YPSILANTI, Michigan — No. 20 Buffalo will open Mid-American Conference play on Friday night when it travels to Convocation Center to take on Eastern Michigan live on CBS Sports Network, starting at 9:00 pm ET. Audio | Video | Live stats
These two programs have faced-off on 26 previous occasions with Buffalo leading the all-time head-to-head series 15-11.
Since joining the MAC, the Bulls (12-1) also hold a 2-1 lead when the two teams meet each other in conference openers.
On Friday night, Eastern Michigan will welcome its highest ever ranked team at the Convocation Center, while Buffalo is also the first ranked program to feature on that court since No. 21 UMass picked up a 69-57 on Dec. 3, 2013.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Bulls, who are making their best start since the 1962-63 season, have an 88.4 percent chance to win this game.
The Eagles are 6-7 through the opening 13 games of the season, but have played a very tough out of conference schedule, which also included trips to No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Kansas.
They head into this game on the back of an 87-63 defeat in Kansas on Saturday, with John Thompson IV finishing with 15 points and 14 rebounds and team-leading scorer Paul Jackson ending with 15 points for the Eagles.
Buffalo, which will open league play against a MAC West opponent for the third successive year, closed out its nonconference fixture with an 87-72 victory over Canisius last Saturday night to bounce back from its first loss of the season against then-No. 20 Marquette on Dec 21.
