Eastern Michigan Athletics
Women's Basketball Looks to Get Back On Track Saturday at Akron
1/30/2007 2:58:52 PM | Women's Basketball
Game time set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, in Akron, Ohio
Complete Game Notes (PDF).
Live Stats.
EMU LOOKS TO GET BACK ON THE WINNING TRACK VERSUS AKRON: The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team hits the road for the first of a pair of two-game road swings in the Mid-American Conference this season, first making the trek to Akron, Ohio Saturday, Feb. 3, for a matchup with the University of Akron. Both teams are coming off losses, with the Eagles (11-8, 6-2 MAC) falling to No. 16/16 Bowling Green State University, 72-52, Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Meanwhile, the Zips (7-13, 0-8 MAC) are still looking for their first league victory of the year after dropping an 82-58 decision Saturday at Western Michigan University. The contest will be shown on Comcast Local television (Channel 8 in the Ypsilanti area) and FSN Ohio. Jeff Phelps will provide the play-by-play while Toni Roesch will serve as the color analyst.
THE SERIES WITH THE ZIPS: Saturday’s contest marks the 24th meeting between the Zips and Eagles, who first met during the 1981-82 season. UA leads the series, 12-11, but EMU has won the last six contests including a 68-51victory last season at the Convocation Center, Feb. 4, 2006. During that six-year span, the Eagles are winning games by an average of more than 34 points (82.5 to 47.8). EMU has been nearly as dominate in the JAR, winning the last three meetings by more than 28 points (81.6 to 53.0).
MAC BENCH WOES: In Eastern Michigan’s 6-2 Mid-American Conference start, the Eagles have relied heavily on their starting five for production in every game and seen the production from the bench fall. EMU has gotten 82 percent of its scoring (54.4 ppg) and 69 percent of its rebounding (27.0 rpg) from its starting five in conference action. EMU’s best bench outing in conference came with 21 points and 14 boards at Toledo accounting for 21 percent of the scoring and 14 percent of the rebounding. The bench is averaging 12.3 ppg (18% of total) and 12.4 rpg (31%) in conference play. That is down eight points and one rebound per game from 20.4 ppg (29%) and 13.6 rpg (34%) in non-conference action.
VANMETRE MOVES INTO 10TH ALL-TIME IN CAREER SCORING: With 14 points against No. 16 Bowling Green, senior Sarah VanMetre moved into 10th all-time at Eastern Michigan with 1,231 career points passing former EMU great and now assistant coach Abby Wiseman. At her current 17.4 ppg pace she can move into the eighth spot before the end of the season.
VANMETRE NEEDS EIGHT REBOUNDS FOR 700: Senior Sarah VanMetre’s countdown to 700 career points is nearly complete. The 2004 Mid-American Conference Sixth Man of the Year has 692 career rebounds and needs eight more to become the fifth player in school history to grab at least 700 career caroms. The last player to accomplish that feat was Ryan Coleman who collected her 700th rebound against Miami, Feb. 11, 2006.
WATTS POST CAREER-HIGH 16 POINTS: Freshman Kelly Watts set a career-high with a pair of three pointers and shot 6-of-7 from the field to score a career-high 16 points in EMU’s 77-55 setback to nationally ranked Bowling Green, Jan. 28.
JUST THREE HOME GAMES LEFT: The Eagles return to the Convocation Center just three more times in the 2006-07 regular season. The Eagles hit the road for a pair at Akron (Feb. 3) and Miami (Feb. 10) before hosting Ohio (Feb. 10) at 2 p.m. on E-Club Hall of Fame Induction Day. Eastern then travels to DeKalb, Ill. for a rematch with Northern Illinois (Feb. 14) before wrapping up the home schedule with a two-game home stand with Toledo (Feb. 17) and Western Michigan (Feb. 21). A trip to Munice, Ind. for a showdown with MAC West leader Ball State (Feb. 24) and visit to instate rival Central Michigan (Feb. 28) concludes the regular season.
