Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Toledo
Eagles Return Home to Face Toledo Saturday
2/9/2023 3:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern has averaged 92.3 points on offense in its last three games
| Men's Basketball vs. Toledo | |
| Date | Saturday, Feb. 11 | 7:30 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 | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – After playing four of its last five games on the road, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team is back in action at home in four of its next five games, including a visit from the University of Toledo to start things off Saturday, Feb. 11. The Eagles (6-18, 3-8 Mid-American Conference) and Rockets (18-6, 9-2 MAC) are slated to meet at 7:30 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center and will be the second half of a women's-men's doubleheader that opens at 5 p.m. with the EMU women playing host to Western Michigan University.
The 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.
OPENING TIPS:
» Eastern is coming off a 102-97 loss at Buffalo, Feb. 7. The Eagles scored in the 90s for the third game in a row for the first time since the 1993-94 season and the first time ever in three consecutive MAC games.
» The 199 combined points are the most this season in an EMU game, surpassing the 188 scored in a 101-87 loss to Winthrop at the Cancun Challenge, Nov. 23.
» Tyson Acuff scored a career-high 35 points, marking the fifth time this year an Eagle has scored 30+.
» Acuff has been doing it all this year as he is one of three players in the MAC that rank in the top 25 in points per game, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, assists per game, and steals per game.
» Eastern and Toledo are meeting for the second time this year after UT won at home, 84-79, Jan. 24. In that game, Emoni Bates scored a career-high 43 points, which ranks as the eighth-most points in a game in the NCAA this year.
» EMU limited its turnovers at Buffalo to nine, the eighth time in 24 games in which the Eagles had nine or fewer miscues and the second game in a row after committing just eight at Ball State, Feb. 3.
» Eastern is hitting on 76.0 percent of its free throws, which ranks second in the MAC and 23rd in the NCAA.
» The Eagles hit eight three-point shots at Buffalo to extend their current streak to 575 consecutive games with at least one made triple. The last time EMU failed to hit a three was Jan. 24, 2004, at Miami (0-of-7).
DOUBLE DIP: The Eagles are set for their fourth home doubleheader of the season this week as the Eastern men and women will both be in action, Feb. 11. The women will lead off the day with a 5 p.m. meeting with rival Western Michigan with the EMU-Toledo game to follow at approximately 7:30 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN3.
FOUR IN FIVE: After playing four of its last five on the road, Eastern is back home for its next two games and four of the next five overall. After playing host to Toledo, the Eagles will welcome Akron, Feb. 14, before traveling to Kent State, Feb. 18. The stand concludes with the final two home games of the regular season with Western Michigan and Ball State coming to town, Feb. 21 and Feb. 25, respectively.
SCOUTING TOLEDO: The Rockets, winners of eight in a row, enter this weekend's tilt with an 18-6 record and stand 9-2 in MAC play. Toledo, who's last loss came Jan. 10 in a 75-63 defeat at Kent State, is tied for first place in the MAC standings with both KSU and Akron, who the Rockets defeated, 84-74, Feb. 7, to hand the Zips their first home loss of the year. Four players continue to average double-digit points with RayJ Dennis leading the charge with 18.9 points per game while JT Shumate (17.6), Setric Millner Jr. (15.2), and Dante Maddox Jr. (11.0) follow behind. Millner Jr., is the team's top rebounder with 6.1 boards per game while Dennis' 6.0 assists are tops on the team.
IN THE RANKINGS: The game with Toledo will mark the second time this season the Eagles will play host to a team currently ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 after previously hosting then-No. 4 Kent State, Jan. 17, a 77-63 setback for the Eagles. The game also will be the third this year against a CIMM Top 25 team as Eastern fell at then-No. 19 Toledo, 84-79, Jan. 24. With a victory Saturday over No. 16 Toledo, Eastern would record its first defeat of a CIMM Top 25 team for the first time since Feb. 19, 2019, a 76-69 win over then No. 12 Toledo.
