Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
10-15,3-9MAC
Bowling Green
16-9,7-5MAC
Acuff’s 34 Points, 10 Rebounds Lead EMU Past BGSU, 69-60
2/17/2024 5:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Acuff tallied season high points, career high in rebounds
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Junior Tyson Acuff scored a season-high 34 points while hauling in a career-high 10 rebounds, as the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team topped Bowling Green State University Saturday, Feb. 17, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Acuff (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical/Duquesne) recorded his first career double-double in the win as the Eagles limited to BGSU's Marcus Hill, who entered the game as the Mid-American Conference's leading scorer, to 6-for-20 from the floor and 19 points
How It Happened
Acuff netted 11 points in the game's first 4:49, helping EMU build a 22-9 lead midway through the opening half.
Acuff finished the half with 22 points as the Eagles took a 33-24 lead into halftime.
EMU built its largest lead at 40-25 with 17:09 to play in the game. The Eagles saw their lead to just five three minutes later.
Eastern advantage ballooned back out to 10 with five minutes to go as Acuff converted four free throws in the final 28 seconds to hold off a BGSU rally.
Game Notes
» Eastern moved to 10-15 overall and 3-9 in MAC play while BGSU moved to 16-9 overall and 7-5 in the MAC.
» Eastern Michigan was 25-of-57 (43.9%) from the floor and 7-of-24 (29.2%) from three-point range while BGSU was 22-of-64 (34.4%) from the field and 6-of-26 (23.1%) from deep.
» Acuff scored a season-high 34 points, marking his 27th-straight game scoring at least 11 points. Acuff's 27 consecutive games scoring at least 10 points are the most by an EMU player since 2000. Acuff ranks 38th in EMU history with 952 points as an Eagle.
» Acuff's 34 points are tied for the 10th-most by a player inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center (since 1998-99). His career high of 36 points against the University of Toledo, Feb. 11, 2023, ranks as the sixth-highest scoring total in George Gervin GameAbove Center history.
» Acuff recorded his 12th game with at least 23 points this season. Acuff is one of six players in the nation with 12 contests of 23-plus points. The contest also marks the 14th time in which Acuff recorded 20 or more points in a game this season.
» Acuff recorded his seventh game with at least 29 points and fifth game with at least 30 points this season. Acuff is one of three players in the nation with seven contests of 29-plus points, joining Denver University's Tommy Bruner and Southern Illinois University's Xavier Johnson.
» Acuff, who was 12-for-21 from the floor, recorded his ninth game with at least 10 made field goals. Acuff joins Bruner and Hill as the only players in the country to make 10 field goals in a game at least nine times this season.
» Acuff also tallied a career-high 10 rebounds en route to recording his first career double-double.
» Acuff (21.8 ppg) passed Hill (21.4 ppg) as the MAC's scoring leader.
» Redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter (River Rouge, Mich/River Rouge/Providence) tied his career high with 13 points, which he achieved for the third time, most recently at 10th-ranked Florida Atlantic University, Nov. 14. Geeter also met his season high with seven rebounds, which he previously achieved twice.
» Acuff (22) and Geeter (9) combined for 31 of the Eagles' 33 first-half points. Freshman Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Dream City Christian (Ariz.)) had the other two points in the opening frame. Acuff's 22 first-half points are his most in a half since scoring 24 in the second half against the University of Toledo, Feb. 11, 2023. His nine field goals made in the opening half are tied for the most field goals made in a half against a Division I foe in George Gervin GameAbove Center history (since 1998-99).
» Osojnik dished out a career-high three assists, topping his previous mark of two dimes against Northwood University, Dec. 30.
» Osojnik also recorded two blocks, matching his career-high set against the University of North Dakota, Nov. 26. Osojnik also tallied two steals for the sixth time in his career.
» Junior Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) also turned away two shots, matching his season high, which he previously achieved twice.
» Led by Osojnik and Billingsley's two blocks, the Eagles' six blocks are a season-high and the most by EMU since recording six against the University of Akron, Jan. 22, 2022.
» Redshirt junior Connor Serven (Prairie City, Ill./St. Rita/Illinois) played a career-high 38 minutes in the win over the Falcons, breaking his previous total of minutes played in a game at 36 minutes against Kent State University, Jan. 6. Serven would finish with six points and six rebounds apiece.
» Eastern, which hit seven threes against BGSU, has now hit at least one triple in 607-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami University held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
Historical Notes
» Saturday's meeting was the 101st all-time between Eastern Michigan and BGSU. EMU trails in the series, 58-43.
» The 60 points allowed by EMU against BGSU is the fewest the Eagles have given up since Eastern topped Bowling Green, 81-53, Jan. 10, 2017. That game was also the last time EMU beat BGSU, snapping a streak of nine-straight losses to the Falcons.
» A crowd of 3,304 fans watched the Eagles defeat Bowling Green. The total is the 13th-biggest MAC crowd at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, while it comes 25th all-time for largest crowds in the history of the arena.
Next Up
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to travel to the University at Buffalo, Feb. 20, for a 7 p.m. tip inside Buffalo's Alumni Arena.
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, continue to visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
