Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Ball State
Eastern Closes Out Home Slate Hosting Ball State Saturday
2/23/2023 7:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles still battling for a position in the MAC Tournament with three games to play
| Men's Basketball vs. Ball State | |
| Date | Saturday, Feb. 25 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Venue | Ypsilanti, Mich. | George Gervin GameAbove Center |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) | Media Guide (PDF) | Digital Game Programs |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats | Media Stats |
| Watch | ESPN3 |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) | The Varsity Network App | Eastern Insider Podcast |
| @EMU_MBB | @EMUAthletics | |
| Swoopy Doo Value Pack Link | Click Here to Purchase Yours |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team is set to close out its 2022-23 home slate Saturday, Feb. 25, as the Eagles will welcome the Cardinals of Ball State University to the George Gervin GameAbove Center for an approximate 3:30 p.m. tip. The Eagles (7-21, 4-11 MAC) and Cardinals (20-8, 11-4 MAC) are set to meet in the second game of a women's/men's doubleheader in Ypsilanti that opens at 1 p.m. with the EMU women hosting Kent State University.
The men's game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Ryan Wooley and Justin Rose on the call. Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, will have the radio call on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
DON'T MISS SWOOPY-DOO: Celebrate the final home games of the season with a fun-filled, Eastern Michigan take on "Scooby Doo." Make sure to purchase your Swoopy Snack Value Pack. The value pack is just $40 and includes four tickets with two 17oz color changing cups filled with Swoopy Snacks! With each value pack purchase, fans will be entered into a drawing for a $500 grocery gift card! For entry into another drawing for an additional $500 grocery gift card, complete the mystery scavenger hunt that can be found inside your color changing cups! The cups can be used during our happy hour that will run through the tipoff (3:30 p.m.) of the Men's Basketball game. During this happy hour, beers will be $2 off and fans can also purchase a $5 mystery beer.
The Swoopy Snack Value Pack includes admission to both games of the double header with the women to tip off at 1pm and the men at 3:30 pm. Cups, snack, and scavenger hunt details can be picked up in the atrium (Entrance A) before you enter the main gate.
OPENING TIPS:
» The game with Ball State is the final home game of the 2022-23 season for the Eagles. Prior to the game, the program will honor its lone senior, Derek Ballard Jr.
» Saturday will also be a doubleheader day as the Eastern women play host to Kent State University at 1 p.m. and the men following approximately 30 minutes after.
» Eastern is coming off a come-from-behind, 66-59 victory over visiting Western Michigan, Feb. 21, as the Eagles snapped a five-game losing skid overall and a two-game slide in home games.
» With three games to play, the Eagles (4-11) are tied for ninth in the MAC standings with Bowling Green and Miami with the Falcons holding the tiebreaker of Eastern. Central Michigan is currently holding the eighth and final position at 5-10, one game ahead of the Eagles.
» In the win over WMU, Feb. 21, the Eagles shot 16-of-17 from the free throw line, connecting at 94.1 percent, which ranks tied for the fourth-best performance in program history.
» Eastern's defeat of WMU, Feb. 21, marked the fourth time this season - and the third time in league play - the Eagles have trailed by at least 10 points before eventually winning the game.
» The Eagles are currently on a streak of 579 games in a row with at least one made three-pointer.
» EMU fell at Ball State, 91-90 in overtime, in the first meeting this year, Feb. 3, in Muncie, Ind.
SENIOR SENDOFF: Prior to the start of the game with Ball State, the program will hold Senior Day festivities for its lone senior, Derek Ballard Jr. Ballard Jr. has been a member of the Eastern program since the start of the 2017-18 season. A product of Southfield-Lathrup High School, the Southfield, Mich., native has appeared in 52 games during his EMU career, averaging 1.4 points per game and 1.4 rebounds. A two-time Academic All-MAC honoree, Ballard Jr., earned his undergraduate degree from Eastern in 2021 and is currently working toward his Master's in sport management.
IN THE STANDINGS: With three games remaining on the schedule, only three spots remain up for grabs into the 2023 MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, March 9-11, with no team having been eliminated from contention. As it stands through games played Feb. 21, Toledo, Kent State, Ball State, Akron, and Ohio have all clinched berths into the tournament. Buffalo and Northern Illinois are both tied for the sixth position at 7-8 with Central Michigan currently holding the eighth position at 5-10. The Eagles are tied with both Bowling Green and Miami at 4-11 with Western Michigan sitting 12th at 3-12.
SCOUTING BALL STATE: One of five teams to have already clinched a berth into the 2023 MAC Tournament, the Cardinals will travel to Ypsilanti with a 20-8 overall record and an 11-4 mark in the MAC, which has them tied for third place with Akron. Ball State is coming off a big home win over Kent State, 82-70, Feb. 21, which came on the heels of a 78-68 loss on the road at Western Michigan, Feb. 18. Jarron Coleman leads the team with 14.7 points per game while Payton Sparks is averaging a double-double with averages of 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. Jaylin Sellers and Demarius Jacobs are also averaging double-digit point totals with 13.8 and 11.9 pre game, respectively.
IN THE SERIES WITH BALL STATE:
» Ball State leads the all-time series, 70-44, and has won seven in a row, including 91-90 in overtime in the most recent meeting, Feb. 3, in Muncie, Ind. The last time the Eagles defeated the Cardinals came March 5, 2019, in Ypsilanti, 68-61.
» The Cardinals also lead the series with the Eagles play host to the game, 32-20, and have won three in a row.
» The 91-90 overtime game played Feb. 3 marked the eighth time in the series that both teams scored at least 90 in the same game and the first since EMU lost at home, 91-90, Jan. 21, 2003. The Eagles are 5-3 in those games.
WORKING OVERTIME: In the history of the series between Eastern and Ball State, the teams have played into overtime nine times, including the most recent game in Muncie, Ind., Feb. 3. In the previous eight instances, the Eagles are 5-3 in the next game against the Cardinals, including during the 2018-19 season when Eastern won at BSU, 84-82 in double overtime, Jan. 8, and then won, 68-61, at home, March 5, 2019.
OH BROTHER: The game between the Eagles and Cardinals will also be a battle among brothers as EMU's Yusuf Jihad will face his younger brother, Basheer Jihad. It will mark the fourth time the two teams will meet with a Jihad on each roster with the younger Jihad holding the bragging rights with wins in all three games.
LONG STANDING: Since their first meeting, Feb. 9, 1947, a 73-32 win in Muncie for BSU, the Eagles and Cardinals have met 114 times in the history of the series, which is currently tied for the third-most meetings in EMU history with Toledo. With Saturday's 115th installment, the EMU-BSU series will rank as the third-most played series in Eastern history and the most outside the state of Michigan behind Central Michigan (205) and Western Michigan (119).
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST BSU: Eastern Michigan and Ball State met previously this year with the Cardinals claiming a 91-90 decision in overtime of a back-and-forth game in Muncie, Ind., Feb. 3. Emoni Bates scored 35 points - his fourth 30-point game of the year - to lead the Eagles with both Tyson Acuff (18) and Noah Farrakhan (16) also scoring in double figures.
Eastern fell behind by 10 points early in the first half before storming back to take a 40-37 lead into halftime of the Friday night showdown on CBS Sports Network. Following the break, the two teams traded leads before the hosts tied the game at 78-78 to force overtime. Both teams continued to score the ball in the extra frame, but BUS won the overtime period, 13-12, to take the game.
QUICK REVIEW • WESTERN MICHIGAN: Eastern put in a strong defensive effort to battle back from a double-digit deficit to defeat visiting Western Michigan, 66-59, Feb. 21. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Eagles and kept their hopes of reaching the 2023 Mid-American Conference Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Eagles had three players score in double figures, led by Emoni Bates, who recorded 17 points and seven rebounds. Noah Farrakhan added 15 points while Colin Golson Jr. helped out with 10 points and six rebounds from the bench, reaching double figures for the first time since scoring 10 against Winthrop University, Nov. 23, in the Cancun Challenge.