IN THE SERIES WITH TOLEDO:
» EMU trails in the all-time series with Toledo, 52-61, and has lost five in a row after falling in Toledo, 84-79, Jan. 24.
» The Eagles lead the series, 32-22, when playing host to the game, but have lost two in a row, including an 86-66 setback last year, Feb. 1, 2022, in the previous meeting.
» The last time the Eagles defeated the Rockets in Ypsilanti came Feb. 1, 2020, a 61-57 win for Eastern. That win also was the most recent overall for Eastern against Toledo.
» The series between the two schools dates back to Feb, 5, 1918, a 49-20 win for Eastern. The game this weekend will mark the 114th all-time meeting between the two institutions, which will tie for the third-most-played series in EMU history with Ball State. The two longest are with Central Michigan (205) and Western Michigan (118).
BACK TO THE 90s: Eastern is averaging 92.3 points per game on offense over its last three games. In those games, the Eagles defeated Ohio, 90-79, at home, Jan. 31, before falling in overtime, 91-90, at Ball State, Feb. 3, and then at Buffalo, 102-97, Feb. 7. With those scores, it marks the first time in program history the Eagles have scored 90+ points in three consecutive MAC games and the first time overall since the opening three contests of the 1993-94 season. That year, EMU defeated Hillsdale (Nov. 29), 104-66, and Indianapolis (Dec. 2), 111-79, at home before defeating Milwaukee (Dec. 6) on the road, 102-94, in overtime, to open the season.
QUICK REVIEW • BUFFALO: Tyson Acuff collected a career-high 35 points and Emoni Bates added 27, but Eastern fell at Buffalo, 102-97, on the road Tuesday, Feb. 7, inside Alumni Arena.
The Eagles (6-18, 3-8 Mid-American Conference) had three players score in double figures with Acuff and Bates being joined by Noah Farrakhan, who helped out with 19 points.
Eastern Michigan took advantage of fantastic ball movement in Tuesday's game, piling up a season-high-tying 17 assists on 36 made field goals. Individually, Legend Geeter lent a helping hand the most for the Eagles with four assists and Colin Golson Jr. also added four assists of his own, a career-high.
After falling behind, 19-17, Eastern Michigan went on a 6-0 run with 9:51 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Acuff, to take a 23-19 lead. The Eagles then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 48-44 advantage. Eastern Michigan relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 48 points. However, Buffalo then erased the Eastern Michigan lead in the game's final quarter for a 102-97 comeback victory.
BEING CAREFUL: In the game at Buffalo, Feb. 7, the Eagles finished with just nine turnovers, marking the eighth game this year - and the second in a row - in which the team finished with nine or fewer miscues. The nine turnovers are the second-lowest total in a MAC game this year behind the eight recorded at Ball State, Feb. 3, and ranks as the fifth-fewest in any game this year. Both teams took care of the ball in Buffalo with the Bulls turning it over eight times, marking the first time this year the Eagles and their MAC foe have each had nine or fewer turnovers in the same game. It also was the third time overall that has happened this year following games at Niagara (6 for EMU, 8 for NU) and at South Carolina (8 & 9).
HAPPY TO HELP: The Eagles tallied 17 assists at Buffalo, Feb. 7, tying for the most in a single game this year and the most in a MAC game. Previously, Eastern recorded 17 helpers at Oakland, Nov. 19. In conference games, the previous high was 16 in the home game with Ohio, Jan. 31. Overall, the Eagles have tallied 12 or more assists in nine games, including in four of their last five games.
FROM THE STRIPE: Eastern has found great success from the free throw line this year with the Eagles converting 76.0 percent, which ranks second in the MAC and 23rd nationally. Through 24 games played (Feb. 7), the Eagles have made their way to the stripe 20+ times in 12 games, including in seven of the last 11 games, in which Eastern is converting at 77.2 percent in those games. In four of the 12 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.
