Preview: Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — Two men’s basketball teams seeking momentum in the back half of Mid-American Conference play will meet Tuesday when Eastern Michigan hosts Central Michigan at the Convocation Center. The Eagles (9-16) and Chippewas (8-17) enter with nearly identical records, though Central Michigan arrives with confidence after a dominant 88-46 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday. Eastern Michigan looks to snap a six-game losing streak, its most recent a 76-62 home loss to Western Michigan on the same day. The matchup is a quick rematch of a Jan. 27 meeting in Mount Pleasant, where Central Michigan routed Eastern Michigan 100-65. Chippewas forward Keenan Garner posted 12 points and five assists in that win. Garner is coming off a double-double performance against Northern Illinois, with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Eastern Michigan will lean on the scoring of guard Addison Patterson, who has been a bright spot during the skid. He is averaging 19.1 points over his last seven games, including a 32-point outing at Kent State on Feb. 11 and 22 points in the loss to Western Michigan. Central Michigan’s recent results have been volatile, mixing blowout wins with narrow defeats. Following the win over Eastern Michigan last month, they edged Bowling Green 62-59 before dropping road contests at Massachusetts and Louisiana-Lafayette. Eastern Michigan’s losing streak features several close calls, including a two-overtime loss to Kent State and three-point defeats at Massachusetts and against Akron. The Chippewas’ offense, which exploded for 100 points in the first meeting, will test an Eastern Michigan defense allowing an average of 76.2 points during its six-game slide. Containing Garner and guard Jaxson Whitaker, who scored 19 against NIU, will be a priority. For the Eagles, generating consistent offense beyond Patterson is crucial. Gregory Lawson added 18 points in the last game, but the team shot just 38.7% from the field in the loss to Western Michigan. Tuesday’s contest is the only scheduled meeting between the in-state conference foes this regular season. Following this game, Central Michigan hosts Western Michigan on Saturday, while Eastern Michigan travels to Toledo.