Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Makes First Appearance in the Beehive State
11/26/2007 4:11:51 PM | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST (9 p.m. EST) in the Dee Events Center.
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EASTERN MAKES FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE BEEHIVE STATE: The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball continues its road trip with a visit to Ogden, Utah Thursday, Nov. 29, to tangle with Weber State University. Eastern is 4-1 on the young season while the Wildcats are 2-3. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST (9 p.m. EST) in the Dee Events Center. Thursday’s contest will mark the first time the Eagles have played in the state of Utah, but it won’t be the last as the squad returns to the Beehive State in January for a game versus the University of Utah.
EMU VERSUS WEBER STATE: Eastern Michigan and Weber State have never met on the hardwood prior to Thursday’s scheduled contest. In fact, the Eagles and Wildcats have never met in football, men’s basketball, women’s soccer or volleyball.
ALL-TIME VERSUS THE BIG SKY: Eastern is 0-3 all-time versus the Big Sky Conference, having only played Northern Arizona and Idaho State University. Last season, NAU upended the Eagles 89-69 in the opening game of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic in Tempe, Ariz., Dec. 1, 2006. The previous season ISU downed EMU 78-61 in the finale of the Rainbow Wahine Classic, Nov. 27, 2005, in Honolulu, Hawaii. In the program’s only other meeting, the Bengals edged the Eagles, 75-74, in the championship game of the ISU Tournament, Nov. 22, 1997.
WILLIAMS AND PITTMAN SELECTED TO JUNKANOO JAM ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Junior Canea Williams and sophomore Alyssa Pittman were selected to the All-Tournament team at the Fifth Annual Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas, Nov. 23-24. The duo combined for 29 points per game in the two games. The honor marks the first time that either had been selected to an all-tournament team in their careers.
EASTERN UPSETS ALABAMA IN JUNKANOO JAM OPENER: For the first time in 21 years the EMU women’s basketball team upset a school from the Southeastern Conference, defeating the University of Alabama, 52-43, in the opening game of the Fifth Annual Junkanoo Jam Friday, Nov. 23 at St. George’s High School in Freeport, Bahamas. The victory marks EMU’s second ever win over a team from the SEC; the other victory came Dec. 28, 1986 versus the University of Florida, 65-62, in the Sun and Fun Classic in Miami, Fla. Sophomore Alyssa Pittman led all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting and sophomore Kelly Watts finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Junior Canea Williams poured in seven points to go along with junior Amber Land’s eight caroms and four points.
IT’S RAINING THREES: Junior Canea Williams won the Fifth Annual Junkanoo Jam’s three-point shooting contest Thursday evening, Nov. 22. The Mansfield, Ohio native connected on 15 treys to capture the coveted title. Sophomore Alyssa Pittman finished second with 12 long-distance bombs. Players from the University of Southern California and Virginia Tech also took part in the event.
YOUTH BEING SERVED: Heading into the 2007-08 campaign head coach AnnMarie Gilbert knew she would be leading a very young team this season. The 10 returning players have combined for just 95 starts and a total of 391 games in their careers. Eastern returned a total of 32.5 points, 15.6 rebounds and 11.3 minutes per game from the 2006-07 squad that finished 16-13. Sophomore Alyssa Pittman led all returners with 12.3 points per game, sophomore Kelly Watts led with 3.1 boards per game and junior Kendra Gallert with 28.0 minutes per game.
THE KIDS CAN PLAY: The average 2007-08 EMU women’s basketball player stands 5-feet-9 tall and is 19.9 years old. The youngest Eagle is Cassie Schrock, who turned 18, Oct. 13, 2007. Canea Williams is the oldest Eagle having turned 22, March 24, 2007.