SECOND BEST CONFERENCE START IN SCHOOL HISTORY: Eastern Michigan’s 6-2 start in Mid-American Conference play is the second-best beginning to league play in school history. The 2005-06 Eagles set the standard with a 7-1 start en route to a 15-1 finish to MAC play.
NO BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES STREAK CONTINUES: Eastern Michigan has not dropped consecutive conference games since the 2003-04 season when EMU lost at Toledo (L, 55-63), Jan. 13, 2003, and at home versus Western Michigan (L, 61-66), Jan. 17, 2003.
TOP-25 OPPOSITION AND THE EAGLES: For the first time this season, Eastern Michigan squared off with a team ranked in the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA coaches’ poll when Bowling Green invaded the "Nest", Jan. 28. Last season the Eagles played a pair of top 25 opponents, holding close to No. 21 Utah, 72-67, at the Convocation Center, Dec. 21, 2006, along with a tight game with No. 17 DePaul, 64-49, in the opening round of the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i, Nov. 25, 2006. In the program’s 31 years, EMU has never knocked off a ranked opponent.
A SNIPER FROM THE OUTSIDE: Freshman Alyssa Pittman has played a vital role in the Eagles’ success this season, and has shown why she should be considered one of the leading candidates for the Mid-American Conference’s Freshman of the Year award. The Elkhart, Ind. native leads the MAC in three-pointers made per game (2.84) and is eighth in three-point percentage (36.1%). Nationally she is listed eighth in three-pointers made per game and 62nd in three-point percentage according to the most recent NCAA statistics as of Jan. 28, 2007.
PITTMAN SELECTED POW: Freshman Alyssa Pittman was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 21. This marked the first time in her career that she has won the weekly honor. Pittman turned in a solid week by averaging 24.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists steals as the Eagles won a home contest against Central Michigan (Jan. 17) before rallying for a come-from-behind decision at Kent State (Jan. 20). For the week, she shot 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from the floor and 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from beyond the arc along with 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from the free-throw line. At KSU, Pittman connected on six three-pointers en route to 26 total points as EMU collected its first victory in Kent, Ohio since a 75-54 triumph, Jan. 6, 1990, and just the third in the program’s 31-year. Despite playing in foul trouble, Pittman was able to stay on the floor and score 10 points in the final five minutes, including hitting the go-ahead trey with 4:01 remaining to give EMU a 55-54 lead that it would never relinquish.
MORE NUMBERS ON PITTMAN: A deadly shooter from three-point land, freshman Alyssa Pittman has posted nine contests this season with three-or-more treys. Her season best occurred at Massachusetts (Dec. 13) when she connected on seven three balls, one shy of the school-record set by Marion Crandall versus Ball State, Feb. 21, 2004.
EMU RELIES HEAVILY ON FRESHMEN: The Eagles are very dependent on their freshman class. As a group, EMU’s frosh are averaging 23.1 points per game, which accounts for 33 percent of the offense.
GRABBING THE BOARDS: Patrice McKinney has pulled down at least 10 rebounds in 15 games while wearing the Green and White uniform. Before transferring from Michigan State, her career best was nine rebounds against Notre Dame. Since joining EMU, McKinney has averaged 7.7 caroms per game, this season she has stepped it up even more by ripping down 10 or more boards in eight of the 19 games.
HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS: The Eagles’ loss to Bowling Green Jan. 28, moved the team’s record to 6-3 at the Convocation Center this winter. Last year, EMU posted a record of 13-2 in the "Nest" and has won 57 of the last 71 home games dating to the 2001-02 campaign. EMU out-scored its opponents by 23.5 points per game at the Convo last season. This year, the Eagles have out-scored foes by an average of 8.2 points.
