Men's Basketball Continues MAC Play at Kent State Saturday

Men's Basketball at Kent State
Date	Saturday, Feb. 20 \| 2 p.m. ET
Venue	Kent, Ohio \| Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU (89.1FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMU_MBB \| @EMUAthletics
Game Sponsor	Little Caesars

KENT, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – After a 25-day layoff, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team returns to play and will travel to Kent State University Saturday, Feb. 20. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. inside KSU's Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.
   EMU (4-8, 1-7 MAC) is on a five-game Mid-American Conference losing streak, as the Eagles dropped a league affair at Akron, 86-65, Jan. 26. Kent State (13-5, 10-4 MAC) has won three straight games, including a 76-69 victory over Western Michigan, Feb. 16.
   Fans can catch the action on ESPN3. WEMU (89.1 FM) will also broadcast the game with Tom Helmer on the call. As always, fans can follow along on EMUEagles.com/livestats or on Twitter by following @EMU_MBB.

AMONG THE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan leads the Mid-American Conference in two statistical categories: steals per game (9.2), and turnovers forced (16.7), while ranking second with a +3.2 turnover margin, respectively. The Eagles' 9.2 swipes per contest ranks eighth in the NCAA. Additionally, EMU's 16.7 TO's forced and +3.2 TO margin are good for 19th and 32nd among Division I programs, respectively.
   Individually, senior Yeikson Montero leads the MAC and ranks 30th in the country in steals per game (2.1). Additionally, redshirt senior Ty Groce ranks fifth in the conference with a 54.6 field goal percentage (65-of-119).

THE GREAT SCHEDULING PUZZLE: Many teams have shuffled their schedules due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic, and Eastern is included. EMU still has six Mid-American Conference games to reschedule. The contests against Kent State (Jan. 2), Western Michigan (Jan. 19), Northern Illinois (Jan. 30), Miami (Feb. 9), Ball State (Feb. 13), and Buffalo (Feb. 16) are still to be played.

COVID WOES: It's no secret that the schedule is always up in the air due to COVID-19 protocols, and EMU has fallen victim to game postponements and cancellations during the 2020-21 season. The Eagles have had 13 games either postponed, canceled, and/or rescheduled this year.

Date	Game	Results
Dec. 16	at Valparaiso	Canceled
Dec. 19	vs. Olivet	Rescheduled (Dec. 27)
Dec. 21	vs. Central Michigan	Rescheduled (Dec. 29)
Jan. 2	vs. Kent State	Postponed
Jan. 5	at Buffalo	Reschedule (Jan. 21)
Jan. 19	vs. Western Michigan	Postponed
Jan. 23	vs. Miami	Time Adjustment
Jan. 30	at Northern Illinois	Postponed
Feb. 2	vs. Bowling Green	Rescheduled (2/23)
Feb. 6	at Ohio	Rescheduled (2/25)
Feb. 9	at Miami	Postponed
Feb. 13	vs. Ball State	Postponed
Feb. 16	vs. Buffalo	Postponed

TY TEARING THROUGH: Redshirt senior Ty Groce posted a career-high 28 points at Akron, Jan. 26. The Ypsilanti native went 9-of-16 from the field and sunk a personal-best nine free throws in 36 minutes of play. It was the second time this season, and the fourth in his career where Groce has scored 20-plus points.
   The forward has scored in double figures 10 times this season and 40 times in his career. Groce is averaging a team-high 14.2 points per game and is shooting 54.6 percent from the field (65-of-116).

McBRIDE FROM DOWNTOWN: Junior Bryce McBride drained a career-best five three-pointers at Akron, Jan. 26, en route to 20 points. The guard went 7-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc in 33 minutes of play. McBride also dished out four assists and grabbed four rebounds against the Zips.
   The Jackson, Tenn. native has 20-plus points in three games this season and has led the team in scoring four times. McBride is averaging 14.0 points per game and co-leads the team with 20 triples made.

GETTING THAT DUB-DUB: Redshirt senior Ty Groce recorded his fourth-career double-double at Akron, Jan. 26, as he tallied a career-best 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 36 minutes of play. The senior shot 9-of-16 from the floor and sunk nine free throws.
   The Ypsilanti native notched his first double-double of the 2020-21 season versus in-state rival Central Michigan, Dec. 29. The forward went 7-of-10 from the floor to score 15 points and grab 13 rebounds. That was Groce's second double-double against the Chippewas, as he tallied his first career with 22 points and 12 rebounds, Feb. 11, 2020.

FREE THROW IMPROVEMENT: Eastern Michigan is tied for fourth in the Mid-American Conference with a 75.9 free throw percentage (176-of-232). Through 12 games during the 2019-20 season, the Eagles were shooting 63.2 percent from the charity stripe (189-of-299). This year's numbers are a 12.7 percent improvement over a season ago.
   In 2019-20, the Eagles struggled from the free throw line, finishing the season with a 62.7 clip (448-of-714).

CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Eastern Michigan Head Coach Rob Murphy has found some consistency in the Eagles' lineup as four players have started eight-or-more games. Redshirt senior Ty Groce, senior Yeikson Montero, and junior Bryce McBride have made the starting lineup in all 12 games played this season, while sophomore Drew Lowder has started in eight. Those four Eagles have scored a combined 584 points out of EMU's 860 total this year, which comes out to 67.9 percent.
   Groce leads the team averaging 14.2 points per game, while McBride and Montero are adding 14.0 and 12.8, respectively. Lowder is also tallying 8.5 points per contest.

TY IN #MACTION: Redshirt senior Ty Groce has been a major contributor in Mid-American Conference games despite primarily playing center after playing on the wing last season. Groce leads the team averaging 14.2 points per game and is shooting 54.4 percent from the field (43-of-79), which ranks sixth in the conference. The forward ranks second on the team, grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game, and has tallied a team-high six blocks.
   The Ypsilanti, Mich. native has scored in double-figures in seven of EMU's eight league games this season.

GETTING TO THE LINE: Junior Bryce McBride has been able to get himself to the free throw line throughout the first 12 games of the season. The Jackson, Tenn. native is shooting 84.1 percent from the charity stripe, sinking 58-of-69 attempts. His free throw percentage ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference, while his 58 makes is tied for seventh. Additionally, his 69 attempts nearly doubles any other Eagle this season, as the next highest free throw attempts comes from redshirt senior Ty Groce with 44.

CHARITY STRIPE STREAK: Eastern Michigan made 31-straight free throws before missing one at the charity stripe between Jan. 14 and Jan. 21. The Eagles went 8-of-8 late in the second half against Calvin, Jan. 14, before shooting 13-of-13 at Central Michigan, Jan. 16. EMU went 10-of-10 from the line before missing one in the second half at Buffalo, Jan. 21. This is the best stretch during the modern statistical era (1998-present) since the Eagles went 39-of-42 (92.9 percent), March 4, 2006, between Ball State (25-of-29) and Western Michigan (14-of-16), March 6, 2006.
   The Eagles shot 100 percent against CMU and 94.1 percent at Buffalo, which is the best back-to-back free throw performance by an EMU team under Head Coach Rob Murphy (2011-present).

SCOUTING KENT STATE: Led by 10th-year head coach and the program's all-time winningest coach (184 wins) Rob Senderoff, KSU enters Saturday's game coming off a 76-69 victory at Western Michigan, Feb. 16. The Golden Flashes hold a 13-5 overall record with a 10-4 Mid-American Conference mark.
   KSU has three players averaging double-figures, paced by Danny Pippen who is averaging 20.0 points per game, which ranks third in the conference. He is followed by Michael Nuga and Tervell Beck with 17.8 and 10.5 points a game, respectively. Pippen is also leading the team grabbing 8.9 rebounds per game, while Malique Jacobs ranks first on the team in both assists (71) and steals (34).
   The Golden Flashes average 79.7 points per game and are shooting 45.0 percent from the floor (515-of-1,144). On the defensive side, Kent State is holding its opponents to 70.9 points per game with a 41.2 shooting percentage from the field.

KENT STATE RECEIVING VOTES: Kent State received 51 votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, announced Feb. 15. KSU is one of six Mid-American Conference schools that earned votes in this week's poll. Toledo and Akron are both ranked, No. 9 and No. 12, respectively.

ALL-TIME VS. KENT STATE: Saturday's game marks the 79th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Kent State. The Eagles trail in the all-time series, 43-35. KSU posted a 86-76 victory March 9, 2020 in the first round of the 2020 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
   The Green and White hold the 24-12 advantage against Kent in Ypsilanti, but a 4-9 record inside the Convo. In the Rob Murphy era, the Eagles are 5-8 versus KSU and the series is tied 5-5 over the last 10 meetings.

LAST TIME VS. KSU: EMU saw its 2020 Mid-American Conference Tournament journey come to an end, as the No. 11 seed Eagles fell to No. 6 seeded Kent State, 86-76, March 9 in the first round inside KSU's M.A.C. Center. Eastern Michigan dropped to 16-16 overall with a 6-12 conference mark, while Kent State earned its 20th win of the season (20-12, 9-9 MAC).
   Then-junior Noah Morgan paced the Eagles with a career-high 30 points, including six three-pointers. Morgan also contributed four assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes of play. Then-redshirt junior Ty Groce was the second Eagle to reach double-digits as he finished the evening with 14 points while leading the team with five assists, and tallied two steals. Former Eagle Boubacar Toure notched his 21st career double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while then-junior Thomas Binelli added eight points and two steals. Classmate Darion Spottsville also contributed four helpers.

ALL-TIME VS. THE MAC: The Green and White hold a 347-444 program mark against Mid-American Conference teams. Eastern has played Central Michigan the most (199 times), while facing Western Michigan 113 times and Toledo 111 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 77-89 MAC record and clinched a MAC West title in 2012.

ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Senior Yeikson Montero notched his third career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds at Buffalo, Jan. 21. The guard shot 8-of-14 from the floor and pulled down eight defensive rebounds against the Bulls.
   Montero's first double-double came against Adrian, Dec. 9, when he posted 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native also recorded 19 points and a career-best 14 rebounds at in-state rival Central Michigan, Jan. 16. Montero co-lead the team with three double-doubles this season.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: Two Eagles recorded double-doubles in EMU's 75-64 loss at Central Michigan, Jan. 16, in senior Yeikson Montero and redshirt junior Miles Gibson. Montero led the team with 19 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, which was good for his second career double-double. Gibson tallied his third career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
   The game against CMU was the third time during the 2020-21 season that two Eagles recorded a double-double in a game. The last time EMU had two players notch double-doubles three times in a season was during the 2009-10 season. During the 2017-18 season, Eastern had two Eagles record double-doubles in a game four times, which is the most since the 1998-99 campaigns.

GIBSON GETS ANOTHER: Redshirt junior Miles Gibson is in his first year donning the Green and White and has tallied three double-doubles this season. The Richmond, Va. native recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes of play against Central Michigan, Jan. 16.
   The guard/forward posted his first and second double-doubles of the 2020-21 season versus Adrian, Dec. 9 and Calvin, Jan. 14. Gibson posted 13 points and a career-high 13 boards against the Bulldogs, then tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds versus the Knights. Gibson co-leads the team with three double-doubles this season.

GOING FOR 100: Eastern Michigan was perfect from the free throw line, going 13-for-13 at Central Michigan, Jan. 16. It was the first time that the Eagles shot 100 percent from the charity stripe since 2013. EMU last did it when it went 4-of-4 at Kentucky, Jan. 2, 2013.

HOLD 'EM TO 60-OR-LESS: When holding opponents to 60 points-or-less, Eastern Michigan has better luck in the win column. The Eagles are 4-0 during the 2020-21 campaign when holding their opponents under the 60-point plateau. Additionally, the Green and White has tallied an impressive 88-13 mark during the Rob Murphy era (2011-present) when keeping its competition below 60 points.

80 IS NOT THE MAGIC NUMBER: There are many factors that go into the result of a game, but allowing opponents to score 80-plus points is kryptonite for the Green and White. The Eagles are 0-7 this season when allowing 80-or-more points in a game. In the Rob Murphy era (2011-present), EMU is 8-48 when giving up 80+ points.
   However, when Eastern Michigan scores more than 80 points, it is 2-0 this season and 9-10 since Murphy took the helm of the program.

SETTLING IN: Junior college transfer Bryce McBride from Dyersburg Community College (Tenn.) is settling in well in Ypsilanti, averaging 14.0 points per game on 45-of-126 (.357) shooting, while averaging 33.0 minutes a game. The junior leads the team with a 84.1 free throw percentage, which ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference. The newcomer leads the team in assists with 37 and is second in steals with 22.
   McBride is currently 12th in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5), and tied for 12th in assists per game (3.1). The Jackson, Tenn. native has tallied a career-high four assists five times this season.

.500 OR BETTER: Two Eagles are shooting 50 percent-or-better from the field, with a minimum of 20 attempts, so far this season. EMU is led by redshirt senior Ty Groce, who has hit 54.6 percent of his shots (65-of-119), which ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Following the forward is classmate Darion Spottsville, who is shooting 52.5 percent (21-of-40).
   Groce has scored in double-digits in 10-of-12 games this season, and is averaging 14.2 points per game. Spottsville has scored in double-figures four times this year, with his most recent performance of 12 points at Buffalo, Jan. 21

LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan fell to Mid-American Conference foe Akron, 86-65, Jan. 26 inside James A. Rhodes Arena.
    Individually, redshirt senior Ty Groce notched his fourth-career double-double with a career-high 28 points, and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Ypsilanti native shot 9-of-16 from the field and drained nine from the charity stripe. Junior Bryce McBride recorded 20 points, including a career-high five triples and a team-high four assists, while sophomore Drew Lowder added 10 points.
   The Eagles went 22-of-60 from the field, shooting a 36.7 field goal percentage. EMU struggled from beyond the arc, posting a 30.0 percent clip (9-of-30). The Zips recorded a 47.8 field goal percentage (33-of-69), and went 10-of-29 from the three-point line (34.5 percent). The Zips won the rebounding battle, 50-31, but, the Eagles held the steals advantage, 6-3.

COMBINED WINS: Eastern Michigan men's basketball has tallied 207 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 399 victories inside the Convo - the women's program has accumulated 192 wins since 1998-99. If the men's program posts a victory against Bowling Green Tuesday, Feb. 23, EMU will have a combined 400 wins inside the Covno between both programs.
   On the anniversary of the Convo dedication, Dec. 9, 2020, Eastern put up the largest margin of victory (+60) for a men's squad inside the building, trouncing Adrian College, 95-35.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan continues Mid-American Conference play by hosting Bowling Green State University Tuesday, Feb. 23. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between the Eagles and Falcons during the 2020-21 season.

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Players Mentioned

Thomas Binelli

Miles Gibson

Ty Groce

Drew Lowder

Bryce McBride

Yeikson Montero

Noah Morgan

Darion Spottsville

Boubacar Toure

Eastern Michigan Athletics