Eagles Trek to Northern Illinois for Saturday Matinee

Men's Basketball at Northern Illinois
Date	Saturday, Jan. 15 \| 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET)
Venue	DeKalb, Ill. \| Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Media Guide.
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMU_MBB \| @EMUAthletics

DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team hits the road with a trip to DeKalb, Ill. Saturday, Jan. 15, to face Northern Illinois University inside the Convocation Center. The Mid-American Conference tilt is the second leg of a doubleheader with the NIU women's team hosting Toledo prior to the start of the contest. Anticipated game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET).
    Eastern (7-7, 2-1 MAC) enters the game after a 31-point victory over in-state rival Central Michigan, 99-68, Jan. 11. The Huskies (4-8, 1-1 MAC) snuck by Kent State the same day, coming out on top with a 65-63 win at the M.A.C. Center in Kent, Ohio.
    The game will be broadcast on ESPN3. Fans can also listen to the game on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer on the call.

LOOKING FOR 3-1: Head Coach Stan Heath and company are in search of the team's best start to Mid-American Conference play since the 2016-17 season. That year, EMU rolled off victories against Central Michigan (85-63; Jan. 3), at Bowling Green (81-53; Jan. 7), and at Ohio (53-49; Jan. 14). The lone blemish came against Buffalo (77-68; Jan. 7).

SET IT AND FORGET IT: For the third time in the regular season, EMU surpassed the 90-point plateau. EMU most recently hit for 99 against a depleted Central Michigan squad, Jan. 11, after also turning in 103 against Illinois State, Nov. 12, and 92 against FIU, Dec. 11.
   The last time Eastern accomplished the feat against three Division I teams was the 2016-17 campaign. That season, EMU scored at least 90 seven times, including 90 at Pittsburgh, 94 versus Omaha, 98 against Long Beach State, and 109 versus Central Michigan.

WE WANT IT MORE!: Eastern Michigan leads NCAA Division I basketball with an average of 79.2 possessions per game. Head Coach Stan Heath's uptempo Eagles have pushed that total to 85.1 possessions per game at home.
    Last season, EMU averaged 71.3 possessions per game, ranking 164th in Division I.

BIG BAG OF CHIPS: EMU's 31-point victory over Central Michigan, Jan. 11, marked the team's largest victory over the Chippewas since Jan. 24, 1998, when EMU defeated CMU, 85-53, at Bowen Field House.
   Overall, it is just the seventh 30+ point win over a Mid-American Conference opponent since Eastern joined the league in the 1975-76 season. More surprisingly, at one point, EMU had a near 21 year gap between 30-point MAC wins. EMU's 32 point win against Central Michigan, Jan. 24, 1998, that kind of margin against a league foe was not replicated until Jan. 12, 2019 when it rolled past Kent State by 34 points (95-61), Jan. 12.

OTHER VARIETIES OF CHIP DIPS: At one point in the game against Central Michigan, Jan. 11, EMU led by as many as 34 points, 99-65, its largest lead at any point of a game against a Division I program this season.
   Overall, five EMU players scored in double-digits in the winning effort. That is the first such effort this season. Six different players hit at least one three-pointer for Eastern Michigan. It is the third time EMU has reached that feat in 2021-22. Furthermore, the Eagles had nine players to score at least two baskets and score six points.
   The contest was the first game where the Eagles scored at least 90 points in regulation in this season. In addition, it was also the first time the Eagles scored 99 points in regulation since they scored 101 points against Goshen on Nov. 12, 2019.

INSTANT RICE: Freshman Kevin-David Rice came off the bench to score 15 points in the win over Central Michigan, Jan. 11. The Flint, Mich. native set career highs in nearly every statistical category: points (15), minutes (19), field goals made (5), field goal attempts (9), three-point field goals made (1), three-point field goal attempts (5), free throws made (4), free throw attempts (4), and steals (1).

TURNING IT (DARI)ON: Senior guard Darion Spottsville put together one of his best performances of the season in the game against Central Michigan, Jan. 11. The Phoenix, Ariz. native tied his season-high of 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five assists and a block. The five helpers are a season-high for the senior.
   After averaging just 5.2 points per game through EMU's first 10 games of the season, Spottsville has turned it on as of late. He is putting up 11 points per contest over his last four games and has scored 10+ points in each. That is the longest stretch of consecutive double-digit outings in his career.

BIG OFF THE BENCH: EMU's bench players continue to be one of the best units in the Mid-American Conference this season. After outscoring the Central Michigan bench, 52-12, Jan. 11, EMU has now held the bench scoring advantage in nine of its 14 games this season, including all three of its MAC matchups.
   Junior captain Bryce McBride is a sure candidate for the MAC's Sixth Man of the Year Award, as he has put up 12.5 points per game on 47 percent shooting this season. Despite coming off the pine, he is third on the team with 29.2 minutes per game average.

BENCH BOSS(ES): Eastern has now gotten 20+ points from its bench in 12 of its 14 games this season. Additionally, EMU is averaging 25.1 points per game from its bench this season, a significant advantage over its opponents, which average just 19.2 points per game from their non-starters this season.

SENIOR STUDS: Monty Scott, Nate Scott, and Darion Spottsville have combined to score 35.7 percent of the team's points this season, including 35.4 percent of all Eagles scoring over the last five games.

DROP IT LIKE IT'S SCOTT: Senior Monty Scott has scored double-figures in 11-of-14 games this season. The senior guard has averaged 13.9 points per game on 79-of-169 shooting (46.7%).

YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT: EMU is averaging 27.9 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks third in the Mid-American Conference and 51st nationally. Eastern grabbed 30 defensive boards in its most recent game, against Central Michigan, Jan. 11.

PAINT THE TOWN GREEN: Eastern Michigan has averaged 33.7 points per game in the lane this season. EMU scored a season-high with 50 paint points against Central Michigan, Jan. 11, while the low came against Michigan State when the squad notched just 14.
    EMU has scored 40+ points in the paint five times this season.

NOAH STOPPIN' HIM: Freshman Noah Farrakhan continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game, ranking seventh in the Mid-American Conference and 119th in the nation. Most recently, Farrakhan scored seven points against Central Michigan, Jan. 11. The contest against the Chippewas was just the second game this season that the freshman did not reach double-digits.

NEW BLOOD: A total of 69.2 percent (725-of-1048) of EMU's scoring and 61.2 percent (313-of-511) of its rebounding have come from newcomers to the roster. Of that 69.2 percent of the team's total scoring, an incredible 54.3 percent (394-of-725) have come from just two players: freshman guard Noah Farrakhan and senior guard Monty Scott, who happen to be half brothers.

PLAYING THEM TIGHT: EMU has had plenty of high-leverage moments to open the year. A total of eight of its 14 games this season have been decided by six points-or-less.

BACKWARDS DAY?: While statistics are a good indicator of success and failure, there are certain cases where anomalies happen. For Eastern Michigan, that is true that the free thrown line. This season, the team is an amazing 5-1 when shooting less than 70 percent at the charity stripe. Conversely, the team is 2-6 when shooting above the 70 percent mark.
    If that was not enough, how about the fact that EMU is yet to win a game when shooting 40 percent-or-better from deep (0-2), but has captured seven victories while shooting less than 40 percent-or-less from beyond the arc.

MIGHTY MONTY: Senior Monty Scott continues to show his veteran leadership, as he is first on the team in field goals made (79) and second in field goal percentage (46.7 percent). Scott's 46.7 percent is sixth in the MAC and 163rd nationally. The Union, N.J. native also leads the team with 38 assists.

BENCH HERO BRYCE: Junior Bryce McBride has been stellar off the bench this season, totaling 146 of his 162 points as a reserve. Eastern Michigan has seen 351 points from its non-starters this season, with McBride being the responsible party for 41.6 percent of those. Furthermore, the junior has led the team in points coming off the pine in four contests. Most recently, the guard scored 16 of EMU's 52 bench points against CMU, Jan. 11.

SWAT TEAM: Eastern Michigan currently ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference in total blocks (49) and blocks per game (3.5). EMU is led by a trio of Eagles, seniors Nate Scott, and Darion Spottsville, along with freshman Mo Njie, who all have 11 total blocks this season. Njie's one block per game is seventh in the conference.

TAKING COOKIES FROM THE JAR: The Eagles most recently forced Central Michigan into 15 turnovers, while securing 11 steals, Jan. 11. EMU averages 7.3 steals per game this season, which ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference. The team's 102 total steals is also good for fourth in the conference. Senior Monty Scott led the team with three steals in the contest against the Chippewas, while freshman Colin Golson Jr. and junior Bryce McBride each had two.
    M. Scott currently tops the team in steals per game with 1.4, and total steals with 20, both of which are seventh on the conference.

TIES TO THE HUSKIES: Senior Nate Scott returns to DeKalb after he spent the previous two seasons as a member of the NIU men's basketball team. Last year, Scott appeared in 14 games, making 10 starts for the Huskies. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. During the 2019-20 campaign the Naperville, Ill. product appeared in 27 games, making four starts. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, to go along with 19 blocks, nine assists and six steals.
   Last season versus EMU, Scott was 0-for-3 from the floor in 13 minutes of work. His best game against the Green and White came during his first year at NIU, when he posted six points, four rebounds, and 15 minutes at the NIU Convocation Center, Jan. 11, 2020.

ALL-TIME AGAINST NIU: This will be the 102nd meeting between the Eagles and Huskies, as NIU holds the series advantage 56-45. Eastern has had more success recently in the matchups though, as the Green and White have won 6 of the last 10 meetings.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE HUSKIES: Eastern defeated Northern Illinois on Senior Day last season, Feb. 27, 2021, 91-57. The seniors (Ty Groce, Yeikson Montero, Darion Spottsville, and Noah Morgan) combined to score 63 of the Eagles' points on 60.5 percent shooting from the field and 72.7 percent from deep. Morgan led all scorers with a season-high 22 points while adding four assists and three rebounds.
   Montero finished the contest with 20 points and five rebounds, while Groce added his fifth career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Spottsville contributed six points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

SCHEDULE CHANGES: The following make-up dates have been added to the EMU men's basketball schedule: Feb. 3 at Ohio and Feb. 17 vs. Buffalo. In December, 2021, the MAC announced that it had modified its 2021-22 COVID-19 rescheduling policy. The decision was unanimously supported by the Conference's Directors of Athletics due to the current rise in COVID cases and its impact on winter sport programs. If possible, games that cannot be played as scheduled will be rescheduled. If a game cannot be played and cannot be rescheduled, it will be considered a no contest.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern will return to the George Gervin GameAbove Center to welcome Kent State Tuesday, Jan. 18. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN3.

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Players Mentioned

Noah Farrakhan

Colin Golson Jr.

Ty Groce

Bryce McBride

Yeikson Montero

Noah Morgan

Mo Njie

Kevin-David Rice

Monty Scott

Nate Scott

Darion Spottsville

Eastern Michigan Athletics