Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Bowling Green
EMU Heads to Bowling Green Looking for Third Win in a Row
2/26/2023 8:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles currently sit in eighth place in the MAC standings ahead of final week of regular season
| Men's Basketball at Bowling Green | |
| Date | Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 7 p.m. |
| Venue | Bowling Green, Ohio | Stroh 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 | |
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team, winners of two in a row, will look to keep its winning streak alive when the Eagles travel south to face the Falcons of Bowling Green State University Tuesday, Feb. 28, inside the Stroh Center. The Eagles (8-21, 5-11 MAC) and Falcons (10-19, 4-12 MAC) both remain in contention for a berth into the 2023 MAC Tournament with Eastern currently holding the No. 8 position and BGSU one game behind.
The game will air 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.
OPENING TIPS:
» Eastern heads to Bowling Green on a two-game winning streak, including a 75-68 home win over Ball State, Feb. 25, on Senior Day. The Eagles trailed by 10 at the half before coming back to win the game.
» Eastern's defeat of BSU, Feb. 25, marked the fifth time this season, the fourth time in MAC play, and the second game in a row, the Eagles have trailed by at least 10 points before eventually winning the game.
» Against the Cardinals, both Emoni Bates (24) and Tyson Acuff (20) scored 20+ points, marking the second time this season the duo has accomplished the feat (Feb. 7 at Buffalo; Acuff with 35, Bates with 27)
» For just the second time this year, the Eagles have won two games in a row with the last instance coming Jan. 28 at Miami (74-69) and Jan. 31 against Ohio (90-79). Should Eastern defeat BGSU, it would be the Eagles' first three-game winning streak since winning the final three home non-conference games of the 2020-21 season (Dec. 5 vs. Northwood; Dec. 8 vs. Niagara; and Dec. 11 vs. Florida International).
» With two games to play, the Eagles are currently sitting in the No. 8 position for the 2023 MAC Tournament. Six tournament berths have been secured so far with two more up for grabs this week.
» The 5,287 fans on hand for the BSU game ranks as the fourth-highest in George Gervin GameAbove Center history (1998-99) and the third-best in that time for a MAC contest.
» Head Coach Stan Heath (1996-98) and Director of Operations LaMonte Stone (2004-14) are quite familiar with Bowling Green as both served as assistant coaches previously.
» The Eagles are currently on a streak of 580 games in a row with at least one made three-pointer.
IN THE STANDINGS: Entering the final week of the regular season (games Tuesday, Feb. 28, and Friday, March 3), the Eagles remain in contention to compete in the 2023 MAC Tournament that will be held March 9-11 in Cleveland, Ohio. In the current standings, Eastern is joined by Miami and Central Michigan at 5-11 in league play with the Eagles holding the tie-breaker by having defeated both foes this year while Bowling Green is just one game behind at 4-12. Northern Illinois (8-8) punched its ticket to Cleveland with a win, Feb. 25, with Buffalo, who travels to NIU, Feb. 28, standing 7-9 and in need of one win to become the seventh team in the field. Toledo, Kent State, Akron, Ball State, and Ohio previously clinched berths into the tournament.
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons are 10-19 on the year and, after opening league play with a 4-3 record, have dropped nine consecutive MAC competitions to stand 4-12 in the conference, one game behind Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, and Miami for eighth place. Bowling Green, who last won a game Jan. 24 at Central Michigan, 83-61, is coming off a 79-69 loss to Kent State, Feb. 25. Leon Ayers III leads an offense that has four players averaging double figures as he is scoring 16.9 points per game while adding 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Samari Curtis (12.5), Kaden Metheny (11.0) and Rashaun Agee (10.0) are all averaging over 10 points per game with Agee tied for team lead in rebounding at 5.6 boards per game. BGSU is one of five teams in the MAC that have four players currently averaging double-digit points with Toledo, Ball State, Buffalo, and Central Michigan joining the Falcons on the list.
IN THE SERIES WITH BOWLING GREEN:
» The Falcons lead the all-time series, 55-43, and have captured victories in the last seven meetings overall, including a 91-65 win in Ypsilanti, Jan. 3, in both team's MAC opener. The last time the Eagles defeated BGSU was Jan. 10, 2017, in an 81-53 decision in Bowling Green, Ohio.
» BGSU holds a 33-16 lead when the game is played on its home court with the Falcons winning the last four meetings.
» Prior to the recent seven-game losing streak, the Eagles were 8-5 over the previous 13 games (Feb. 10, 2007-Jan. 10, 2017), including a record of 4-3 in games played at Bowling Green.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST BGSU: Eastern Michigan fell to visiting Bowling Green, 91-65, in both teams' Mid-American Conference opener, Jan. 3, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The Eagles (3-11, 0-1 MAC) had two players score in double figures, led by Emoni Bates, who had 15 points and two steals, while Tyson Acuff added 14 points and two steals. Javantae Randle added a career-high eight points, and his six rebounds were one shy of his career-best he recorded one game prior at South Carolina, Dec. 30. Randle pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace the Eastern offense which grabbed 19 boards and turned them into 17 second chance points.
