East Division Featured in Friday Night MACtion
MBB Release: https://bit.ly/2FZvrJ8
Updated Statistics: https://bit.ly/2STKuGG
Schedule
Friday, February 22nd
Bowling Green at Ohio - 6:30 PM ET (CBSSN)
Kent State at Buffalo- 7:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
Saturday, February 23rd
Central Michigan at Ball State - 2:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Miami at Akron - 2:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan - 2:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Northern Illinois at Toledo - 6:00 PM ET (CBSSN)
What You Need To Know...
• With a win on Friday, Bowling Green and Buffalo would clinch a top-four seed in the 2019 MAC Tournament
• Buffalo Senior CJ Massinburg went over the 1,800-point mark for his career, only the third player in school history to do so. He is 16 points shy of third place on UB’s all-time scoring list.
• A 22-0 run lasting nearly eight minutes led Eastern Michigan to a victory over Toledo on Tuesday night.
• The MAC is currently ranked as the ninth conference in the nation based on average NET Rankings. (Feb. 13, 2019). Buffalo (18), Toledo (65) and Bowling Green (98) are currently ranked in the Top-100.
Team-By-Team Notes
AKRON
The visiting Akron men's basketball team could not overcome 23 second-half points from Bowling Green's Justin Turner as the top-ranked Falcons defeated the Zips 73-69 at the Stroh Center on Tuesday night. Junior guard Jeremy Roscoe (Chicago, Ill.) led Akron's scoring efforts with a career-high 16 points. He shot 66.7 percent from all areas of the floor, knocking down 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. Akron will be back in action at James A. Rhodes Arena, hosting the Miami RedHawks on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. The Zips look to even the season series and avenge an early season league loss in Oxford (68-61).
BALL STATE
The Cardinals (14-12, 5-8 MAC) saw their three-game winning streak snapped, as the RedHawks (14-12, 6-7 MAC) earned a sweep of the season series between the teams. Ball State suffered through an off-night shooting, hovering in the low 30-percent range for most of the game before seeing some shots fall during its late rally. Persons led Ball State with 16 points, while K.J. Walton added 11. Ball State will return home to close out the month of February with two home games. The Cardinals welcome Central Michigan for a 2 p.m. tipoff Saturday on "Hoosieroons and Hoops Day"
BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green and Ohio are set to conclude this season’s home-and-home series on Friday (Feb. 22) night in Athens. BGSU defeated OU earlier in the season inside the Stroh Center by a score of 82-63 on Jan. 8, 2019. BGSU is one win away from securing a 20-win season for the 14th time in program history. Bowling Green is off to its best start through 13 conference games in school history. The 2018-19 Falcons have won 11-plus MAC games for the 11th time in BGSU men’s basketball history and the Falcons have reached the 20-win plateau five times since 1981. With a win on Friday, Bowling Green would clinch a top-four seed in the 2019 MAC Tournament, which would give the Falcons a first-round bye to the quarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
BUFFALO
The Bulls remain home for the middle game of a three-game homestand on Friday evening when they host Kent State in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2. Buffalo came back to defeat the Golden Flashes 88-79 on the road in late January. UB has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams. Buffalo has won 23 straight games at Alumni Arena, the third longest home winning streak in the country. UB trails only Tennessee (24) and Houston (32). The Bulls have won 16 straight Mid-American Conference home games. UB remained in the top 25 for a MAC record 15th straight week as they are 25th in the latest AP Poll. The 15 weeks extend the Mid-American Conference record, surpassing the 11 straight weeks that Bowling Green was ranked during the 1961-62 season. It is also the longest consecutive streak by a Big 4 program.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Central Michigan men's basketball team received key contributions from a variety of sources, as the Chippewas earned a hard-fought 84-74 MAC win over Kent State Tuesday night in McGuirk Arena. The win was CMU's fourth-straight at home and upped its record this season in McGuirk Arena to 12-2. Tuesday's win over the Golden Flashes coupled with a 76-69 Eastern Michigan victory over Toledo pulls the Chippewas within of the Rockets for first place in the MAC West. The Chippewas start a two-game road trip Saturday in Muncie, Ind., facing Ball State at 2 p.m. at Worthen Arena.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team turned the tables with a 22-0 run lasting nearly eight minutes en route to a crucial 76-69 victory over the Toledo. Minnie led the Eagles with 23 points and nine rebounds, finishing 8-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Jackson added 19 points and led the Eagles with five assists and five steals. Eastern Michigan returns to the Convocation Center Saturday, Feb. 23 for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Western Michigan.
KENT STATE
The Kent State University men's basketball team hits the road on Friday, Feb. 22 against nationally ranked and Mid-American Conference leader No. 25 Buffalo at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Kent State dropped to 19-7 overall and 8-5 in conference play after falling to Central Michigan on the road, 84-74. Kent State leads the conference in fewest turnovers (295) and rank 46th in the nation and a 16.1 turnover percentage on possessions ranking 28th in the country.
MIAMI
The Miami University men's basketball team came away with a 69-66 win over Ball State on Tuesday evening. The win moves the RedHawks to 14-12 overall and 6-7 in Mid-American Conference action. Story of the game was sophomore Precious Ayah. Dalonte Brown suffered an injury just 90 seconds into the game, forcing Ayah into early action. Ayah responded with a career-high 28 minutes, 11 points and 13 rebounds (five offensive). Miami returns to action Saturday, Feb. 23 with a trip to Akron, Ohio. Opening tip is set for 2 p.m.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois University men's basketball team fell to Bowling Green this past Saturday, 87-67, at the NIU Convocation Center. Senior Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) led four Huskies in double figures with 18 points, along with a team-high six rebounds. NIU will have a week off before the Huskies return to action next Saturday, February 23, at Toledo. Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be available on CBS Sports Network.
OHIO
Despite a team-high 16 points from redshirt sophomore forward Jason Carter, the Ohio men's basketball team (11-14, 3-10 MAC) would be unable to overcome a hot shooting Bulls team, falling to No. 25 Buffalo (23-3, 11-2 MAC), 114-67, Tuesday night (Feb. 19) inside Alumni Arena. The Bobcats were led by Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) who scored 16 points, going 5-of-10 from the field, 1-of-1 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Senior forward Doug Taylor (Columbus, Ohio), finished the game with 14 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-5 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Teyvion Kirk (Joliet, Ill,) scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Bobcats
TOLEDO
Toledo let a 12-point lead slip away on Tuesday evening as Eastern Michigan rallied for a 76-69 Mid-American Conference victory over the Rockets (20-6, 8-5 MAC) at the Convocation Center. The defeat reduces Toledo's lead in the MAC's West Division to one game over Central Michigan (18-8, 7-6) and two over the Eagles (12-14, 6-7). Sophomore Marreon Jackson led UT with 14 points and six assists. Senior Nate Navigato tallied 13 points, while junior Willie Jackson contributed 10 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Toledo returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 23 when it hosts Northern Illinois.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
WMU is coming off three home games in five days in which the Broncos picked up their first two wins in MAC play …. After defeating Miami in OT, the Broncos are now 2-1 in OT games this season, outscoring its opponents 34-22 … with 234 rebounds, Seth Dugan is just 43 rebounds away from cracking the Top 10 in a single season in school history.
