MAC Crossover Play Begins Tonight With Pair of Games

• The Cardinals have won six out of their last seven games heading into the showdown with Akron. Ball State is averaging 66.8 points per game while leading the MAC on the defensive end limiting opponents to 58.1 points per game. Senior forward Jarrod Jones leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game and on the glass at 8.4 rebounds per game. Senior guard Randy Davis leads the team with 106 assists while also adding 8.5 points per game... Today’s game is the sixth-straight contest in which the Zips will appear on TV (4-1).Over the last 11 games, UA has posted an 9-2 record.  The Zips have outscored their opponents by 11.0 ppg (75.5-64.5), are averaging 15.5 assists/game and hold a +4.5 rebounding advantage. Akron has seven players averaging 7.0 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (10.7), Nikola Cvetinovic (10.4), Nick Harney (10.4), Quincy Diggs (9.4), Brian Walsh (8.1), Alex Abreu (7.7) and Demetrius Treadwell (7.0).

• The Bulls will begin crossover play when they host Eastern Michigan of the MAC’s West  Division on Tuesday night. It will be the MAC’s  top offense in Buffalo going against one of the league’s best defenses in Eastern Michigan.   Buffalo is coming off a 68-66 win at Bowling Green on Saturday.  The Bulls were led by Javon McCrea who notched his fourth double-double  of the season with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Buffalo leads the MAC and ranks fourth in the nation in rebounding (41.7 rpg)...Eastern Michigan is coming off a 41-38 win over Toledo on Saturday.  The Eagles are led by Darrell  Lampley who is averaging 12.9 points and  2.3  assists per game. It has been 14 years between 4-1 Mid-American starts for the EMU men’s basketball team. This year’s Eagles have jumped out to a 4-1 start to the Mid-American Conference season to share the West Division lead with Ball State. The last time the Eagles were 4-1 to begin a league campaign was 1996-97.  That ‘96-’97squad won its first four games, lost one, and then won three more for a 7-1 start. The team finished 11-7 in the MAC that season, good for fourth place. Eastern was 22-10 overall in ‘96-’97.