Eagles Travel West to Tangle With Northern Illinois

Men's Basketball at Northern Illinois
Date	Saturday, Feb. 4 \| 4:30 p.m.
Venue	DeKalb, Ill. \| NIU Convocation Center (9,100)
Game Notes	EMU Game Notes \| NIU Game Notes
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Watch	ESPN 3
Listen	89.1 FM WEMU
Twitter	@EMUHoops \| @EMUAthletics

DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- After losing its second straight game at home, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team returns to the road where it has been successful so far this Mid-American Conference season. The Eagles (13-9, 5-4 MAC) travel to DeKalb, Ill. to square off with Northern Illinois University, Saturday, Feb. 4. The Green and White will hit the court against the Huskies (13-9, 5-4 MAC) at 4:30 p.m. and it is the second leg of a doubleheader with the NIU women's team at the NIU Convocation Center.

The Green and White come into its 10th league matchup following a tight 70-64 setback at home against Kent State, Jan. 31. It was the Eagles' second loss at the Convocation Center in as many games, and it dropped them out of a tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference West Divsion.

For the Huskies, they have lost two of their last three games. Most recently, Northern Illinois fell at home against the league leading Akron Zips, 76-73, Jan. 31. NIU led by as many as 15 in the game and by three with under five minutes to play, but a late run to help lift Akron past the Huskies, despite Northern shooting 52.8 percent from the floor.

FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Northern Illinois matchup will have both audio and video on Saturday afternoon. Fans can dial into 89.1 FM or listen over the internet at WEMU.org to hear the smooth sounds of veteran play-by-play voice, Chad Bush. Coverage on 89.1 WEMU will begin 10 minutes prior to the tip of each game this year.

For those wishing to watch the Eagles' game live, tune into ESPN3, where Andy Garcia will call the Northern versus EMU contest. Carl Armato will join Garcia on the broadcast to provide analysis. Fans can also stream the game on their WatchESPN app as well.

ALL-TIME VERSUS NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Eagles trail in the series with Northern Illinois, as Eastern looks at a tally of 52-40 in favor of the Huskies. Recent history shows that Northern Illinois has had its struggles versus the Eagles. EMU has won 10 of the last 15 games between the two MAC West foes.

Last season, Eastern Michigan split a pair of games with Northern Illinois. The Huskies got the best of the Green and White at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb, 80-63, Jan. 9, while the Eagles knocked off NIU, 75-71, at the EMU Convocation Center, March 1. Eastern Michigan used a furious comeback in the second half to defeat Northern at home.

LIKELY LOOK FOR THE HUSKIES...

#	Name	Pos.	Cl.	Ht.	Wt.	ppg	rpg	apg	Hometown-Previous School
3	Dontel Highsmith	G	Sr.-Sr.	6-2	200	8.2	2.4	1.7	Dowagiac, Mich.-Dowagiac
5	Justin Thomas	G	Fr.-Fr.	5-11	180	4.7	1.8	1.3	Indianapolis, Ind.-Pike
15	Jaylen Key	F	So.-So.	6-8	220	8.9	4.9	0.8	Milwaukee, Wisc.-Homestead
23	Aaric Armstead	G	Sr.-Sr.	6-5	195	9.2	5.9	1.8	Chicago, Ill.-La Jolla Prep
34	Marin Maric	C	Sr.-Sr.	6-11	250	13.6	7.9	0.9	Split, Croatia-La Lumiere School

LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan returned to the Convocation Center for a single game versus Kent State, Jan. 31. The Eagles were unable to fend off the MAC East foe and the Golden Flashes walked away from Ypsilanti as 70-64 winners of the midweek contest.

Despite another double-double from James Thompson IV, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds, the Eagles could not get the offense rolling against KSU. Eastern finished the game 21-of-57 from the field (36.8 percent), while also sinking six long balls. EMU controlled the fast break battle, 8-4, in addition to bench scoring, 35-18. The EMU defense forced a whopping 23 turnovers on the game, turning them into 11 steals. Willie Mangum IV had a strong game from downtown, drilling five three pointers and finishing with a team-high total of 22 points, as well as five rebounds.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: Although they're not the most potent offense in the league (72.8 ppg), ranking last in the MAC, the Huskies make up for their struggles on the defensive end. Northern Illinois leads the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense, allowing just 68.3 points per game. Additionally, NIU is one of the better rebounding teams in the league, outrebounding its opponents by 4.3 per game, good for second-best in the conference, while their 7.4 steals per contest also ranks as the second-most behind EMU. The Huskies' center, Marin Maric, is a top-tier big man in the MAC, averaging a team-best 13.6 points per game, while also leading the way for Northern Illinois on the glass with 7.9 rebounds per contest.

CONVOCATION MISCONDUCT: Despite the 166-107 record inside the Convocation Center, including a stout 76-21 tally under Rob Murphy, the Eagles have struggled on their home court since beginning Mid-American Conference play. Holding a record of just 2-3, the Green and White started off on the right foot, defeating Central Michigan at home, 85-63, but since are 1-3, including a pair of losses in which they have not broken the 70-point mark. In games at the Convo, EMU is shooting 42.5 percent from the floor, but 45.4 percent in road games in MAC play. Additionally, the Eagles' defense has been stout on the road, only allowing their opponent to score 70-or-less in all four games away from Ypsilanti. In addition to the tough luck record, the Green and White have been assessed seven technical fouls in five MAC home games.