EMU STOPS THE MADNESS AT THE M.A.C. CENTER: EMU out-scored Kent State, 20-11, over the final 7:10 of the second half to capture a 69-64 victory, Jan. 20, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center in Kent, Ohio. The victory marked the Eagles’ first victory on the Golden Flashes’ home court since a 75-54 triumph, Jan. 6, 1990. It also marked just the third win at the M.A.C. Center in the program’s 31-year history, as the Eagles are now 3-19 in the venerable building. Prior to Saturday’s victory, the last time Eastern Michigan defeated Kent State at the M.A.C. Center the year was 1990, the television show Seinfeld premiered, George H.W. Bush was in the White House and EMU freshmen Emily Hanley, Alyssa Pittman and Kelly Watts were just two years old.
OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE WIN AT KENT STATE: The Eagles’ 69-64 victory over Kent State (Jan. 20) was just the second loss the Golden Flashes have suffered in their last 26 games at the M.A.C. Center. It also snapped Kent State’s 10-game home winningstreak.
LUCKY NUMBER 13 VERSUS THE CHIPPEWAS: EMU won its 13th consecutive game against Central Michigan University, a 77-62 decision Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Convocation Center. The EMU streak over the Maroon and Gold dates back to the 2000-01 season when the Eagles captured a 78-89 decision, Jan. 3, 2001, at Rose Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
POWER OUTAGE: The Eagles output of just 46 points versus Ball State, Jan. 13, was the team’s lowest scoring total since a 42 point showing at Indiana, Dec. 18, 2004. It was also the least amount of scoring by an EMU squad in a MAC game since the 1998-99 campaign when the Eagles managed just 42 points in a setback at Toledo, Jan. 6, 1999.
STREAK STOPPED AT 11: Ball State’s come-from-behind 55-46 decision, Jan. 13, snapped the Eagles’ 11-game Mid-American Conference winning streak that dated back to Feb. 4, 2006. Prior to the Cardinal’s victory, the Falcons of Bowling Green were the last team to upend the Eagles in league action, a 76-69 decision at Anderson Arena in Bowling Green, Ohio, Feb. 2, 2006.
INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU: In its 11 victories this season, EMU is averaging 75.1 points while the opposition is posting just 60.9 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 38.1 percent from the field compared to 43.8 percent for the Eagles. In defeats, the Eagles are only scoring 60.9 points, while giving up 71.1.
Another factor in the Eagles’ success has been the ability to control the glass. EMU is grabbing 42.6 rebounds to just 36.1 for the opponents in the wins, while in setbacks EMU is being out-rebounded by more than five caroms (35.6 to 40.6).
STREAK OF HOME DOMINANCE: Ball State’s 55-46 victory over Eastern Michigan, Jan. 13, ended the Eagles’ streak of 16 consecutive home Mid-American Conference wins dating back to Jan. 22, 2005. Prior to BSU, the last time the Green and White dropped a conference home game occurred Jan. 8, 2005 when Northern Illinois guard Mary Basic hit a game-winning three pointer with 7.6 seconds left in the game as the Huskies upset Eastern Michigan, 55-53. Overall, the Eagles have won an impressive 27-of-30 MAC tilts at the Convocation Center dating back to a 61-59 victory over Bowling Green, Jan. 27, 2004. In league action EMU is 3-2 this year in the Nest, after going 8-0 in 2006, 7-1 in 2005 and 10-4 in 2004.
FROM ROLE PLAYER TO ONE OF THE NATION’S BEST: The 2006-07 campaign has been a break-out season for senior forward Sarah VanMetre. A solid contributor during her first three-years, the Noblesville, Ind. native has taken her game to a whole new level in her final season in Ypsilanti. VanMetre is averaging 17.4 points and 8.6 rebounds in 34.7 minutes per game. She ranks second in the league in rebounding and third in scoring. Nationally she is listed 54th in scoring and 70th in rebounding according to the most recent NCAA statistics as of Jan. 28, 2007. Selected the Mid-American Conference’s 2003-04 Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman, VanMetre averaged 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. She followed it up with a sophomore season that saw her numbers drop to 7.4 points and 4.1 boards per game when she switched to the guard position. In 2005-06 VanMetre returned to her natural forward spot and saw her numbers return to her freshman year levels of 11.1 points and 6.3 caroms per contest. VanMetre has already secured a place in the EMU record books, becoming just the eighth player in the program’s history to score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 500 rebounds in a career. She is also on track to capture the EMU record for the most games played in an EMU uniform.
