Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU to Face Ohio Wednesday Night
2/6/2006 2:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game time set for 7 p.m. in Athens, Ohio
Complete Game Notes (PDF).
Listen to the game via WEMU Radio.
Gametracker Live Statistics.
EAGLES TRAVEL TO ATHENS FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT MATCH-UP: The EMU women’s basketball team returns to the road with a stop in Athens, Ohio to face the Bobcats of Ohio University, Feb. 8. The Eagles enter the game with a mark of 14-6 (8-1 MAC) and a two-game advantage in the race for the MAC West Division title, on the other side of the court the Bobcats are 7-13 (4-5 MAC) and still in the hunt for a first round bye in the upcoming Kraft MAC Tournament.
THE SERIES WITH OHIO: Wednesday’s contest marks the 43rd meeting between the Bobcats and Eagles, who first met during the 1980-81 season. Ohio leads the series, 27-15, but EMU has won three of the last four contests including a 93-61 victory last season at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Jan. 22, 2005.
Historically, OU’s Convocation Center a has been a building that Eastern teams have struggled in. The Green and White have posted an all-time record of 4-16 in the 38-year old building. The Eagles’ most recent EMU victory in Athens occurred Jan. 27, 1999, when Eastern took home a 93-70 victory.
JUST THREE HOME GAMES LEFT: The Eagles return to the Convocation Center just three more times in the 2005-06 regular season. EMU hosts Miami Saturday, Feb. 11, in a televised "MAC Game of the Week" showdown at 2 p.m. Eastern then hits the road for three before wrapping up the season with a two-game homestand hosting Ball State Saturday, Feb. 25, and instate rival Central Michigan Wednesday, March 1.
KNAPP NEEDS 45 TO BECOME ALL-TIME LEADER IN REBOUNDS: Senior Nikki Knapp’s countdown to become the school’s all-time leader in career rebounds has officially begun. The 2005-06 preseason All-MAC honoree has 741 career boards and needs 45 more to surpass Stephanie Smiley’s standard of 785.
THE ROAD WARRIORS ARE COMING BACK: The Eagles have been a good road team under Head Coach Suzy Merchant. In eight years under Merchant, EMU is 51-45 in road contests and 14-14 in neutral site games. This trend continues in the MAC, as the Eagles are 32-28 in conference road games.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Eagles’ win over Akron moved the team’s record to 10-2 at the Convocation Center this winter, and continued the team’s recent success at home. Last season, EMU posted a record of 11-1 in the "Nest" and have won 48 of the last 60 home games dating to the 2001-02 campaign. EMU out scored the opponents by 23.5 points per game at the Convo last season. This year, the Eagles have out scored foes by an average of 13.0 points through 10 home games.
A LOOK BACK AT THE NINE-GAME WINNING STREAK: During EMU’s recent school-record nine game winning streak, the Eagles won games by an average of more than 17 points (66.7 to 49.4) and out-rebounded opponents by nearly eight boards per game (38.3 to 30.0). Hot shooting was another key as Eastern shot 46.6 percent from the floor while the defense held the opposition to just 33.4 percent.
A MAC FIRST VERSUS BGSU: According to research by the Mid-American Conference office, the game Wednesday, Feb. 1, between Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green marked the first time in league history that a pair of 7-0 teams had met. In fact, teams with a 3-0 or better record had matched up only four times in league history.
DEFENSE GETTING IT DONE FOR EMU: Eastern has held eight opponents to less than 50 points this season. Last year the Eagles’ defense accomplished that feat six times, while the 2003-04 squad set the school-record at nine. EMU has given up 70 or more points just four times this season and tops the league in field-goal percentage defense (35.7).
PERFECT VERSUS THE MAC WEST: Eastern Michigan opened the 2006 Mid-American Conference campaign by sweeping its five West Division rivals to jump off to a quick two-game lead in the chase for the division title. During the span, the Eagles are winning games by an average of more than 15 points (67.2 to 51.4) and out-rebounding opponents by eight boards (37.2 to 29.0).
MCKINNEY BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS: Sophomore Patrice McKinney has been making heads turn throughout the Mid-American Conference this season. After struggling to begin the season, the Lansing native averaged 12.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game during the Eagles nine-game winning streak.
McKinney is playing only her second season of college basketball in four years and her first in an Eastern Michigan uniform. A Nike All-American finalist in high school, she redshirted the 2002-03 season at Michigan State after suffering a torn ACL before the season started. McKinney returned in 2003-04 to play in all 30 games for the Spartans, as MSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. Following the season she elected to transfer to EMU and due to NCAA transfer rules, had to sit out the 2004-05 campaign.
INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU: In its 14 victories this season, EMU is averaging 66.1 points while the opposition is posting just 49.8 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 32.9 percent from the field compared to 43.8 percent for the Eagles. In defeats, the Eagles are only scoring 61.5 points, while giving up 71.5.
Another factor in the Eagles’ success has been the ability to control the glass. EMU is grabbing 41.6 rebounds to just 31.6 for the opponents in the wins, while in setbacks EMU is being out-rebounded by nearly six boards (37.0 to 42.8).
EMU VERSUS THE MAC: This is EMU’s 25th season competing in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles hold a 165-244 record against current conference foes and are looking for their sixth straight winning season in the MAC. EMU has had the most success against Northern Illinois, going 17-7, and the least versus Miami, 9-33. Western Michigan has been the Green and White’s most frequent opponent with 58 meetings while Buffalo holds the distinction of the fewest conference games against the Eagles with 11.
