SATURDAY’S GAME: Miami rounds out a two-game road stretch when the RedHawks travel to Eastern Michigan for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 29. 

ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Eagles enter Saturday’s game with a 7-11 overall record and a 2-5 Mid-American Conference mark. EMU has lost four straight and is coming off an 85-71 loss at Bowling Green on Tuesday. Noah Farrakhan paces the Eagles at 16.2 ppg. Nate Scott leads EMU on the boards at 5.4 rpg. 

THE SERIES WITH THE EAGLES: Saturday marks the 80th meeting between Miami and Eastern Michigan with the RedHawks holding a 52-27 advantage in the all-time series. When playing in Ypsilanti, Miami is 22-16 against the Eagles. MU has won the last three meetings, including an 85-63 win in Ypsilanti last year. The Eagles’ last win in the series also was their last win against Miami on their home court, a 58-57 win on Feb. 13, 2018.

UP NEXT: Miami returns home to host Kent State at 7p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1 before back-to-back games with Akron, traveling to play the Zips on Friday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. on CBSSN before returning home to host Akron on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.

TELEVISION: Saturday’s game will be aired on ESPN3. 

RADIO: In its third year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami men’s basketball with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. Terry Bridge will call the action. Tune-in to one of Miami’s gameday affiliates:
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)

SCHEDULE UPDATES: Miami has two previously postponed games moved and another game adjusted. Miami will travel to Akron for a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 4 on CBSSN and is now scheduled to host Akron on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. The RedHawks will entertain Central Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

LAIRY JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB: Senior guard Mekhi Lairy scored his 1,000th career point on his final bucket during overtime in a thrilling 85-82 win against Northern Illinois on Jan. 22 becoming the 38tth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Lairy needed 21 points entering the contest and scored exactly 21 points against the Huskies. He has 1,010 career points entering Miami’s next contest.

LAIRY AND GRANT AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Senior guard Mekhi Lairy and junior guard Dae Dae Grant rank among the top 25 in free throw percentage and assist/turnover ratio, respectively. Lairy ranks sixth nationally in free throw percentage (.938), while Grant ranks 22nd in assist/turnover ratio (2.70). Both lead the MAC in their respective categories. 

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Although, junior guard Dae Dae Grant is Miami’s leading scorer at 17.0 ppg, he also leads the team in assists at 4.1 apg. Twice this season he has posted eight-assist games. He had 61 assists in 32 games as a freshman and 55 in 23 games as a sophomore. Through 17 games this season, he is at 73 assists.

BROWN IN THE CLUTCH: Senior forward Dalonte Brown was clutch for the RedHawks in their 85-82 overtime win against Northern Illinois on Jan. 22. Brown scored 20 of his team-leading 24 points in the second half and overtime to help Miami erase a late 15-point deficit in the second half. He hit the game-tying three-pointer with 11 seconds left to send the game into an extra period, and drained the game-winning triple with 0.8 seconds left in OT.

BLOCK PARTY: Senior forward Precious Ayah amassed a career-high six blocked shots against Toledo on Jan. 11, tripling his previous career-high and tying for third on Miami’s all-time, single-game chart. Ayah paced Miami in a nine-block performance as a team, which tied for sixth on the RedHawks’ team single-game chart. Ayah leads the MAC in blocks per game on the season (1.50) and also in conference-only games (2.29). Forward Dalonte Brown, James Beck and Elijah McNamara each recorded one blocked shot against the Rockets. 

CENTURY CLUB: Senior guard Mekhi Lairy became the latest member of Miami’s Century Club, playing in his 100th career game at Bowling Green on Jan. 8. Lairy has now played in 105 career games and joins three other active RedHawk players who have played in 100+ games. Forward Precious Ayah and senior guard Isaiah Coleman-Lands played in their 100th career games against Cincinnati on Dec. 1. Ayah has played in 111 career games, Coleman-Lands has played in 110, and senior forward Dalonte Brown owns the career record for games played (136). 

HIGH PERCENTAGES: Senior forward Precious Ayah leads the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting a scorching 70.3 percent from the floor, while senior guard Mekhi Lairy leads the MAC in free throw percentage (.938) and junior guard Dae Dae Grant ranks fourth (.857). Junior guard Myja White ranks sixth in the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. 

BROWN BREAKS BOTH GAMES STARTED AND PLAYED CAREER RECORDS: Breaking Ron Harper’s record of 118 for career starts with a start at Indiana State on Dec. 4 and Geovonie McKnight’s record for career games played of 126 on Dec. 14, senior forward Dalonte Brown is now the Miami career record holder in both categories. Brown’s 129 career starts and 136 career games played are the new Miami records. 

CHART CLIMBER: Senior forward Dalonte Brown is climbing several Miami career top-10 lists and continues to climb the points scored list. Here is where he stands entering Miami’s next game:

• Starts: 129 (1st, set record Dec. 4)
• Games Played: 136 (1st, set record Dec. 14)
• 3-Point FG: 182 (6th, 5 away from No. 5)
• Rebounds: 785 (9th, 15 from No. 8)
• Scoring: 1,454 (11th, 5 from No. 10)

ODDS ‘N ENDS

• Senior guard Mekhi Lairy has made 29 consecutive free throws, dating back to the second half of the RedHawks’ Nov. 27 game at Western Illinois.
• Miami drained 15 three-pointers against Bowling Green on Jan. 8, which ties for fifth on the program’s single-game charts. Earlier in the season, Miami hit 17 triples against Lamar, which ties for second all-time in a single game at Miami.
• Miami ranks among the top three in the MAC in 13 statistical categories, leading the league in four categories: assist/turnover ratio, 3-point field goals per game, fewest turnovers and turnovers per game. 
• Miami ranks among the top 15 nationally in three statistical categories, including ranking 10th in free throw percentage and 13th in turnovers per game and fewest turnovers.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS