It’s more than a four-hour drive from Ypsilanti, Mich., home of Eastern Michigan University, to Athens — one that the Eagles will take again next month in order to square off against Ohio in the wake of Wednesday’s game cancellation.
Eastern Michigan made the trip to Athens as usual Tuesday in preparation for its 7 p.m. Wednesday game against Ohio. Because Ohio officials made the decision to close campus as a result of an armed fugitive, however, the game was canceled and rescheduled for Feb. 20 at The Convo.
“If we played the basketball game, students would want to attend, and that would create a lot of traffic on campus,” Ohio University President Roderick McDavis said in a conference call. “That would create the same circumstance that we saw at (immediately after the campus closure).”
Ohio did not practice Wednesday, and players were instructed to leave campus buildings for their residence halls or off-campus residences. Team personnel were not made available for comment.
The last time the Bobcats had a game delayed was in their 2011–12 MAC finale on the road against Miami, which was postponed a day because of severe storms in the area.
The game’s new date, which occupies the next available Wednesday slot on Ohio’s schedule, was announced by the Mid-American Conference league office Wednesday.
It reshuffles Ohio’s schedule, giving the Bobcats (15-5, 6-0 MAC) a pair of home games heading into their Jan. 23 ESPN BracketBuster matchup, which will take place on the road against an opponent to be announced Monday.
Because of the rescheduled game, Ohio’s Saturday bout with Akron — the only other MAC team that remains unbeaten in conference play — will be its third of four straight contests away from its home court.
The Zips (16-4, 7-0 MAC) beat Bowling Green on Wednesday, and are on a 12-game winning streak.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
