EMU, MBB, Part Deux

Next up, the Eagles.  Part II.

BG now faces the Eastern Michigan Eagles, the first team BG has played twice this season. 

They were picked 11th in the MAC, which is where they are right now.  BG has now beaten them 9 straight and 10 of 11.

They came to BG at 7-5 and 5-5 in D1 games, ranked #305 in the nation.  BG won that one in OT, and EMU is 2-10 since that date, 2-9 in MAC play. They beat Kent in YPSI, also in OT, and then beat UB in YPSI.  They have fallen to 336 entering this game.

As mentioned, the first game went to OT at the Stroh.  BG trailed by 8 at the half and needed a stop in regulation to force OT, which they got and they needed another one to clinch the win, with Hill blocking an Acuff shot to close it out.

While exciting at the time, subsequent events suggest it was closer than it needed to be.  BG fell 12 spots in kenpom with the win.

The stats were as close as you would expect.  The difference was fouls.  EMU committed 29 fouls, which is amazing--there are no tactical catch-up fouls in there.  BG made 24 of 38 at the line, (63%) and EMU made 9 of 14.

It is the most FTs BG has made (tied) and taken in a D1 game this year.  BG is #44 in the nation in FTs attempted per game.  BG got to the line 42 times last year against Morgan State, the highest for the year in the MAC.

The game had the top two scorers in the MAC facing off.  Tyson Acuff had 31 and Hill had 35, as the battle lived up to the billing.  Agee had 19 and 11.

Since then...

Hill now leads the MAC in scoring, in MAC games and all games. In MAC games, Acuff is now #5.

They have played without Julius Ellerbe, who started the BG game, for the last 5 contests.

The Eagles are 11th in offensive and defensive efficiency.  They are last in shooting and defending the shot.  They are the worst 3FG shooting and the worst 2FG defense. They are decent on most other things, though they are last in getting to the line and 11th in FT shooting.  They get only 14% of their points at the line...nationally it is 18%.

As mentioned, Acuff is having more issues in MAC games.  His shooting is down to 48% on 2FG and 20% on 3FGs, of which he has tried 64.  He also leads the team with 3 assists per game. Orlando Lovejoy scores 10.4 PPG on 48% 2FG shooting, also not great. Jalin Billingsley leads the team with 4.9 RPG.

Kenpom has BG winning at 66% and ESPN at 76%.  This is one BG needs to win.