At Buffalo, Feb. 7, the Eagles went 17-of-19 from the line, shooting 89.5 percent from the stripe for their second-best performance of the season, trailing on the 90.5 conversion rate (19-of-21) they shot at Western Michigan, Jan. 10.
MOVING UP: The Eagles are currently hitting at a 76.0 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.
OFF THE (A)CUFF: In the Buffalo game, Tyson Acuff put up a career performance as the sophomore guard filled the stat sheet for a career-high 35 points on 13-of-17 shooting that included 4-of-7 three-point shooting and 5-of-6 free throw shooting. Acuff, who added five rebounds as well, hit the 30-point threshold for the first time in his career after nearly doing so against Ohio, Jan. 31, when he finished with 29. Additionally, his 35 points ranked tied for the most in any game in the nation that night with Tyree Appleby also hitting for 35 for Wake Forest.
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 five games with one 30-point scorer with Tyson Acuff scoring 35 at Buffalo, Feb. 7, 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 five 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.
HOT HAND: Tyson Acuff has been on a roll offensively over the past three games as the sophomore has tallied 82 points, including a career-high 35 points at Buffalo, Feb. 7, two games removed from a then-career-high 29 at home against Ohio, Jan. 31. Adding in the 18 points scored at Ball State, Feb. 3, and Acuff's three-game total ranks as the fifth-most in a three-game stretch at EMU since the 1998-99 season and the most by an EMU player this year, one point ahead of Emoni Bates' 81 points in the same three games (19 vs. Ohio, 35 at Ball State, 27 at Buffalo).
FAST START: The team, as well as both Tyson Acuff and Emoni Bates, have gotten off to hot starts in each of the last three games as the team has scored at least 40 points while Acuff and Bates have each scored at least 10 points in the first half. As a team, Eastern scored 47 against Ohio, Jan. 31, 40 at Ball State, Feb. 3, and a season-high 48 at Buffalo, Feb. 7. On an individual basis, Acuff scored 10, 11, and 16, respectively, while Bates tallied 10, 10, and 15, respectively, as the duo accounted for nearly half of the points in the opening half of play for Eastern.
DOING IT ALL: Tyson Acuff, who recorded his third 20+ game of the year and his first career 30+ game of his career, has been doing it all for the team this year. Through games played Feb. 7, the sophomore is one of three players in the MAC that rank in the top 25 of five major statistical categories, including ranking 17th in points per game (14.3), 22nd in field goal percentage (44.7), 14th in free throw percentage (79.0), 14th in assists per game (2.8) and eighth in steals per game (1.4). The two other players to share that distinction currently are RayJ Dennis of Toledo and Mekhi Larry of Miami.
PUMPING IN POINTS: In the 91-90 overtime loss at Ball State, Feb. 3, Emoni Bates was up to his old tricks as the sophomore finished the game with 35 points, his third game of 35-or-more this season. With those points, along with his then-career-high 36 points at South Carolina, Dec. 30, and current career-high 43-point performance at Toledo, Jan. 24, Bates is one of just two players in the NCAA this year to have three or more games of 35+ points, joining Detroit Mercy's Antoine Davis on the list as the Titans' player has four.
Through the game at Buffalo, Feb. 7, Bates has now scored 488 points, which ranks 16th nationally, and is the sixth-most in a sophomore campaign in program history. With his 27 points, he moved past three players, including Earl Boykins (1995-96), who is now seventh with 479 points, James Thompson IV (2016-17), who is now eighth with 474 points, and Brandon Bowdry (2008-09), who is now ninth with 472 points.
GETTING HIS: Emoni Bates, who ranks 12th nationally at 21.2 points per game and leads the MAC, hasn't scored all his points in huge outbursts. In the 23 games he has played for the Eagles, Bates has scored at least 10 points 20 times, gone for at least 15 points 19 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 seven 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 has scored 488 points this year, which ranks as the sixth-highest total in a sophomore campaign in program history. He is 12 points from becoming the sixth sophomore to score 500+ in a season and needs 112 to become just the second player with 600+. If he does, he would join George Gervin, who scored 886 points in the 1971-72 season.
