Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
Eastern Renews the Rivalry with Central Saturday at the Convo
1/9/2009 12:59:18 PM | Women's Basketball
Eastern looks to extend winning streak versus Central to 17 games
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EASTERN RENEWS THE RIVALRY WITH CENTRAL SATURDAY: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team welcomes Central Michigan University to the Convocation Center Saturday afternoon, Jan. 10, for a Mid-American Conference West Division showdown. The game is the first leg of a doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team playing host to Ball State University following the conclusion of the women's game, which begins at 2 p.m. Both teams enter Saturday's contest still in search of their first league win of the year. Eastern Michigan enters the game with a mark of 4-9 (0-1 MAC) after falling on the road to Ball State University (L, 55-62), Jan. 7. The Chippewas are 8-6 (0-1 MAC) on the season, but dropped a 75-70 home decision to Northern Illinois University, Jan. 7.
THE SERIES VERSUS CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Saturday's contest marks the 62nd meeting between the Chippewas and Eagles, who first met during the 1976-77 season. CMU leads the overall series, 32-29, but Eastern currently holds a 16-game winning streak over the Maroon and Gold dating back to the 2000-01 season. During the span, the Eagles are winning games by an average of 13 points (68.4 to 55.5) including posting a 68-66 decision at Rose Arena, Jan. 19, 2008, and a 73-65 win at the Convocation Center, March 5, 2008.
HUNTLEY-ROGERS DROPS 33 ON BALL STATE: To say sophomore guard Sydeny-Huntley Rogers has found her shooting stroke would certainly be an understatement. In the Mid-American Conference opener versus Ball State, Jan. 7, the Cincinnati, Ohio native recorded a career-best 33 points on 11-of-24 shooting in 39 minutes of work. Her 33 points are the tied for the seventh most in the program's history.
A FAMILIAR FACE RETURNS TO THE CONVO: Mahogany Green, an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan from 2003-06, makes her return to the sidelines at the Convocation Center Saturday when Central Michigan comes to town. Green joined the Chippewas as an assistant coach during the summer of 2008. Green spent last season as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky and the 2006-07 season in the same capacity at IPFW. Green helped lead the Eagles to a 67-23 mark and three postseason berths – including the 2004 NCAA Tournament – in that span. Ryan Coleman was a two-time WBCA honorable mention All-American during that time, as well as a three-time first-team All-MAC choice and the 2004 MAC Tournament MVP.
TOLEDO ON THE HORIZON: Wednesday's contest marks the 58th meeting between the Rockets and Eagles, who first met during the 1977-1978 season. Toledo leads the overall series, 35-22. However, Eastern has won the last six consecutive meetings including a 65-59 win last year at the Convocation Center, Jan. 12, 2008.
DRAKE AND HIS TIES TO THE CHIPPEWAS: EMU assistant coach Leonard Drake was a standout basketball player at CMU where he completed his bachelor's degree in 1978 and his master's degree in 1983. He earned team MVP honors in 1976 and was team captain and named CMU 'Athlete of the Year' in 1977. Named to the CMU Athletics Hall of Fame Class in 2007, Drake ranked third in career scoring at the completion of his career and still ranks seventh with 1,338 points. He shot .878 (101-for-115) from the line in 1976, a mark that ranked third nationally that year. Drake also tallied 126 career steals, which ranks eighth in school history. He made two free throws with no time on the clock in CMU's 77-75 NCAA Tournament first-round victory over Georgetown in 1975.Drake was also the head men's coach at Central Michigan University (1993-97), along with serving as an assistant men's coach a from 1978-79
VOTE JAMES, TAVELYN JAMES: The presidential election might be over but another race is just heating up – the battle for the Mid-American Conference's Freshman of the Year honor. Tavelyn James has already shown that she deserves heavily consideration for the award. In 13 games, the Detroit native is averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.9 assists in 30.5 minutes per game. She leads the Eagles in both field goals made (67), field goals attempted (160) and is ranked second in steals (25). James is ranked ninth in the MAC in scoring and is the leader in points per game among the five first-year student-athletes that crack the league's top 30. James also cracks the league's ranks in steals (7th), three-point percentage (14th) and minutes played (15th)
Now I'm Following You: EMU currently holds the longest streak in the Mid-American Conference for most consecutive non-losing league campaigns at 10. Kent State had held the standard for above .500 campaigns at 17 dating back to 1990-91, but the Golden Flashes' streak ended last season.
EMU VERSUS THE MAC: This is EMU's 28th season competing in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles hold a 193-255 record against conference foes and have posted eight straight winning seasons in the MAC. EMU has had the most success against Northern Illinois, going 21-8, and the least versus Miami, 11-34. Western Michigan has been the Green and White's most frequent opponent with 63 meetings while Buffalo holds the distinction of the fewest conference games against the Eagles with 13.