CLIPFELL FILLING IN: With head coach Suzy Merchant on maternity leave, assistant coach Shane Clipfell has filled in admirably in her absence. Clipfell has guided the Eagles to a 8-7 (6-2 MAC) record, including picking up his first Division I victory at Wright State, Dec. 9. Clipfell is no stranger to the EMU program, having been on the Eagles’ sideline for the past eight seasons. Prior to his stint at EMU, the Colon, Mich. native accumulated a 58-35 record as the head coach at Glen Oaks Community College. His 1997 team finished with a No. 3 final ranking in the NJCAA after a 28-8 record and a fifth-place finish in the NJCAA Tournament. He was awarded the NJCAA Tournament Sportsmanship Award and was named the National District Coach of the Year. Clipfell was selected the Michigan Community College Athletic Association and Western Conference Coach of the Year in 1997.
EMU VERSUS THE MAC: This is EMU’s 26th season competing in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles hold a 178-246 record against current conference foes and have posted six straight winning seasons in the MAC. EMU has had the most success against Northern Illinois, going 19-7, and the least versus Miami, 10-33. Western Michigan has been the Green and White’s most frequent opponent with 60 meetings while Buffalo holds the distinction of the fewest conference games against the Eagles with 12.
VANMETRE NAMED MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior forward Sarah VanMetre was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 7, 2007. This marks the second time in her career she has won the weekly honor. For the week, VanMetre averaged a double-double with 24.0 points and 12.0 rebounds while averaging 39.5 minutes of action. Against the Huskies, VanMetre posted a career-high 29 points with 13 rebounds while connecting on 11-of-17 shots from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point land. She followed up that performance with a team-high 19 points and 11 caroms and was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line including a pair of tosses that sealed the Eagles’ first back-to-back wins in Savage Hall since the 1986 and 1987 campaigns.
HITTING FROM LONG RANGE: EMU’s women’s basketball team has shown it can hit from long range and has for quite a while now. Eastern has made at least one three pointer in the last 148 games, dating back to Jan. 31, 2002. The last time the Eagles did not make one was on Jan. 26, 2002 in a 52-43 road victory over Central Michigan.
THE ROAD WARRIORS ARE BACK: The Eagles have been a good road team during the Suzy Merchant era. In nine years under Merchant, EMU is 60-49 in road contests and 15-17 in neutral site games. This trend continues in the MAC, as the Eagles are 39-28 in conference road games.
VANMETRE GARNERS SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES: Senior Sarah VanMetre was named the MAC Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Week for the period ending Jan. 4. This marks the second time in her career and the fourth time in school history that a woman’s basketball player has won the weekly honor. The MAC Scholar Athlete Award is presented weekly to a MAC male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and performs well during the week’s competition. The winners are selected by one of the conference’s faculty athletic representatives. VanMetre, who boasts a 3.90 GPA with a major in journalism, averaged 14 points and nine rebounds per game in the Eagles’ two-game road swing through the Carolinas, Dec. 28-30. In Eastern’s come-from-behind 64-62 decision over Furman, VanMetre totaled 19 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes of work. Her pace slowed versus Western Carolina, tallying just nine points and six caroms in 34 minutes.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE WAS NO CUPCAKE: The Eagles will enter the Mid-American Conference section of the schedule battle tested as the Eagles have played some very tough competition. Eastern’s non-conference opponents have a combined 66-80 record. Five teams had winning records, including Massachusetts (10-4), Illinois State (9-4), Boston University (8-5), Western Carolina (8-6) and Northern Arizona (7-6) who are a combined 42-25 on the season.
