has made at least one from beyond the arc in 22 of the 24 games he has played and in 14 of the last 16 contests. Binelli has drained three-plus triples in 10 games this year, including a career-high six 3's at against Northern Illinois, Feb. 25. Binelli is averaging 8.6 points per game with 2.3 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 five times this year and has tallied double-digit scoring 15 times. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native is third on the team averaging 9.6 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.

.600 OR BETTER: The Eagles have two player sthat is shooting 60 percent-or-better from the field. The Green and White are led by redshirt senior Boubacar Toure, hitting at 65.1 percent on 138-of-212 shooting, which ranks first among MAC players. Toure has shot over 70 percent from the field (min. seven attempts) in 10 games this season. His season-high of 100 percent (8-of-8) was hit against Western Michigan, Feb. 15.
   Junior Jalen King is also shooting over 60 percent on 23-of-38 shooting. He went a perfect 3-of-3 for six points in a 79-57 loss at Toledo, March 6.

CRASHIN' THE BOARDS: Boubacar Toure has pulled down 10+ rebounds in 16 games this season and has led the team in rebounding 26-of-31 games this year. The redshirt senior leads the team averaging 9.2 boards per game (286 total), including 6.0 defensive and 3.3 offensive rebounds per contest. In MAC play, Toure is averaging 10.3 boards to go along with 11.4 points per game.

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 11.4 points and 10.3 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 a league-best 11.4 rebounds per game to go along with 12.7 points a game, while Buffalo's Josh Mballa is grabbing 10.2 rebounds and adding 10.4 points, respectively.
       Toure is shooting a league-best 64.2 percent from the floor (88-of-137) and has recorded 26 blocks. The Dakar, Senegal native has notched nine double-doubles in MAC play and nearly missed one at Ohio, Jan. 11 and versus Kent State, Feb. 18. Toure's 10.3 rebounds per game tied for second in the conference, to go along with his 1.5 blocks per contest also is good for second.

STEAL MACHINES: The Eagles are averaging 9.9 steals per game with redshirt junior Ty Groce, and juniors Yeikson Montero and Noah Morgan are leading EMU in swipes this season. Montero leads the way with 55 steals and has recorded at least one steal in 25 games this season. Groce ranks second on the team with 54 swipes and has tallied one steal in 23 games, while Morgan has also totaled one swipe in 23 games this year, respectively.

FINDERS KEEPERS: The Eagles ranks third in the nation and leads the Mid-American Conference with 9.9 steals per game. Stephen F. Austin leads the NCAA with 10.4. The Green and White have stolen the ball 306 times this season, including 10+ swipes in 15 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.
   Junior Yeikson Montero leads the team with 1.8 steals per game (55 this season), which is third in the MAC with redshirt junior Ty Groce also swiping 1.8 balls per game. Nine players have double-digit steals on the season, which includes EMU's primary starting-five: Montero (55), Groce (54), junior Noah Morgan (43), redshirt senior Boubacar Toure (36), junior Darion Spottsville (35), freshman Chris James (24), junior Thomas Binelli (19), and juniors Jalen King and Chris Barnes have 15 and 14, 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.

BLOCK PARTY: Eastern Michigan ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference with 104 blocks this season (3.4 bpg). Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure leads the team with 44 swats and is averaging 1.4 blocks per game, which is good for fourth in the conference. The Dakar, Senegal native recorded a career-high in blocks (5) versus Central Michigan, Feb. 29. Redshirt junior Ty Groce and junior Jalen King also have tallied double-digit blocks this season with 25 and 15, respectively.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DEDICATION: Redshirt junior Ty Groce leads Eastern Michigan in scoring with 11.4 points per game (353 total points), while redshirt senior Boubacar Toure is averaging 10.5. Groce is the only Eagle to reach double-digits in 21 games this year, and Toure has tallied double figures in 18 games, respectively.
   Groce posted a career-high 23 points against Valpo, Dec. 3, while Toure tied a personal-best with 20 points at Central Michigan, Feb. 11.
   In MAC play, two Eagles are averaging in double-figures in Toure (11.4) and Groce (10.8).

versaTYle: Redshirt junior Ty Groce has proven to be a versatile player on the floor. He leads the team with 353 points (11.4 ppg). The Ypsilanti, Mich. native has hit double-digits in 21 games during the 2019-20 campaign, including three of the last four games (12 vs. Northern Illinois, Feb. 25; 14 vs. Central Michigan, Feb. 29; 11 at Western Michigan, March 3). Groce has led the Green and White in scoring in 13 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 play, the redshirt junior is recording 10.8 points per game to go along with 5.2 rebounds a contest.

