Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, February 25
Athens, Ohio
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Ohio
Men's Basketball Travels to Ohio Thursday
2/24/2021 1:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Eagles and Bobcats will square off at 2 p.m. on ESPN3
| Men's Basketball at Ohio | |
| Date | Thursday, Feb. 25 | 2 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Athens, Ohio | Convocation Center |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats |
| Watch | ESPN3 |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1FM) | TuneIn Radio | Podcast |
| @EMU_MBB | @EMUAthletics | |
| Game Sponsor | Standard Printing |
ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team hits the road with a trip to Ohio University Thursday, Feb. 25. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. inside OU's Convocation Center. Thursday's game is a makeup contest between the Eagles and Bobcats, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 6.
EMU (4-10, 1-9 MAC) is on a seven-game Mid-American Conference losing streak, as the Eagles dropped a league affair versus Bowling Green, 82-69, Feb. 23. Ohio (12-6, 8-4 MAC) played its first contest, Feb. 23, after a five-game pause and defeated the MAC's second-place team, Akron, 90-73. The Bobcats are currently on a five-game win streak.
Fans can catch the action on ESPN3 where Ohio's Marty Bannister will have the call and Jacki Windon will be the analyst. 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 (16.1), while ranking second with a +3.1 turnover margin, respectively. The Eagles' 9.2 swipes per contest ranks eighth in the NCAA. Additionally, EMU's 16.1 TO's forced and +3.1 TO margin are good for 26th and 29th among Division I programs, respectively.
Individually, senior Yeikson Montero leads the MAC and ranks 16th in the country in steals per game (2.5). Additionally, redshirt senior Ty Groce is tied for fifth in the conference with a 53.0 field goal percentage (80-of-151).
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 include Kent State (Jan. 2), Western Michigan (Jan. 19), Northern Illinois (Jan. 30), Miami (Feb. 9), Ball State (Feb. 13), and Buffalo (Feb. 16).
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 |
HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU?: Senior Yeikson Montero dished out a career-high six assists in EMU's 82-69 loss to Bowling Green, Feb. 23. It was the senior's first game with five-or-more assists in his career. Montero's previous personal-best came on Nov. 16, 2019, when he notched four dimes against North Texas.
Montero ranks fourth on the team with 20 total assists this season, averaging 1.4 dimes per game.
GROCE ON FIRE: Over the last three games (Jan. 26 - Feb. 23), redshirt senior Ty Groce has led Eastern offensively and defensively. The forward is averaging 21.3 points per game with a 50.0 field goal percentage (24-of-48). Groce also boasts a 80.0 percent clip from the free throw line (12-of-15), and is grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game.
Most recently, the Ypsilanti native posted a team-best 23 points on 10-of-21 shooting (47.6 percent) against Bowling Green, Feb. 23. That was Groce's third 20-point performance of the 2020-21 season and the fifth of his career.
Groce leads the team averaging 14.7 points per game, and is tied for fifth in the Mid-American Conference with a 53.0 field goal percentage (80-of-151). The senior has led the Eagles in scoring five times this year.
MORGAN SEASON-HIGH: Senior Noah Morgan recorded a season-high 14 points versus Bowling Green, Feb. 23. The guard went 7-of-12 from the field, and added a personal-best seven rebounds to his statline. The double-figure scoring performance was Morgan's 17th of his career and third this season.
The Mount Vernon, N.Y. native averages 6.7 points per game, which ranks sixth on the team.
DYNAMIC TRIO: In Mid-American Conference games, the Eagles have seen consistent numbers from three players in redshirt senior Ty Groce, junior Bryce McBride, and senior Yeikson Montero. All three are averaging in double-figures with Groce leading the way with 15.0 points per game. McBride follows with 12.6 , while Montero is adding 11.5, respectively. Of EMU's 657 total points scored during MAC games this season, the three Eagles own 59.5 percent of those points (391).
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 400 victories inside the Convo, thanks to the EMU women's program (193 Convo wins) who helped make history with a 69-59 over Toledo, Feb. 21.
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.
FREE THROW IMPROVEMENT: Eastern Michigan ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference with a 75.7 free throw percentage (196-of-259). Through 14 games during the 2019-20 season, the Eagles were shooting 63.9 percent from the charity stripe (214-of-335). This year's numbers are an 11.8 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 three players have started 12-or-more games. Redshirt senior Ty Groce and senior Yeikson Montero have made the starting lineup in all 14 games played this season, while junior Bryce McBride has started in 12, respectively. Those three Eagles have scored a combined 575 points out of EMU's 980 total this year, which comes out to 58.9 percent.
