Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Eagles Set to Face Northern Illinois Friday
3/1/2023 1:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern in need of a win and help from others to gain berth into the MAC Tournament
| Men's Basketball at Northern Illinois | |
| Date | Friday, March 3 | 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) |
| Venue | DeKalb, Ill. | Convocation 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 | |
DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The final regular season game of the 2022-23 season awaits the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team in DeKalb, Ill., Friday, March 3, as the Eagles will face the Northern Illinois University Huskies in a 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) tip inside the Convocation Center. The Eagles (8-22, 5-12 MAC) still have a chance to earn a berth into the 2023 MAC Tournament and it starts with a victory over the Huskies (12-18, 8-9) on the final day of the season, along with help in other games played that day.
The game will air on ESPN3 with Ryan Piers (pxp) and Carl Armato (color) on the call. Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, will have the call on the WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
OPENING TIPS:
» Eastern is coming off a tough loss on the road at Bowling Green, Feb. 28, where the Eagles fell, 88-68.
» For the fifth time this season, five Eagles scored at least 10 points in the same game with Orlando Lovejoy leading the team with 15 points. It marked the second time this year the freshman was the team's top scorer in a game after he scored a career-high 18 in the season-opener against Wayne State, Nov. 7
» The Eagles still have a chance to earn a berth into the 2023 MAC Tournament and will need a win at NIU along with losses by both Miami (at Buffalo) and Bowling Green (at Ohio) to qualify for Cleveland.
» Emoni Bates was named the MAC Co-Player of the Week, Feb. 27, following a week in which he helped the Eagles to back-to-back wins while averaging 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds.
» The Eagles are currently on a streak of 581 games in a row with at least one made three-pointer.
IT COMES DOWN TO THIS: Heading into the final regular season games Friday, March 3, four teams are battling for the eighth and final position into the 2023 MAC Tournament with all four teams in contention playing their finales on the road. Despite the loss at Bowling Green, Feb. 28, the Eagles are still in the hunt for the No. 8 seed, but will need help. First, Eastern has to win its game at Northern Illinois as a loss would eliminate the Eagles. With a victory, Eastern will need two teams to lose their games, including Miami, who travels to face Buffalo; and Bowling Green, who will travel to face Ohio. A win for EMU would raise its record to 6-12, moving past a 5-13 BGSU (with a loss) and into a tie with a 6-12 Miami (with a loss), who Eastern holds the tiebreaker after winning in Oxford, Ohio, 74-69, Jan. 28.
ON THE SCHEDULE: The final day of MAC play, March 3, will see six games played with two each at the same time. Starting at 6 p.m. ET, Toledo will face Ball State in Muncie, Ind., on CBS Sports Network with the Rockets looking to claim the outright regular season crown, while Akron will travel to Kent State for a rivalry game on ESPNU. In the 7 p.m. ET slot, Central Michigan will play at Western Michigan (ESPN3) and Miami will venture to Buffalo (ESPN+). In the 8 p.m. ET window, Bowling Green will play at Ohio on CBS Sports Network while the Eagles face Northern Illinois (ESPN3).
MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY: Eastern reclaimed the Michigan MAC Trophy last year with a 3-1 record against both Central Michigan (2-0) and Western Michigan (1-1), bringing the trophy to Ypsilanti for the fourth time. Created by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the trophy is given annually to the winner of the three-team basketball series. Ahead of the regular season finales, March 3, Eastern leads the way with a 2-1 record while Central Michigan is 1-1 and Western Michigan is 1-2. Should CMU defeat WMU in Kalamazoo, March 3, the Eagles and Chippewas would both finish 2-1 with the Eagles retaining the crown as ties for the top spot result in the previous year's champion keeping the trophy.
If the Eagles retain the crown, it would mark the second time Eastern has won the title in back-to-back seasons with the first coming with Eastern's first two wins; the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Also, retaining the title would mark the first time the Eagles would capture the title in both football and basketball in the same academic year.