The Eastern Michigan defense held WMU shooters to just 39.7 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent from three-point range. The Eagles also kept Bronco standout Tray Maddox Jr. to 5-of-17 shooting in the game while limiting Lamar Norman Jr., to 18 points after he scored 35 last year, March 1, 2022, in Ypsilanti.
After falling behind, 24-14, Eastern Michigan went on a 7-0 run with 4:49 left in the first half to narrow its deficit to 24-21. The Eagles continued to narrow the gap and tied the game at 28-28 heading into halftime. The Green and White got the job done in the paint in the first half, scoring 14 of its 28 points close to the basket.
Western Michigan then snagged a 31-28 advantage before EMU responded by going on an 8-0 run, finished off by a Bates' triple, to seize a 36-31 lead with 17:38 to go in the contest. The Eagles kept expanding their margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 66-59 win.
COMING BACK: With all apologies to LL Cool J, Eastern has called it a comeback several times this year. In all seven of the Eagles' wins, Eastern has trailed at some point in all seven games before winning the contest, five of which have come at home. After trailing Western Michigan by 10 points with 5:41 remaining in the first half, Feb. 21, Eastern came back to win, 66-59, after trying the game at 28 at halftime. The 10-point deficit is the fourth-largest overcome this year behind the 14 points at home to Central Michigan, Jan. 7 (W, 62-56), the 12 points at Florida International, Nov. 30 (W, 80-68), and the 11 points at Miami, Jan. 28 (W, 74-69).
WAY DOWNTOWN: Big man Jalin Billingsley stepped outside and drained his lone three-point attempt with 12:11 remaining in the first half against Western Michigan, Feb. 21, to extend the program's streak to 579 games in a row with at least one triple drained. The last time EMU failed to hit a three was Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held Eastern to 0-of-7.
CHARITABLE: Against Western Michigan, Feb. 21, the Eagles finished the game shooting 16-of-17 from the free throw line, which is a conversion rate of 94.1 percent, their highest of the season and one of the best in program history in a single game. One of the top free throw shooting teams in the league, the Eagles' 94.1 percent shooting ranks tied for the fourth-best shooting performance, equaling the 94.1 percent shooting at Buffalo, Jan. 21, 2021. The shooting also ranks as the second-best percentage of any game played inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center (since 1998-99), trailing only Bowling Green, who was a perfect 25-of-25 against the Eagles, March 6, 2004. The previous best for an Eastern team inside the facility came Nov. 22, 2014, when EMU finished 17-of-19 (89.5 percent).
FROM THE STRIPE: Eastern has found great success from the free throw line this year with the Eagles converting 76.3 percent, which ranks second in the MAC and 16th nationally. Through 28 games played (Feb. 21), the Eagles have made their way to the stripe 20+ times in 13 games, including in eight of the last 13 games, in which Eastern is converting at 76.8 percent in those games. In four of the 13 games EMU has shot more than 20 free throws, it has converted over 85.0 percent of their chances after shooting 18-of-21(85.7 percent) at Miami, Jan. 28. In conference games, the Eagles lead the way as they are connecting on 78.6 percent of their free throws with Toledo sitting second at 77.3 percent.
MOVING UP: The Eagles are currently hitting at a 76.9 percent clip from the free throw line this season. As it stands, the current Eagles have the best shooting percentage from the line in program history with the 2020-21 team's 74.5 percent shooting following its 18-game, COVID-shortened season just behind this year's squad. When looking at teams that played full seasons, the 2007-08 squad leads the way at 72.9 percent following its 31-game slate.
