MARCH IS HERE: Nationally Televised Double-Header Tonight on CBS Sports Network
MBB Release: https://bit.ly/2FZvrJ8
Updated Statistics: https://bit.ly/2STKuGG
Friday, March 1st
Kent State at Bowling Green - 6:00 PM ET (CBS Sports Network)
Buffalo at Miami - 8:00 PM ET (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, March 2nd
Ohio at Akron - 2:00 PM ET (
ESPN+)
Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois - 3:00 PM ET (
ESPN+)
Ball State at Western Michigan 4:00 PM (
ESPN+)
Toledo at Central Michigan - 4:30 PM ET (
ESPN+)
What You Need To Know...
• Buffalo Head coach Nate Oats has been named one of 15 finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.
• With a win on Saturday, Bowling Green would be the second team to clinch a top-four seed in the 2019 MAC Tournament.
• Kent State guard Jaylin Walker moved into the No. 2 spot in all-time points with 1,715 career-points. He needs 106 points to pass the all-time leader, Trevor Huffman (1,820).
• The MAC is currently ranked as the eighth conference in the nation based on average NET Rankings. (Mar. 1, 2019). Buffalo (15) and Toledo (62) are currently ranked in the Top-100.
Team-By-Team Notes
AKRON
The Akron men's basketball team battled No. 21 ranked Buffalo to the finish, but the Zips fell short as the Bulls closed with a 14-2 run for a 77-64 decision at Alumni Arena on Tuesday night. Junior guard Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.) led the Zips' scoring with his second-consecutive 20-point effort. The game featured 12 lead changes and 10 tied scores. Akron will wrap-up the regular season at home with back-to-back games. The Zips are scheduled to host Ohio on Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m.
BALL STATE
The Ball State men's basketball team turned in one of its best offensive performances in recent weeks but struggled to defend Toledo in an 80-72 loss Tuesday night at Worthen Arena. Teague scored 11 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career. He joined teammates Tayler Persons, Trey Moses and Austin Nehls to give the Cardinals four members of the 1,000-point club. Only Nevada has more active 1,000 point scorers with seven, and all of them are transfers. Persons led Ball State with 20 points on the night. Ball State will play its next two games on the road, starting with Saturday's 4:30 p.m. matchup at Western Michigan.
BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green is set to finish its home-and-home series with Kent State on Friday (March 1) night at the Stroh Center. In the conference opener on Jan. 5, BG defeated the Golden Flashes in Kent by a score of 86-64. BGSU is 11-4 in conference play, having won 11-plus MAC games for just the 11th time in program history. 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. BGSU is one win away from securing a 20-win season for the 14th time in program history
BUFFALO
The Bulls return to the road with the #1 seed on the line Friday night at Miami (OH). A Buffalo win will clinch at least a share of the MAC Regular Season title on Friday, however, if Bowling Green loses to Kent State earlier in the day, UB can clinch the regular season title outright. Head coach Nate Oats has been named one of 15 finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award. He won his 89th game on Tuesday, moving his winning percentage up to .679, surpassing mentor Bobby Hurley for the highest in UB program history. Buffalo is one of only six school with three or fewer losses joining Houston, Virginia, Gonzaga, Nevada, and Tennessee.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Kevin McKay scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half en route to his second consecutive double-double on Tuesday as the Central Michigan men's basketball team overcame a 12-point second-half deficit in topping Eastern Michigan, 77-66. The Chippewas outscored the Eagles, 52-31, in the second half and made 10 of their 19 3-point attempts on the night. CMU improved to 20-8, 9-6 MAC with its first win in Ypsilanti and a sweep of the season series with Eastern since 2014-15. It also gave the Chippewas their third 20-win season in their last five, and it marked the first time since the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons that they have recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team was unable to counter hot second-half shooting from Central Michigan University in a 77-66 setback Tuesday. Senior James Thompson IV (Baton Rouge, La.-Parkview Baptist) recorded 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double and 12th of the season. Redshirt senior Paul Jackson (Stone Mountain, Ga.-Martin Luther King Jr. (Eastern Kentucky)) led the Green and White with 19 points. Eastern Michigan hits the road Saturday, March 2 when it travels to DeKalb, Ill. to take on Northern Illinois University for a 2 p.m. CT showdown.
KENT STATE
he Kent State University men's basketball team hits the road and will travel to Bowling Green for another Friday night matchup on national television. Kent State has improved to 20-8, 9-6 MAC after a 78-73 win at home against Ohio on Tuesday. Kent State has reached 20 wins for the 17th time in 21 years. Walker moved into the No. 2 spot in all-time points with 1,715 career-points. He needs 106 points to pass the all-time leader, Trevor Huffman (1,820).
MIAMI
The Miami University men's basketball team hosts Mid-American Conference leader, No. 21/23 Buffalo on Friday. This is the first time a ranked team will play inside Millett Hall since 18th-ranked San Diego State came to town for the CBE Classic on Nov. 22, 2010. The last time Miami beat a ranked team in Millett was when 17th-ranked Temple visited on Nov. 30, 2000. Sophomore guard Nike Sibande scored 20 points in helping lead Miami to a win at Bowling Green on Tuesday. He now has 948 career points and is 52 points away from becoming the 35th member of the Miami 1,000-point club.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Four players scored in double figures, led by 16 points from senior Levi Bradley, as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team defeated Western Michigan, 70-65, on Tuesday night. Junior Eugene German finished with seven points, seeing his streak of 58 consecutive double-figure scoring games come to an end, but dished out a career-best seven assists. NIU will close the home portion of its regular season on Saturday afternoon, March 2, when the Huskies host Eastern Michigan at 2 p.m.
OHIO
The Ohio men's basketball team (12-15, 4-11 MAC) returned to action on Tuesday (Feb. 26) night. Falling to Kent State (20-8, 9-6 MAC), 78-73, in a back-and-forth battle that saw nine lead changes. Leading Ohio was redshirt sophomore forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio), who scored 20 points, going 7-of-9 from the field, 3-of-3 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Up next, the Bobcats head to Akron, Ohio on Saturday, March 2 to take on Akron.
TOLEDO
Toledo started strong and never trailed in a critical 80-72 victory at Ball State on Tuesday evening. The victory kept the Rockets (22-6, 10-5 MAC) one game in front of Central Michigan (20-8, 9-6 MAC) in the Mid-American Conference's West Division. The backcourt tandem of sophomore Marreon Jackson and senior Jaelan Sanford led Toledo's attack with 19 and 18 points, respectively. UT didn't have any other double-digit scorers but all eight Rockets who played scored six or more points. Toledo snapped a five-game losing streak vs. Ball State and posted its first win in Muncie since 2015.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Broncos were unable to make a late second half surge, falling to the NIU Huskies 70-65 on Tuesday night. WMU had a pair score in double figures with senior Seth Dugan leading the way with his 13th double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds. It's the third straight game the Otsego, Mich., native has recorded double digit rebounds along with his second straight double-double. Dugan has registered a double-double in five of the last seven contests.