CAGING THE HUSKIES: In his first five seasons at EMU, Head Coach Rob Murphy has seemingly had Northern Illinois' number. The Huskies are the Green and White's most common opponent during that span, competing in 13 games. In those 13 contests, the Eagles hold a 10-3 record, including a pair of MAC Tournament victories and three wins in DeKalb. The Eagles' three road wins are the most for Murphy against any MAC team outside of Ball State. Murphy has won in Muncie, Ind. on four occasions.

BREAKING THE CURSE: Historically, the Eagles have not fared well when playing at Millett Hall. In fact, the Green and White had not entered Oxford, Ohio and walked away with a win in over 20 years. That all changed Saturday, Jan. 28, when Eastern Michigan stepped inside of Millett and defeated Miami, 74-57. That broke a 12-game losing streak in Oxford.

ROAD WARRIORS: Since EMU started Mid-American Conference play, it is boasting a better record on the road (3-1) than at the Convocation Center (2-3). With that being the case, Eastern Michigan has only started MAC play 3-1 or better in four seasons previous to 2016-17. Those years were 1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1995-96. With the exception of the 1988-89 campaign, each of those teams made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including the 1991 "Sweet 16" and a First Round win over Duke in 1996.

BLOCK PARTY: With their 11 blocks versus Miami, Jan. 28, the Eagles not only set a season-high as a team, but notched 11 blocks versus an NCAA Division I opponent for the first time since Dec. 3, 2013, when the Green and White matched that number against then nationally ranked Massachusetts in a 69-57 loss at the Convocation Center. Additionally, it was the second consecutive game that the Eagles notched 10-or-more blocks. That is a feat that Eastern Michigan has not accomplished since the 2013-14 season when EMU blocked 13 shots in back-to-back games versus Robert Morris, Nov. 14, and Cleveland State, Nov. 18.

A GAME FOR THE AGES: EMU sophomore forward James Thompson IV put together what was most likely the best performance of his career versus Miami, Jan. 28. The Baton Rouge, La. native put up 26 points and 20 rebounds against the RedHawks. That performance marked the 30th double-double of Thompson's career and the 11th of the 2016-17 campaign. Additionally, it was the second time in his career and this season that the 6-foot-10 forward notched 20-or-more rebounds in a single game. It was also the first 20-point and 20-rebound performance for an Eagle in the modern day statistical era, which dates back to the 1997-98 campaign.

WHERE THEY STAND: If the 2017 Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament were to start today, the Eagles would hold one of the coveted top-four spots and receive a bye to the quarterfinal round. The Green and White would own the three seed.

STUFF IT: EMU sophomore center Baylee Steele proved to be the right man in the middle of the Eagles' 2-3 zone in the loss to Ball State, Jan. 24. The Norwalk, Iowa native blocked a season-best five shots against the Cardinals. That was the first time an EMU student-athlete stuffed five-or-more since James Thompson IV blocked five versus Siena Heights, and the most versus an NCAA Division I opponent since former Eagle Karrington Ward blocked Buffalo five times, Feb. 18, 2015.

SECOND HALF STARS: It has become quite evident that the Eagles have grown into a second half team during the 2016-17 campaign. Since the beginning of Mid-American Conference action, Eastern Michigan is performing at a much higher level in the second half. In MAC games, the Green and White averages just 32.1 points in the first half, while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. In the second half, the Eagles post 40.6 points and connect on shots at a 47.3 percent mark. Additionally, Eastern Michigan is outscoring its opponents by 0.2 points per game in the first half, while besting the opponent by five points in the second 20 minutes of MAC games.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Although the Eagles have lost nine games this season, there have been trends that show why that is the case. In losses, the Eagles are shooting well below their season mark of 45.4 percent. In setbacks, EMU is connecting on its field goal attempts at a 38.4 percent clip. Additionally, the Eagles' 70.1 points per game average is 9.8 points less than the season average. It isn't just the offense that has struggled in the losses, as the Green and White are rebounded at a -6.7 margin in losses and force just 15.1 turnovers compared to the 18 turnovers that opponents average overall this year.

RETURN OF THE MAC: With MAC play ramping up, so has Eastern Michigan's defensive play. Since beginning conference play, EMU has only allowed 67.4 points per game, which leads the league. Additionally, the Eagles' opponents are shooting just 38.7 percent from the floor and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc. Eastern is posting a conference best 9.7 steals per game over the MAC season, while also blocking 5.2 shots per contest, both of which rank as the highest rate in the league.

ON THE HORIZON: Following their Saturday afternoon contest with Northern Illinois, the Eagles continue Mid-American Conference action on the road, Tuesday, Feb. 7. Eastern Michigan will travel to Toledo, Ohio and take on Toledo at Savage Arena. The game with the Rockets will tip-off at 7 p.m. and will be available on ESPN3.

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Players Mentioned

Willie Mangum IV

Baylee Steele

James Thompson IV

Eastern Michigan Athletics