TAKE CARE: Eastern committed just eight turnovers against Western Michigan, Feb. 21, which tied for the second-fewest in any game this year and the ninth time the Eagles have had single-digit turnovers in a game. The eight miscues also were the fewest in a home game since committing eight against Florida Atlantic, Dec. 4.
HE'S GOT 5(00) ON IT: Emoni Bates continues to score the basketball for the Eagles as the sophomore has accumulated 537 points with three games to play in the regular season. Currently sitting fifth on the program's sophomore scoring sheet, Bates needs 45 points to tie Ricky Cottrill (2001-02) for fourth on the ledger and 50 points to take sole possession of second place behind the great George Gervin, who leads the way with 886 points during the 1971-72 campaign.
Overall, Bates is 61 points from tying Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) for the 10th-highest point total in a single season at EMU, regardless of class, while his 537 points have him ranked 98th on the program's all-time top 100 scoring chart, just moving into the listing following his 17-point performance against Western Michigan, Feb. 21.
DOUBLE LEADER: Through the Western Michigan game, Feb. 21, Emoni Bates is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding as the sophomore is averaging 19.9 points and 5.8 rebounds. If he finishes the season leading both, it would mark the first time an Eagle has finished atop both categories in the same year since 2021-22 when Ty Groce averaged 15.2 and 6.9. Should Bates lead both categories and average over 20.0 points per game, he would be the first to do so since John Bowler averaged 20.1 points and 10.8 rebounds during the 2005-06 season.
STREAKER: According to research compiled by Andrew Weatherman (@andreweatherman), Emoni Bates has two of the longest in what he refers to as "Hero Runs", which is a scoring run of 10-or-more points in a single game. Bates' 29-point run at Toledo, Jan. 24, is the biggest run of the season with Frankie Policelli of Stony Brook ranking second with a 22-point streak. Bates is also on the list a second time, tying for the ninth-longest scoring run with 17 points in a row at South Carolina, Dec. 30. The two games are Bates' highest offensive outputs this year with the 36 scored at USC formerly standing as his career high before his 43-point explosion at UT topped his personal ledger.
GETTING HIS: Emoni Bates, who ranks 29th nationally at 19.9 points per game and ranks second in the MAC, hasn't scored all his points in huge outbursts. In the 27 games he has played for the Eagles, Bates has scored at least 10 points 23 times, gone for at least 15 points 21 times, and hit for 20 or more 11 times. By reaching the 20-point plateau 11 times, Bates is now tied for the sixth-most such games in Eastern history and is three shy of tying the single-season record (since 1998-99) held by Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) and Ricky Cottrill (2001-02) of 14.
RECORD CHASES: With three games to play in the regular season, Emoni Bates has positioned himself among the top players in program history as he has entered or is nearing the top 10 of several statistical categories. Here is a look at several of those categories:
» Bates' 43 points scored at Toledo, Jan. 24, ranks as the ninth-most in a game at Eastern and the most since Raven Lee scored his school-record 50 points at Central Michigan, Feb. 28, 2017.
» Bates also is 61 points shy of reaching the single-season top 10 list for scoring as Brandon Bowdry sits 10th with 598 points scored in the 2010-11.
» Bates is connecting on 33.0 percent of his three-point shots as he has drained 69 triples on the year. So far, his total leaves him five shy of reaching the top 10 on the single-season three-point field goals made, with Brian Tolbert sitting 10th with 74 makes in 1995-96.
» Speaking of threes, Bates has twice etched his name on the single-game three-point basket list. He drained a career-high nine shots from downtown at Toledo, Jan. 24, to record the second-highest total in a game after recording the fifth-most makes with eight at South Carolina, Dec. 30.
» Bates currently is averaging 19.9 points per game, which sits just outside the program's top 10 list for season average. If he can finish the year at 20.0 or better, he would become the first Eagle to end a campaign averaging 20.0+ points since the 2005-06 season when both John Bowler and Carols Medlock accomplished the feat.
