GAME NOTES: The Eastern Michigan Eagles will clash with the Youngstown State Penguins in non-conference action in the second game of the EMU Showcase Friday at the EMU Convocation Center.

Youngstown State comes into the multi-team event having lost two of three games already this season. The Penguins experienced a turbulent offseason, and after finishing near the bottom of the Horizon League in March, the Penguins need to find replacements for key departures.

Eastern Michigan has high hopes this season in the Mid-American Conference, and things are already looking up. The Eagles are 2-0 with wins over Saint Francis (Illinois) and Oakland to start the new campaign.

The two squads have met 10 times on the court before. The Eagles hold a slim all-time series advantage, 6-4, with the most recent win in a contest that was played in 2005.

The Penguins took on Central Michigan - another MAC program - in their latest outing, and were dropped by the Chippewas, 75-63. YSU trailed by 11 at halftime, and never made any strides to get back into the game in the second half. The Penguins did get plenty of help from guard Marcus Keene, who scored a team-high 24 points with five rebounds. But the only other player in double figures was Shaun Stewart, who netted 14 points with six boards. Center Bobby Hain had an off night, scoring just seven points with three rebounds in 28 minutes. As a unit, the team shot 36.8 percent from the floor.

Youngstown State was one of the better scoring teams in the entire Horizon League last season, and sported the conference's leading scorer in Kendrick Perry. Without Perry and a few other pieces, the Penguins are trying to find a working combination on the floor. Hain is still the leading scorer on the team, even after his dud of a game against CMU, with 14.7 ppg. He sits on a 6.3 rpg average as well, which is second behind Shawn Amiker's 6.7 rpg mark. Keene check in behind Hain in scoring at 14.3 ppg, with Amiker right there as well at 12.3 ppg.

Eastern Michigan made a statement offensively against Oakland in the team's latest outing. The Eagles poured in 89 points against the Golden Grizzlies in an 89-77 beatdown, aided by 49.2 percent shooting from the floor in the game. Raven Lee scored a team-high 24 points, while Karrington Ward notched a huge double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Mike Talley contributed 11 points off the bench in the win, padding a bench that scored 29 points against the Grizzlies. Now at 2-0, the Eagles will be home for the next three games as the Showcase continues.

Ward and Lee are the two best scorers for the Eagles through the first two contests. The forward Ward is netting 19.0 ppg with a 10.0 rpg average, adding in five steals and two blocked shots to his season resume. Lee got a big boost from the 24-point effort, and is now at 17.5 ppg this season. Talley has been coming off the bench in the first two games, but still has a team-best 10 assists. The Eagles are netting 76.5 ppg and are holding the opposition to 64.5 ppg.

Having the home advantage certainly helps the Eagles in the next three days, but Eastern Michigan is turning into a power in the MAC, especially on the offensive end. Youngstown State will need a lot of offense in order to keep pace.