BATES NAMED MAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Emoni Bates was named the MAC Co-Player of the Week, Feb. 27, after he led the Eagles to two big home wins that not only snapped a five-game skid, but also kept Eastern in the hunt for a berth into the 2023 MAC Tournament. Bates nearly averaged a double-double as he averaged 20.5 points and 9.0 points in the two games. He started the week with 17 points and seven rebounds to help the Eagles come from behind, turning a 10-point deficit into a 66-59 win over Western Michigan, Feb. 21. He followed that with his fourth double-double of the season by scoring 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds as EMU again came from 10 points down to defeat Ball State, Feb. 25, 75-68, and move into the No. 8 position in the MAC standings with two games to play. All told, Bates currently ranks second in the league and 28th nationally in scoring.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies enter their regular season finale with a 12-18 record and stand 8-9 in the MAC standings. One of seven teams to have already clinched a berth in the 2023 MAC Tournament, NIU is coming off an 85-75 home loss to Buffalo, Feb. 28, and have fallen in four of its last five games. Keshawn Williams lead the way offensively for the Huskies, averaging 17.9 points per game while David Coit (16.0) and Zarique Nutter (12.2) are also averaging double figures. Anthony Crump is the team's rebounder, averaging 5.2 boards per contest while Kaleb Thornton leads the team in assists with 5.1 per game.
IN THE SERIES WITH NORTHERN ILLINOIS:
» The Huskies hold a 57-46 advantage in the all-time series and leads, 34-14, when hosting the game.
» The two teams have traded wins in the last five games overall with NIU taking an 88-67 win, Jan. 21.
» The last time the two teams met in DeKalb, Ill., was Jan. 15, 2022, a 77-70 win for the Huskies.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST NIU: Noah Farrakhan and Tyson Acuff combined to score 44 points as Eastern Michigan fell to Northern Illinois, 88-67, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Jan. 21. The Eagles (4-15, 1-5 MAC) had two players score in double figures, led by Farrakhan, who recorded 26 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, while Acuff added 18 points and two steals.
Eastern grabbed 30 rebounds in the game compared to Northern Illinois' 28, led by Farrakhan's eight boards. The Eagles also put in work on the offensive glass, turning 11 rebounds into eight second chance points. It marked the second contest in a row in which Eastern recorded more rebounds than its opponent. EMU forced 13 Northern Illinois turnovers and turned those takeaways into 13 points on the other end of the floor.
Eastern struggled out of the gate, falling behind, 50-31, heading into halftime. Northern Illinois kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 67-45 advantage before the Eagles went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Farrakhan's three, to shrink the deficit to 67-50 with 9:10 to go in the contest. The Huskies responded and outscored EMU the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 88-67.
QUICK REVIEW • BOWLING GREEN: Five Eagles scored in double digits, but Eastern fell to Bowling Green, 88-68, on the road, Feb. 28, inside the Stroh Center. Orlando Lovejoy was the leading scorer for the Eagles as he tallied 15 points, three shy of his career high. The Eagles (8-22, 5-12 MAC), who were looking to clinch a berth in the 2023 MAC Tournament with a win, will now look to rebound on the road at Northern Illinois, March 3.
After falling behind, 2-1, Eastern Michigan went on a 7-0 run with 18:54 left in the first half to take an 8-2 lead. The Eagles then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down, 35-31. Bowling Green kept widening its lead at the break, building a four-point advantage into a 20-point win.
WAY DOWNTOWN: Big man Legend Geeter drained just his second three-point shot of the season (now 2-of-5) with 17:38 remaining in the first half at Bowling Green, Feb. 28, to keep the Eagles' streak going as Eastern has now hit at least one triple in 581 games in a row. Eastern, who finished 3-of-12 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 third in the MAC and 20th nationally. Through 30 games played (Feb. 285), the Eagles have made their way to the stripe 20+ times in 16 games in which Eastern is converting at 77.2 percent in those games. In four of the 16 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 78.8 percent of their free throws with Toledo sitting second at 78.5 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.