Eastern Michigan struggled out of the gate, falling behind, 45-34, heading into halftime. Bowling Green kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 50-35 advantage before Eastern Michigan went on a 7-0 run to shrink the deficit to 50-42 with 16:42 to go in the contest. Bowling Green responded and outscored the Eagles the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 91-65. Eastern Michigan got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 10 of its 31 total points.
QUICK REVIEW • BALL STATE: Eastern Michigan went into halftime trailing Ball State, 37-27, but rallied from the deficit to beat the Cardinals, 75-68, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Feb. 25, to help send graduate senior Derek Ballard Jr. out with a victory on his Senior Day.
The Eagles (8-21, 5-11 MAC) had three players score in double figures, led by Emoni Bates, who posted a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Tyson Acuff added 20 points and two steals while Colin Golson Jr. helped out with 12 points off the bench.
Eastern out-rebounded BSU, 41-34, led by Bates' 11 boards. The Eagles also collected 11 offensive rebounds and scored 15 second chance points. The Green and White's defense held Ball State to only 37.7 percent shooting from the field, including 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. EMU also limited the Cardinals' Jarron Coleman to 3-of-12 shooting and nine points in the game.
The Eagles struggled out of the gate, falling behind, 37-27, heading into halftime. Eastern Michigan narrowed its deficit to 43-34 before going on an 8-0 run to shrink BSU's lead to 43-42 with 14:45 to go in the contest. EMU kept the rally going and took the lead for good on a Golson free throw with 4:31 left for a 75-68 comeback victory.
FANS OF OUR FANS: Eastern defeated visiting Ball State, 75-68, Feb. 25, in the home finale for the Eagles and Senior Day for Derek Ballard Jr. The game, which began with Ballard being recognized by the team, saw 5,287 fans in attendance, the second-largest home crowd for an EMU game this year behind the 5,390 fans that were on hand Feb. 11 to see the Eagles battle Toledo. The 5,287 fans stand as the fourth-largest crowd in George Gervin GameAbove Center history (since the start of the 1998-99 season) and is the third-largest to see a Mid-American Conference game in facility history. The top mark is 5,423 fans for EMU's 79-72 win over Central Michigan, Feb. 12, 2005.
An average of 3,367 fans were on hand for EMU's 13 home games this year, a nearly 107 percent increase over last year's average of 1,629 fans. The 2022-23 home attendance figures also are the highest in the history of the George Gervin GameAbove Center, surpassing the 2,622 average from the 2004-05 season.
COMING BACK: With all apologies to LL Cool J, Eastern has called it a comeback several times this year. In all eight of the Eagles' wins, Eastern has trailed at some point in all eight games before winning the contest, six of which have come at home. After trailing Ball State, Feb. 25, by 10 points at halftime, Eastern came back to win the game, 75-68. The 10-point deficit is tied for the fourth-largest overcome this year with the 10-point deficit faced one game prior against Western Michigan, Feb. 21, and sits 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).
WINNING STREAK: For just the second time this year, the Eagles have won two games in a row with the last instance coming Jan. 28 at Miami (74-69) and Jan. 31 against Ohio (90-79). Should Eastern defeat BGSU, it would be the Eagles' first three-game winning streak since winning the final three home non-conference games of the 2020-21 season. That streak, the longest under Stan Heath, saw the Eagles down Northwood, 79-57, Dec. 8; Niagara, 60-58, Dec. 8; and Florida International, 92-88 in four overtimes, Dec. 11.
WAY DOWNTOWN: Emoni Bates was 5-of-11 from deep against Ball State, Feb. 25, with his first three-point basket coming at 15:39 remaining in the opening stanza to keep the Eagles' streak going as Eastern has now hit at least one triple in 580 games in a row. Eastern, who finished 6-of-16 in three-point attempts in the game, last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
FROM THE STRIPE: Eastern has found great success from the free throw line this year with the Eagles converting 77.1 percent, which ranks second in the MAC and 18th nationally. Through 29 games played (Feb. 25), the Eagles have made their way to the stripe 20+ times in 15 games in which Eastern is converting at 77.2 percent in those games. In four of the 15 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 78.9 percent of their free throws with Toledo sitting second at 76.8 percent.
MOVING UP: The Eagles are currently hitting at a 77.1 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.
TWICE AS NICE: Against Ball State, Feb. 25, two Eagles scored 20+ points with Emoni Bates scoring 24 and Tyson Acuff adding 20 to mark the third time this season the Eagles have accomplished the feat. Prior to the game, Acuff (35) and Bates (27) combined on the feat at Buffalo, Feb. 7, after Bates (26) and Noah Farrakhan (25) were the first to do so this year at Florida International, Nov. 30.