CLIMBING HIGHER: Noah Farrakhan continued his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger as his 15 points against WMU, Feb. 21, brought his career total to 786 points scored playing for Eastern Michigan (his overall career total is 822 points when including the 36 points he scored at East Carolina). With his 786 points, Farrakhan currently ranks 55th on the program's all-time scoring list. Averaging 12.6 points per game this year, if Farrakhan were to maintain his current scoring average the rest of the regular season, he would reach the top-50 while also surpassing 800 points.
NOT ALL SCORING: While Noah Farrakhan continues his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger, he also continues to assist teammates on their scoring. By being held without an assist in the game at Kent State, Feb. 17, Farrakhan saw his consecutive games streak snapped at 38. He got back on track with a pair of helpers against Western Michigan, Feb. 21. Prior to the streak being snapped, Farrakhan had recorded at least one assist in the first 26 games of the season and, dating back to last season, 38 games in a row. During his two years with the Eagles, he has assisted on at least one basket in 49-of-53 games for the Green and White and, when including his one season with East Carolina (2020-21), he has done so in 56-of-65 career games.
HE'S HEATING UP: In his first two seasons of collegiate play at Duquesne, Tyson Acuff recorded seven games with double-digit points in the 48 he played with a then-career-high 16 points. In 26 games this year with the Eagles, Acuff has found his scoring touch as he has recorded eight games that would have tied or bettered his previous career best and scored in double figures 16 times, more than doubling his total from DU. Against Ohio, Jan. 31, Acuff not only broke his previous career-high of 25 points (vs. Winthrop, Nov. 23, at Cancun) by scoring 29 points, falling one point shy of his first 30-point performance. After scoring 18 at Ball State, Feb. 3, Acuff not only reached the 30-point barrier, he has done so in back-to-back games with 35 at Buffalo, Feb. 7, and 36 at home against Toledo, Feb. 11.
THIRTY SOMETHINGS: Entering the season, Noah Farrakhan was the last Eagle to score 30+ points in a game when he tallied 31 at home against Northern Illinois, Feb. 22, 2022. Since then, the Eagles have had six games with one 30-point scorer with Tyson Acuff scoring 35 at Buffalo, Feb. 7, before adding 36 against Toledo at home, Feb. 11, and Emoni Bates adding four games, including 35 at Ball State (Feb. 3), 43 at Toledo (Jan. 24), 36 at South Carolina (Dec. 30), and 30 against Michigan (Nov. 11) in Detroit. Combined, the six games of 30+ scoring is the most in a single season, surpassing the four recorded in the 2001-02 season when Ricky Cottrill posted three games and Steve Pettyjohn had one. Additionally, the duo has combined to score 30+ in three consecutive games after Bates scored 35 at Ball State and Acuff tallied his back-to-back career-high games.
MANAGING WINS: Throughout the nation each year, the managers for the two teams playing will get together and play a game of their own. So far this year, the EMU managers (@ManagersEastern) have only been able to play six games, but are currently undefeated at 6-0 following their win over the Kent State managers, Feb. 17. According to Manager Games on Twitter (@ManagerGames_), EMU is currently ranked No. 13 nationally.
HOME COOKING: According to the latest update from College Basketball Reference, Feb. 15, the Eagles currently rank third nationally in regards to points scored per game by in-state players with Eastern averaging 54.6 points per game from its Michigan-born players. Northern Iowa (68.7) and Youngstown State (60.0) rank just ahead of EMU. Additional research through 27 games played shows that those same in-state players have accounted for 75.3 percent of the team's scoring with Michigan-born Eagles having collected 1,529 of the team's 2,030 points.
UP NEXT: Eastern will play the first of its two final regular season road games Tuesday, Feb. 28, when the Eagles travel south to Bowling Green, Ohio, to take on the Bowling Green State University Falcons inside Stroh Center at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brad Woznicki (pxp) and Brent Klassen (color) on the call. Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, and Greg Steiner will have the call on the WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