PRESSURE LEADS TO TURNOVERS: The Eastern Michigan defense is forcing opponents to turn the ball over 16.7 times a game, which leads the MAC and ranks 13th among Division I teams. EMU also holds a +2.3 turnover margin (16.7-14.5), which is good for second in the league and 45th in the NCAA. Eastern holds an 10-7 mark (17 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 20 games with 15 or less turnovers and four with less than 10.

SHUT 'EM DOWN: The Green and White ranks second in the MAC and 30th in the nation holding their opponents to 63.4 points per game. Ball State leads the league in scoring defense with 62.5. The Eagles have held 10 opponents to under 55 points in 2019. This fierce defense has outscored the opposition by double-digits in seven 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: Four Eagles have tallied 30-or-more assists this season in junior Darion Spottsville (73), redshirt junior Ty Groce (63), and juniors Noah Morgan (40) and Yeikson Montero (35). Spottsville leads the team with 2.4 helpers per game, while Groce is dishing out 2.0, respectively.
   Spottsville registered seven of the team's 12 assists at Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7 and has led the Eagles in assists 15 times this season. Groce notched a career-high five helpers versus Concordia, Dec. 30, and has led the Eagles in assists 13 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.

CHARITY STRIPE: The Eagles have found their way to the charity stripe 695 times so far this season, which ranks 25th in the nation and first in the MAC. EMU is averaging 22.4 free throw attempts per game, which ranks first in the league. In fact, the Green and White have had more free-throw attempts than its opponent in 23 games this year.
   Converting those opportunities into points (min. 50 attempts), junior Yeikson Montero leads the team from the charity stripe, shooting 74 percent on 62-of-83, while redshirt junior Ty Groce has hit 72 (95-of-132) percent from the free-throw line, respectively.

TOURE TAKEOFF: Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure is shooting a team leading 65.1 percent (138-of-212) from the field this year, which ranks first in the MAC. He is averaging 3.3 offensive boards a game (101), which is good for third in the Mid-American Conference. The Dakar, Senegal native has notched 18 double-figure scoring performances as well as pulling down 10+ boards in 16 games this season. Toure leads the team with 12 double-doubles with his most recent performance (13 pts., 14 rebs.) versus Central Michigan, Feb. 29.
   The redshirt senior has been efficient while shooting, but also anchors the Eagles' 2-3 zone, having set a career-high in blocks (5) against CMU, Feb. 29.. The redshirt senior center ranks fourth in the league with 1.4 blocks per game (44 total) and has totaled 36 steals.

LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan dropped the regular-season finale at Toledo 79-57, March 6, inside UT's Savage Arena. The Rockets held the Eagles to two 3-pointers during the second half.
    Two Eagles finished the evening with double-figures in juniors Thomas Binelli and Yeikson Montero contributed 12 points each. Binelli drained four triples, while Montero went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and tallied two steals.
    Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure grabbed a team-best five rebounds, while junior Darion Spottsville dished out five assists.
    Eastern Michigan shot 40.7 percent from the field (22-of-54), while the Rockets posted the same field-goal percentage on 24-of-59 shooting. The Green and White struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 30 percent compared to Toledo's 37 percent clip. The Rockets held the rebound advantage over the Eagles at 43-28, but EMU posted more points in the paint (28-22) and off the bench (21-2).

ALL-TIME VS. MAC: The Green and White hold a 343-434 program mark against Mid-American Conference teams. Eastern has played Central Michigan the most (196 times), while facing Western Michigan 113 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 76-82 MAC record and clinched a MAC West title in 2012.

ON THE HORIZON: If Eastern Michigan defeats Kent State in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Monday, March 9, the Eagles would advance to the Quarterfinals. The Green and White will face off against No. 3 seed Ball State Thursday, March 12, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Players Mentioned

Derek Ballard Jr.

Chris Barnes

Thomas Binelli

Ty Groce

Paul Jackson

Chris James

Jalen King

Kevin McAdoo

Elijah Minnie

Yeikson Montero

Noah Morgan

Darion Spottsville

James Thompson IV

Boubacar Toure

Eastern Michigan Athletics