With those three games, the Eagles have had three such games in back-to-back years. Last year, Monty Scott (28) and Bryce McBride (23) started things off at home against Illinois State, Nov. 12, 2021, before Scott and Farrakhan both tallied 21 points at Northern Kentucky, Nov. 18, 2021. The third instance came at home against Miami, Jan. 29, 2022, with Farrakhan (28) and Scott (25) combining once again.
SEEING DOUBLE: For the second time in his last three games, Emoni Bates recorded a double-double for the Eagles as he scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against Ball State, Feb. 25. The double-double, his fourth of the season, came two games after scoring 15 points and recording 11 rebounds at Kent State, Feb. 14. Bates picked up his first career double-double, Nov. 27, at home against UC San Diego when he added a career-high 13 rebounds to his 17 points scored. He recorded his second at home against Central Michigan, Jan. 7, as he tallied 26 points to go with 10 rebounds. Bates' double-double against the Cardinals stands was the fifth overall by an Eagle this season after Legend Geeter was the first to record one when he scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Winthrop, Nov. 23, in the Cancun Challenge.
Overall, Bates has tallied the most double-doubles by an Eastern player since the 2020-21 season. That year, the Eagles recorded 11 double-doubles with Ty Groce leading the way with five.
HE'S GOT 5(00) ON IT: Emoni Bates continues to score the basketball for the Eagles as the sophomore has accumulated 561 points with three games to play in the regular season. Currently sitting fifth on the program's sophomore scoring sheet, Bates needs 21 points to tie Ricky Cottrill (2001-02) for fourth on the ledger and 46 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. Bates also is 37 points from tying Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) for the 10th-highest point total in a single season at EMU, regardless of class, while his 561 points have him ranked 97th on the program's all-time top 100 scoring chart.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN... BANG: To reach his 561 points, Emoni Bates has hit from behind the arc 74 times this season, which ties him for the 10th-most made three-point baskets in a single season in program history with Brian Tolbert (1995-96). Bates, who hit five triples against Ball State, Feb. 25, is connecting on 2.6 three-pointers per game this year, which ranks fourth in the MAC. If he maintains his average over the final two games of the regular season, he would move into the top five on the listing. With six more triples, he would rank fifth all-time and become just the fifth player to connect on at least 80 three-point shots in a season. The last Eastern player to accomplish the feat was Willie Mangum IV, who set the single-season record with 93 treys in the 2016-17 season.
DOUBLE LEADER: Through the Ball State game, Feb. 25, Emoni Bates is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding as the sophomore is averaging 20.0 points and 6.0 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 26th nationally at 20.0 points per game and ranks second in the MAC, hasn't scored all his points in huge outbursts. In the 28 games he has played for the Eagles, Bates has scored at least 10 points 24 times, gone for at least 15 points 22 times, and hit for 20 or more 12 times. By reaching the 20-point plateau 12 times, Bates is now tied for the fifth-most such games in Eastern history, sharing the mark with both John Bowler (2005-06) and Ryan Prillman (2002-03). Next on the list are Elijah Minnie (2017-18) and Raven Lee (2016-17), who share third place with 13 games while the single-season record (since 1998-99) is held by Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) and Ricky Cottrill (2001-02) with 14.
MORE RECORD CHASES: With two 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 other categories not mentioned previously:
» Bates currently is averaging 20.0 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 Carlos Medlock accomplished the feat.
» Through 28 games played, Bates has attempted 453 shots from the field and needs 16 more attempts to break into the single-season top 10. Paul Jackson (2017-18) currently occupies the 10th position after he attempted 469 shots during the 2017-18 season. With 47 more attempts this year, Bates would become just the seventh Eagle to attempt 500+ shots in a single season.
» Sticking with field goal attempts, Bates has shot 220 three-point attempts this year, the fifth-most in a single-season at EMU. Willie Mangum IV holds the record with 247 attempts in 2016-17.
CLIMBING HIGHER: Noah Farrakhan continued his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger as his eight points against Ball State, Feb. 25, brought his career total to 794 points scored playing for Eastern Michigan (his overall career total is 830 points when including the 36 points he scored at East Carolina). With his 794 points, Farrakhan currently ranks 54th on the program's all-time scoring list. Averaging 12.5 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-54 games for the Green and White and, when including his one season with East Carolina (2020-21), he has done so in 56-of-66 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 27 games this year with the Eagles, Acuff has found his scoring touch as he has recorded nine games that would have tied or bettered his previous career best and scored in double figures 17 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 7-0 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 55.0 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 29 games played shows that those same in-state players have accounted for 75.8 percent of the team's scoring with Michigan-born Eagles having collected 1,596 of the team's 2,105 points.
UP NEXT: Eastern returns to the road Friday, March 3, when it travels to DeKalb, Ill., to close out the regular season at Northern Illinois University. The game is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) and will be streamed live from inside the Convocation Center on ESPN3. Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, will have the call on the WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