» Bates also is 110 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 36.7 percent of his three-point shots as he has drained 65 triples on the year. So far, his total leaves him nine shy of reaching the top 10 on the single-season three-point field goals made, with Brian Tolbert sitting 10th with 74 made triples in 1995-96. If Bates, who is averaging 2.8 triples made per game, maintains his current pace, he would add around 20 more threes to his total by the end of the regular season, which would bring his total to 84, the fourth-most in a year.
» Speaking of threes, Bates has twice this year 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 21.2 points per game, which currently ranks as the sixth-highest average in a single season in program history. If he maintains his current pace, 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. If he can stay at or above 21.0 points per game, he would be the first Eagle to do so since Earl Boykins averaged 25.7 points in 1997-98.
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.
DOUBLE LEADER: Through the Buffalo game, Feb. 7, Emoni Bates is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding as the sophomore is averaging 21.2 points and 5.5 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.
CLIMBING HIGHER: Noah Farrakhan continued his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger as his 19 points at Buffalo, Feb. 7, brought his career total to 748 points scored playing for Eastern Michigan (his overall career total is 784 points when including the 36 points he scored at East Carolina). With his 748 points, Farrakhan currently ranks 59th on the program's all-time scoring list. Averaging 13.2 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 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. Through 24 games played this year, Farrakhan has tallied at least one helper in all 24 contests and has dropped at least one dime in 36 consecutive games dating back to last season. In fact, in his two seasons with the Eagles, Farrakhan has recorded at least one assist in 46-of-49 games played for Eastern and, when including his one season with East Carolina (2020-21), he has done so in 53-of-61 career games.
LOTS OF HELPING: Since the 1998-99 season, several Eagles have strung together streaks of consecutive games with at least one assist with Noah Farrakhan's current streak of 36 games ranks fifth. Next on the list is Tim Bond with 44 games in a row that were built with assists in his final eight games of the 2015-16 season, all 33 games played in 2016-17, and the first three games of the 2017-18 season. Mike Talley holds the record as he assisted in all 72 games he played for EMU, including 37 games in 2013-14 and 35 games in 2014-15.
DOUBLING UP: In the game at Buffalo, Feb. 7, two Eagles doubled their previous career highs in assists as both Colin Golson Jr., and Legend Geeter tallied four assists each against the Bulls. Previously, Golson Jr., recorded two assists three different times with the most recent instance coming this season at Illinois State, Dec. 7, while Geeter had done so four times this year with his last two-helper game coming at Florida International, Nov. 30.
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 have only been able to play five games, but are currently undefeated at 5-0 following their win over the Ohio managers, Jan. 30. According to Manager Games on Twitter (@ManagerGames_), EMU is currently ranked No. 17 nationally.
WAY DOWNTOWN: The Eagles connected on eight three-point shots at Buffalo, Feb. 7, to extend the program's streak to 575 games in a row with at least one triple drained. Tyson Acuff connected on a deep shot with 16:42 remaining in the opening half against the Bulls to extend the streak. The last time the EMU failed to hit a three was Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held Eastern to 0-of-7.
HOME COOKING: According to the latest update from College Basketball Reference, Feb. 8, the Eagles currently rank third nationally in regards to points scored per game by in-state players with Eastern averaging 56.0 points per game from its Michigan-born players. Northern Iowa (69.5) and Youngstown State (59.8) rank just ahead of EMU. Additional research through 24 games played shows that those same in-state players have accounted for 74.8 percent of the team's scoring with Michigan-born Eagles having collected 1,344 of the team's 1,796 points.
UP NEXT: Eastern returns to action at home Tuesday, Feb. 14, with the University of Akron Zips visiting the George Gervin GameAbove Center for a 7 p.m. tip. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Ryan Wooley (pxp) and Justin Rose (analyst) on the call and Dannie Rogers reporting from the sideline. Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, will have the call on the WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
