Men's Basketball Seeks Michigan MAC Trophy Tuesday at Central Michigan

Men's Basketball at Central Michigan
Date	Tuesday, Feb. 15 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Mount Pleasant, Mich. \| McGuirk Arena
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Media Guide.
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMU_MBB \| @EMUAthletics

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team is set for a jam-packed week with three games scheduled in a five-day span. The action kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 15, with a trip north to square off with Central Michigan University. The Mid-American Conference contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start from McGuirk Arena.
   Eastern (8-16, 3-10 MAC) is trying to snap a five-game losing skid after it was most recently tripped up by defending MAC Tournament Champion, Ohio University, 74-56, Feb. 12. Meanwhile, Central (6-16, 5-6 MAC) will try to stop a two-game slide after it could not overcome a slow start at Western Michigan, falling 77-63, Feb. 12.
   The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ . Fans can also listen to the game on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer and Greg Steiner.

QUICK TURNAROUNDS: After the team had a 15-day layoff for the holidays as well as health and safety protocols, the last few weeks have been extremely busy with rescheduled contests. Eastern will play its sixth game in the last 14 days and will tack two more contests on this week with matchups against Buffalo, Feb. 17, and Akron, Feb. 19, still looming.
   Central Michigan's squad will not show any sympathies though, as the Chippewas will play their seventh game of the month. All told, CMU will play three games a week for the entirety of the month.

OFF THE ROAD FOR A BIT: Following Tuesday's game, Eastern hits the road just twice more in the regular season. The Eagles will be home for four of its next five games – only traveling to Ball State, Feb. 26.

WE WANT IT MORE!: After leading NCAA Division I basketball for more than three weeks in December, Eastern Michigan ranks 10th nationally with an average of 75.7 possessions per game. The Eagles have had great success at home, where they average 80.2 this season. Last season, EMU averaged 71.3 possessions per game, ranking 164th in Division I.

DEEP LIKE OHRID LAKE: Freshman Luka Savicevic had a career performance with personal-bests in points (11), rebounds (5), and made three-pointers (3) against Ohio, Feb. 12. At one point, the North Macedonia product scored eight consecutive points in the first half, enabling Eastern to build a 15-point advantage with 5:13 to play before the intermission.
   Overall, it was the freshman's first game with multiple threes since shooting 2-of-3 at Michigan State, Nov. 20, and his first game in double figures.

SPOTTING THE CATS: Senior Darion Spottsville led Eastern in scoring with 12 points versus Ohio, Feb. 12, marking the second time this season the senior has led the team. Additionally, it's his sixth double-figure performance this year.

BUILDING BLOCKS: Eastern held Ohio to 32 percent (8-of-25) from the field and 23.1 percent (2-of-13) from three in the first half. Furthermore, the Bobcats' 25 first-half points were a season-low in conference play.

TRYING TO FIND CONSISTENCY: During the team's current losing streak, Eastern has averaged just 65.0 points per game while allowing 86.6 to the opposition. Opponents are averaging 9.4 three-point makes a contest, while shooting 40.5 percent (47-for-106) from the long-line. Eastern also has fewer rebounds per game (EMU 30.8, OPP. 39.6), assists per game (EMU 9.0, OPP. 15.8), and paint points per game (EMU 27.6, OPP. 42.4).
   Just two EMU players have averaged double figures in points over the last five games – Nate Scott (11.2) and Noah Farrakhan (10.2).

BATTLE FOR THE MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY: EMU's game against an in-state rival also means the continued quest for the "Michigan MAC Trophy." Given annually to one of the Michigan-based Mid-American Conference institutions (EMU, WMU, CMU), the trophy is awarded to the team which has the best head-to-head record against each other. It is one of just two regularly-awarded trophies between three teams (the other is the Commander-in-Chief's trophy between Army, Navy, and Air Force).
    With a win on Tuesday, EMU will lock up the honor having already posted a 2-0 mark against its two rivals. Eastern defeated Western Michigan, 85-79, Jan. 4, and followed it up with a 99-68 triumph over CMU, Jan. 11. CMU and WMU are both 1-2 after its split the series against each other with each team keeping home court advantage in the Feb. 3 and Feb. 12 contests.
   Originated in 2005, EMU has claimed ownership three times (2017, 2018, and 2020). Last year, Eastern Michigan was 0-2 against CMU while downing WMU in the only meeting.

CHIP DIP: Tuesday's game will be the 204th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. EMU has met CMU the most out of any school in the Mid-American Conference with the series dating back to 1906. The Chippewas hold the all-time series advantage with a 104-99 mark.

LAST MEETING AGAINST THE CHIPPEWAS: 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 was 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, was not replicated until Jan. 12, 2019 when it rolled past Kent State by 34 points (95-61), Jan. 12.

MORE ON THE LAST MEETING: 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. Six different players hit at least one three-pointer for Eastern Michigan. It is the third time EMU has achieved that feat in 2021-22. Furthermore, the Eagles had nine players to score at least two baskets and score six points.

