The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team is getting ready for the ESPN Bracket Buster game on the road versus the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix Saturday at 2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan (11-15, 6-6 MAC) just completed six straight games against Mid-American Conference East opponents with a win over Ohio on Saturday. The win ended a three-game losing streak, with two of those game lost by five or fewer points. Even if EMU finished 2-4 versus MAC East teams, Coach Rob Murphy feels his squad can compete with any team from any conference.
“A lot of people get caught up in East versus West, but I think we can compete with anybody,” Murphy said. “In building this program, I want to compete with all teams and be able to withstand everyone in this league.”
Senior guard Darrell Lampley continues to be the leader in Eastern Michigan’s scoring (13.8 PPG), but has allowed other players to get involved in the scoring. Junior guard Derek Thompson turned in a season-high 23 points versus Ohio. In that same game, juniors Antonio Green and Jamell Harris also scored points in double digits. Harris is the team leader in rebounds, but centers Matt Balkema and Da’Shonte Riley have also chipped in.
Green Bay (11-14, 7-8 Horizon) sits eighth in the Horizon League standings. GB had a rough non-conference schedule with losses against Duquesne, Virginia, Wisconsin and Marquette.
The Phoenix started their conference schedule with wins against Illinois-Chicago and Loyola. They went on the road and lost to Butler, Valparaiso, Milwaukee and Cleveland State, but Green Bay turned the tables and got victories over Butler and Valparaiso at home. Now the Phoenix have won four out of the last six games.
Seven-foot-one sophomore center Alec Brown is the leading scorer for Green Bay and tied for seventh in the Horizon League (13.8 points per game). He also broke the school’s career blocks record (134) versus Milwaukee Feb. 4 only 54 games into his college career.
Brown also holds the team lead in total rebounds (185).
“I don’t really think about [the record] a whole lot,” Brown said. “I’m just trying to help my guys get into position and time it right.”
Eastern will have to keep an eye on Kam Cerroni, Green Bay’s leader in three-point field goal percentage (.465), which is good for the Horizon League lead.
Both teams played conference games Tuesday night. EMU lost 55-52 to rival Central Michigan at Mount Pleasant, which ended a nine-game losing streak for the Chippewas. Meanwhile, Green Bay pulled out a 71-65 victory over Youngstown State at home.
Eastern Michigan has a 5-3 record in Bracket Buster games. The last win came in the previous season when the Eagles beat Jacksonville State 63-60. It was Thompson that came up clutch with the game-winning three-point shot when both teams were tied at 60.
Green Bay and EMU have played each other nine times since the 1969-70 season, with Green Bay leading the series 5-4.
EMU returns to the Convocation Center Wednesday as Northern Illinois comes to town for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Material from the Green Bay’s athletic website was used for this article.