Groce leads the team averaging 14.7 points per game, while McBride and Montero are adding 13.5 and 12.9, respectively.
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 15.0 points per game and is shooting 52.3 percent from the field (58-of-111), which ranks seventh in the conference. The forward leads the team, grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game, and has tallied a team-high seven blocks.
The Ypsilanti, Mich. native has scored in double-figures in nine of EMU's 10 league games this season.
BACK IN #MACtion: After a 25-day layoff, Eastern Michigan made it back on the court at Kent State, Feb. 20. Despite the Eagles' pause, EMU had three players score in double-figures against the Golden Flashes. The Green and White were paced by senior Yeikson Montero, who scored 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting. The guard also added five steals and three rebounds to his statline. Classmate Ty Groce was the second Eagle to reach double-digits with 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while redshirt junior Miles Gibson added 12.
GETTING TO THE LINE: Junior Bryce McBride has been able to get himself to the free throw line throughout 14 games this season. The Jackson, Tenn. native is shooting 84.9 percent from the charity stripe, sinking 62-of-73 attempts. His free throw percentage ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference, while his 62 makes ranks eighth.
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 0-8 this season when allowing 80-or-more points in a game. In the Rob Murphy era (2011-present), EMU is 8-49 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.
OHIO RECEIVING VOTES: Ohio received 24 votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, announced Feb. 22. Ohio is one of six Mid-American Conference schools that earned votes in this week's poll. Toledo and Akron are both ranked at No. 8 and No. 12, respectively.
SCOUTING OHIO: Led by second-year Head Coach and Ohio alum Jeff Boals, the Bobcats enter Thursday's game coming off a 90-73 victory to Akron, Feb. 23. The game against the Zips was OU's first contest since Feb. 2. The Bobcats hold a 12-6 overall record with a 8-4 Mid-American Conference mark.
Ohio's primary starters all average in double-figures, who is led by Jason Preston (16.4 ppg). He is followed by Dwight Wilson (15.6) and Ben Vander Plas (13.0). Ben Roderick and Lunden McDay are also adding 11.8 and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Wilson is grabbing a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game, while Roderick has drained 42 triples.
The Bobcats average 80.7 points per game and shoot a MAC-leading 48.7 percent from the field (533-of-1094), while holding opponents to 73.3 points per game. Ohio leads the MAC averaging 17.7 assists per game, and are pulling down 34.3 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME VS. OHIO: Thursday's game marks the 77th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Ohio. EMU trails OU, 51-26, in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1972-73 season. This will be the first meeting between the two schools during the 2020-21 season.
The Bobcats won both meetings during the 2019-20 campaign, with its most recent victory on Jan. 18, 2020, 60-58, in Ypsilanti. The Eagles are 3-7 against Ohio in the last 10 games and have only won six times at OU's Convocation Center.
LAST TIME AWAY AGAINST OHIO: Eastern Michigan dropped a conference affair, 74-68, to Ohio inside OU's Convocation Center. The Eagles posted a late rally, but it wasn't enough to overcome its 22 turnovers. EMU trailed 62-50 with 6:36 to play in the second half, but responded with a 15-6 run over the next five minutes to pull back within three points.
Yeikson Montero notched his ninth double-figure scoring performance of the season, as he finished with a career-high 18 points, including four from beyond the arc. He also pulled down five rebounds, and tallied five steals and three assists while leading EMU with 34 minutes on the floor. Ty Groce also reached double-digits for the 11th time this year with 12 points to go along with six boards, four assists and four steals. Defensively, Boubacar Toure led all players with 10 rebounds, nine of which were defensive, and swapped away two shots.
EMU posted a solid offensive performance as the Eagles shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the field compared to Ohio's 46.4 percent (26-for-56) efficiency. Eastern struggled beyond the three-point line in the second half, ending the evening with a 38.1 clip (8-for-21), while the Bobcats shot 48 percent (13-for-27) from deep.
The Eagles recorded more steals with the 17-11 advantage and forced 21 OU turnovers. EMU outscored Ohio in the following categories: turnovers (23-21), in the paint (28-22), fast breaks (16-4) and the bench (22-12). The Bobcats outrebounded EMU by two (35-33) and forced 22 Eastern turnovers, the most that season.