EMU's LAST WIN IN MOUNT PLEASANT: Eastern Michigan last downed in-state rival Central Michigan inside CMU's McGuirk Arena during the 2019-20 campaign, winning 73-70, Feb. 11, 2020.
   The Chippewas cut the Eagles' lead to two, 71-69, with eight ticks left in the game, but Ty Groce and Noah Morgan split a pair of free throws each to seal the 73-70 victory.
    Groce posted his first career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three assists in 38 minutes. Boubacar Toure also earned a double-double with 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 13 rebounds, while Thomas Binelli added 15 points and tied a career-high with five three-pointers. Morgan finished the evening with 14 points and went 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
   The Eagles shot 49.1 percent from the field (26-of-53) and made 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc, compared to CMU's 46.7 percent clip (14-of-30) from deep. EMU held the advantage at the free throw line, shooting 78.9 percent (15-of-19).
   Eastern Michigan outrebounded Central Michigan, 36-28, and outscored the Chippewas in the following categories: points in the paint (40-14), second chance points (16-5), bench points (14-5), and points off turnovers (27-24).

SCOTT. NATE SCOTT: Senior Nate Scott has reached double-digits in five of his last six games (vs. Miami - 25, vs. Toledo -17, at Ohio -16, at Kent State - 11, at Buffalo - 11). He leads the team at 13.5 points per game over that span. Additionally, in that span, the senior has shot well, hitting 48.3 percent (29-of-60) from the field, 35.7 percent (15-of-42) from deep, and 88.9 percent (8-of-9) from the free throw line.

SWAT TEAM: Eastern Michigan currently ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game (3.4) and total blocks (81). EMU is led by freshman Mo Njie who has 23 total blocks this season. Njie's 1.1 block per game is sixth in the conference and 183rd nationally. Njie and Akron's Aziz Bandaogo are the only freshmen ranked in MAC's top six for blocks.
   Recently against Buffalo, Feb. 8, Njie had four blocks. It was the second time the freshman has totaled four-or-more swats in a game, having done so previously at Michigan State, Nov. 20.

MARKED IMPROVEMENT: Freshman Mo Njie continues to grow and make an impact for Eastern Michigan. Over his last five contests he has averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. The Centerville, Ohio product has reached double figures in points in three of the five games, after having only done it once prior to the current streak.

FARRAKHAN NEARING MCINTOSH FOR FRESHMAN SCORING: Freshman Noah Farrakhan is just the fifth freshman in the 21st century to make the list. The guard is on pace to score 474 points by the end of the regular season. The point total would place him second all-time behind James Thompson IV. The freshman needs nine points to move into seventh and pass Kennedy McIntosh (315).

BENCH BOSS(ES): Eastern has received 20-or-more points from its bench in 17 of its 24 games this season. Overall, EMU is averaging 23.1 points per game from its bench this season, an advantage over its opponents, which average 21.2 points per game from their non-starters this season. Most recently, EMU saw its bench score 30 points versus Ohio, Feb. 12.

TAKE THE FREEBEES: Eastern currently ranks sixth in fifth in makes (319), free throw attempts (447), and sixth in percentage (71.4%) in the Mid-American Conference. Junior Bryce McBride leads the team, shooting 78.6 percent (81-of-103), which ranks 15th in the conference. Freshman Noah Farrakhan is 16th in the MAC with 53 free throws made on 687 tries.

YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT: EMU is averaging 26.3 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference and 127th nationally. Eastern grabbed 30 defensive boards most recently in its loss at Ohio, Feb. 12.

BENCH HERO BRYCE: Junior Bryce McBride has been stellar off the bench this season, totaling 194 of his 272 points as a reserve. Eastern Michigan has seen 554 points from its non-starters this season, with McBride being the responsible party for 35.0 percent of those. Furthermore, the junior has led the team in points coming off the pine in five contests.

PAINT THE TOWN GREEN: Eastern Michigan has averaged 30.6 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, Nov. 20 when the squad notched just 14.
    EMU has scored 40+ points in the paint five times this season.

LIKE THIEVES IN THE NIGHT: Eastern Michigan has grabbed 10-or-more steals in a game four times this season, and totals 155 this year. EMU's total steals rank fourth in the Mid-American conference while its 6.46 spg is sixth.

FRESHMAN TOP-10: Freshman Noah Farrakhan cracked the top-10 on the all-time freshman scoring list at Eastern Michigan with 17 points against Toledo, Feb. 1. The Newark, N.J. native is just the eighth freshman to score 300 points-or-more in a season and the first since James Thompson IV (490) in 2015-16.

EASTERN'S IRON MAN: Between COVID and injuries, there has been one constant in Eastern Michigan's lineup, senior captain Darion Spottsville. The guard is the only player on the team to have played in all 24 games so far this season, and has started in 20 of those contests. Furthermore, Spottsville leads the team in steals (27) and is third on the squad in blocks (15) and total rebounds (101).

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan returns to the George Gervin GameAbove Center Thursday, Feb. 17, to host the University at Buffalo. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Men's Basketball Seeks Michigan MAC Trophy Tuesday at Central Michigan

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Thomas Binelli

Noah Farrakhan

Ty Groce

Bryce McBride

Noah Morgan

Mo Njie

Luka Savicevic

Nate Scott

Darion Spottsville

Eastern Michigan Athletics