An ugly 41-38 CMU loss in which the men’s basketball team shot a season-low 23.3 percent and an even worse 13.3 percent in the first half took attention away from junior forward Andre Coimbra’s first career double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds).

More importantly, CMU coach Ernie Zeigler will have to find a way to replicate the other positive: The way CMU defended EMU forward Brandon Bowdry. The two teams meet again at 7:30 tonight at McGuirk Arena, as CMU (7-17, 4-7 MAC) resumes Mid-American Conference West Division play.

Bowdry, who Zeigler called the best power forward in the MAC, scored just six points in the first meeting. That’s 14 points off his 20.3 points-per-game average, which is second in the conference. Bowdry also leads the conference with 9.6 rebounds per game.

“We are going to definitely look to do a lot of the same things defensively that we were able to accomplish that game,” said Zeigler, who mentioned Bowdry’s nickname, “Beebo,” a moniker similar to “Deebo” from the movies “Friday” and “Friday After Next.”

“(Debo was) always just a bully; that’s who Bowdry can be,” said Zeigler, referring to the character played by Tom Lister, Jr., a 6-foot-6, 300-pound actor and short-lived professional wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation. “We don’t want him to be Deebo here against us.”

Bowdry, a 6-6, 230-pound senior, was neutralized in large part because of the defensive play of Coimbra. Senior forward Jalin Thomas missed the game with a sprained ankle. He has been hampered since he injured the ankle Jan. 15 at Ball State, and Zeigler gave him time off this week to mentally and physically prepare.

Thomas said freshman guard Derek Jackson, who scored 17 points in 29 minutes in a 69-64 win against BGSU on Saturday, has given him some relief.

“Having Derek to, hopefully, be that third consistent scorer, that takes a lot of pressure off me and Trey,” said Thomas, who has not practiced this week.

Both teams are near the bottom of the offensive charts in the conference. The Eagles (7-17, 4-7 MAC) are 10th in scoring offense (62.6 points per game); CMU is 11th (58.8). The Eagles are 11th in field-goal percentage (39.3 percent); CMU is last (38.0).

Coimbra has contributed to the struggles, as he has seemed to take a step back offensively as of late. That, in large part, can be tied to his propensity to foul out.

In 11 conference games, the 6-10 forward has fouled out six times, including in the EMU game, as well as four of the six since the game in Ypsilanti.

Zeigler said the fouls are Coimbra’s biggest issue, something he temporarily corrected last game against Bowling Green.

“His minutes are affected by (the fouls),” Zeigler said. “Secondly, he has the ability to be the scorer around the basket for us as well as his ability to knock down perimeter shots.”

CMU also must be aware of EMU’s other starting forward, Jamell Harris. The 6-9, 215-pound sophomore leads the MAC in blocks (2.46) and had five against CMU in the first meeting.

“Because we want to penetrate, we have to understand we got to use shot-fakes,” Zeigler said. “He’s a very good shot-blocker, but he’s a shot-blocker who is like most shot-blockers, is going for the first thing he sees when the ball is put above your head.”