ALL-TIME VS. THE MAC: The Green and White hold a 347-446 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 77-91 MAC record and clinched a MAC West title in 2012.
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).
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan fell to Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green, 82-69, Feb. 23, inside the Convocation Center.
Redshirt senior Ty Groce paced the Eagles' attack, finishing the contest with 23 points and seven rebounds. Junior Bryce McBride assisted in carrying the scoring load ending the game with 15 points.
Complimenting Groce and McBride were Yeikson Montero and Noah Morgan. Montero added 12 points, a career-high six assists, four rebounds and five steals, while Morgan tallied 14 points and seven rebounds.
Statistically, the Eagles were able to lead the Falcons in field goal percentage (47.3-45.8), bench points (29-14), points in the paint (40-20), and free throw percentage (70.6-61.9).
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will conclude its home schedule of the 2020-21 season Saturday, Feb. 27. The Eagles will host Northern Illinois University and will honor four seniors prior to the game in Ty Groce, Yeikson Montero, Noah Morgan, and Darion Spottsville. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and will be the first game of an EMU basketball doubleheader. The women's program will then challenge Central Michigan University in the second game at 6:30 p.m.
Montero ranks fourth on the team with 20 total assists this season, averaging 1.4 dimes per game.
GROCE ON FIRE: Over the last three games (Jan. 26 - Feb. 23), redshirt senior Ty Groce has led Eastern offensively and defensively. The forward is averaging 21.3 points per game with a 50.0 field goal percentage (24-of-48). Groce also boasts a 80.0 percent clip from the free throw line (12-of-15), and is grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game.
Most recently, the Ypsilanti native posted a team-best 23 points on 10-of-21 shooting (47.6 percent) against Bowling Green, Feb. 23. That was Groce's third 20-point performance of the 2020-21 season and the fifth of his career.
Groce leads the team averaging 14.7 points per game, and is tied for fifth in the Mid-American Conference with a 53.0 field goal percentage (80-of-151). The senior has led the Eagles in scoring five times this year.
MORGAN SEASON-HIGH: Senior Noah Morgan recorded a season-high 14 points versus Bowling Green, Feb. 23. The guard went 7-of-12 from the field, and added a personal-best seven rebounds to his statline. The double-figure scoring performance was Morgan's 17th of his career and third this season.
The Mount Vernon, N.Y. native averages 6.7 points per game, which ranks sixth on the team.
DYNAMIC TRIO: In Mid-American Conference games, the Eagles have seen consistent numbers from three players in redshirt senior Ty Groce, junior Bryce McBride, and senior Yeikson Montero. All three are averaging in double-figures with Groce leading the way with 15.0 points per game. McBride follows with 12.6 , while Montero is adding 11.5, respectively. Of EMU's 657 total points scored during MAC games this season, the three Eagles own 59.5 percent of those points (391).
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 400 victories inside the Convo, thanks to the EMU women's program (193 Convo wins) who helped make history with a 69-59 over Toledo, Feb. 21.
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.
FREE THROW IMPROVEMENT: Eastern Michigan ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference with a 75.7 free throw percentage (196-of-259). Through 14 games during the 2019-20 season, the Eagles were shooting 63.9 percent from the charity stripe (214-of-335). This year's numbers are an 11.8 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 three players have started 12-or-more games. Redshirt senior Ty Groce and senior Yeikson Montero have made the starting lineup in all 14 games played this season, while junior Bryce McBride has started in 12, respectively. Those three Eagles have scored a combined 575 points out of EMU's 980 total this year, which comes out to 58.9 percent.
Groce leads the team averaging 14.7 points per game, while McBride and Montero are adding 13.5 and 12.9, respectively.
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 15.0 points per game and is shooting 52.3 percent from the field (58-of-111), which ranks seventh in the conference. The forward leads the team, grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game, and has tallied a team-high seven blocks.
The Ypsilanti, Mich. native has scored in double-figures in nine of EMU's 10 league games this season.
BACK IN #MACtion: After a 25-day layoff, Eastern Michigan made it back on the court at Kent State, Feb. 20. Despite the Eagles' pause, EMU had three players score in double-figures against the Golden Flashes. The Green and White were paced by senior Yeikson Montero, who scored 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting. The guard also added five steals and three rebounds to his statline. Classmate Ty Groce was the second Eagle to reach double-digits with 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while redshirt junior Miles Gibson added 12.