THEY HAVE FIVE ON IT: In the game at Bowling Green, Feb. 28, five different Eastern players scored in double figures for the fourth time this year. Against the Falcons, Orlando Lovejoy led the charge with 15 points, which was three shy of his career-high 18 scored in the opener with Wayne State, Nov. 7. Lovejoy, who led the team in scoring for just the second time this year (vs. WSU), was joined in double figures by Tyson Acuff (11), Legend Geeter (11), Yusuf Jihad (10), and Emoni Bates (10). The last time five Eagles scored 10+ in the same game came Jan. 31 at home against Ohio. That day, the five players included Acuff (29), Bates (19), Kevin-David Rice (11), Jalin Billingsley (10), and Jihad (10).
10-4s: Both Yusuf Jihad and Legend Geeter tallied 10+ points at Bowling Green, Feb. 28, with both Eagles hitting double figures for the fourth time this season and in their careers. For Jihad, his 10 points are the most he has scored in a road contest in his collegiate career, surpassing the eight he scored at Toledo, Jan. 24, while also standing as the most he has scored this year since dropping 10 at home against Ohio, Jan. 31. Geeter tallied 11 points to reach double figures for the fourth time this year and in his career with his point total against the Falcons ranking as his second-highest output, surpassed only by the 13 he scored at Akron, Jan. 13.
EMONI 500: Emoni Bates continues to score the basketball for the Eagles as the sophomore has accumulated 571 points with one game to play in the regular season. Currently sitting fifth on the program's sophomore scoring sheet, Bates needs 11 points to tie Ricky Cottrill (2001-02) for fourth on the ledger and 16 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 27 points from tying Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) for the 10th-highest point total in a single season at EMU, regardless of class, while his 571 points have him ranked 94th on the program's all-time top 100 scoring chart.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN... BANG: To reach his 571 points, Emoni Bates has hit from behind the arc 76 times this season, which gives him the eighth-most made three-point baskets in a single season in program history. Bates, who hit five triples against Ball State, Feb. 25 and added two more at Bowling Green, Feb. 28, is connecting on 2.6 three-pointers per game this year, which ranks fourth in the MAC. If Bates were to connect on four triples at Northern Illinois, March 3, he would end the regular season with 80 made threes and become just the fifth Eagle to make 80+ in a season.
DOUBLE LEADER: Through the Bowling Green game, Feb. 28, Emoni Bates is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding as the sophomore is averaging 19.7 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 need at least 29 points at Northern Illinois to finish the regular season at 20.0), 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 28th nationally at 19.7 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 25 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.
CLIMBING HIGHER: Noah Farrakhan continued his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger as his five points against Bowling Green, Feb. 28, brought his career total to 799 points scored playing for Eastern Michigan (his overall career total is 835 points when including the 36 points he scored at East Carolina). Sitting one point south of 800 for his time at Eastern, Farrakhan currently ranks 54th on the program's all-time scoring list. If Farrakhan registers 16 points in the regular season finale at Northern Illinois, March 3, he would not only eclipse the 800-point mark, but also would move into the program's all-time top 50 as both Mike Talley (2013-15) and Gary Green (1977-79) are tied at No. 50 with 815 points in their respective careers.
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-55 games for the Green and White and, when including his one season with East Carolina (2020-21), he has done so in 56-of-67 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 had done so in back-to-back games with 35 at Buffalo, Feb. 7, and 36 at home against Toledo, Feb. 11. Acuff is currently second on the team in scoring with 402 points (13.9 points per game average).
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. 23, the Eagles currently rank third nationally in regards to points scored per game by in-state players with Eastern averaging 55.3 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 30 games played shows that those same in-state players have accounted for 76.3 percent of the team's scoring with Michigan-born Eagles having collected 1,659 of the team's 2,173 points.
UP NEXT: The game at Northern Illinois concludes the 2022-23 regular season. Should the Eagles earn the No. 8 seed in the 2023 MAC Tournament, Eastern would open postseason play March 9 at 11 a.m. against the tournament's No. 1 seed inside Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