GETTING TO THE LINE: Junior Bryce McBride has been able to get himself to the free throw line throughout 14 games this season. The Jackson, Tenn. native is shooting 84.9 percent from the charity stripe, sinking 62-of-73 attempts. His free throw percentage ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference, while his 62 makes ranks eighth.
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 0-8 this season when allowing 80-or-more points in a game. In the Rob Murphy era (2011-present), EMU is 8-49 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.
OHIO RECEIVING VOTES: Ohio received 24 votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, announced Feb. 22. Ohio is one of six Mid-American Conference schools that earned votes in this week's poll. Toledo and Akron are both ranked at No. 8 and No. 12, respectively.
SCOUTING OHIO: Led by second-year Head Coach and Ohio alum Jeff Boals, the Bobcats enter Thursday's game coming off a 90-73 victory to Akron, Feb. 23. The game against the Zips was OU's first contest since Feb. 2. The Bobcats hold a 12-6 overall record with a 8-4 Mid-American Conference mark.
Ohio's primary starters all average in double-figures, who is led by Jason Preston (16.4 ppg). He is followed by Dwight Wilson (15.6) and Ben Vander Plas (13.0). Ben Roderick and Lunden McDay are also adding 11.8 and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Wilson is grabbing a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game, while Roderick has drained 42 triples.
The Bobcats average 80.7 points per game and shoot a MAC-leading 48.7 percent from the field (533-of-1094), while holding opponents to 73.3 points per game. Ohio leads the MAC averaging 17.7 assists per game, and are pulling down 34.3 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME VS. OHIO: Thursday's game marks the 77th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Ohio. EMU trails OU, 51-26, in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1972-73 season. This will be the first meeting between the two schools during the 2020-21 season.
The Bobcats won both meetings during the 2019-20 campaign, with its most recent victory on Jan. 18, 2020, 60-58, in Ypsilanti. The Eagles are 3-7 against Ohio in the last 10 games and have only won six times at OU's Convocation Center.
LAST TIME AWAY AGAINST OHIO: Eastern Michigan dropped a conference affair, 74-68, to Ohio inside OU's Convocation Center. The Eagles posted a late rally, but it wasn't enough to overcome its 22 turnovers. EMU trailed 62-50 with 6:36 to play in the second half, but responded with a 15-6 run over the next five minutes to pull back within three points.
Yeikson Montero notched his ninth double-figure scoring performance of the season, as he finished with a career-high 18 points, including four from beyond the arc. He also pulled down five rebounds, and tallied five steals and three assists while leading EMU with 34 minutes on the floor. Ty Groce also reached double-digits for the 11th time this year with 12 points to go along with six boards, four assists and four steals. Defensively, Boubacar Toure led all players with 10 rebounds, nine of which were defensive, and swapped away two shots.
EMU posted a solid offensive performance as the Eagles shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the field compared to Ohio's 46.4 percent (26-for-56) efficiency. Eastern struggled beyond the three-point line in the second half, ending the evening with a 38.1 clip (8-for-21), while the Bobcats shot 48 percent (13-for-27) from deep.
The Eagles recorded more steals with the 17-11 advantage and forced 21 OU turnovers. EMU outscored Ohio in the following categories: turnovers (23-21), in the paint (28-22), fast breaks (16-4) and the bench (22-12). The Bobcats outrebounded EMU by two (35-33) and forced 22 Eastern turnovers, the most that season.
ALL-TIME VS. THE MAC: The Green and White hold a 347-446 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 77-91 MAC record and clinched a MAC West title in 2012.
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).
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan fell to Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green, 82-69, Feb. 23, inside the Convocation Center.
Redshirt senior Ty Groce paced the Eagles' attack, finishing the contest with 23 points and seven rebounds. Junior Bryce McBride assisted in carrying the scoring load ending the game with 15 points.
Complimenting Groce and McBride were Yeikson Montero and Noah Morgan. Montero added 12 points, a career-high six assists, four rebounds and five steals, while Morgan tallied 14 points and seven rebounds.
Statistically, the Eagles were able to lead the Falcons in field goal percentage (47.3-45.8), bench points (29-14), points in the paint (40-20), and free throw percentage (70.6-61.9).
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will conclude its home schedule of the 2020-21 season Saturday, Feb. 27. The Eagles will host Northern Illinois University and will honor four seniors prior to the game in Ty Groce, Yeikson Montero, Noah Morgan, and Darion Spottsville. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and will be the first game of an EMU basketball doubleheader. The women's program will then challenge Central Michigan University in the second game at 6:30 p.m.
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