Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Cleveland State
Vikings Invade Ypsilanti for the First Time Since Dec. 11, 1991
12/27/2009 9:35:56 PM | Women's Basketball
The Eagles and Vikings are squaring off for the 13th time
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EAGLES AND VIKINGS TANGLE TO WRAP UP 2009: After an eight-day break from the court for the holidays, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hosts Cleveland State University Tuesday, Dec. 29, at the Convocation Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
EMU enters the game with an 8-2 record after dispatching Chicago State, 83-64, at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center, Dec. 21. The Vikings are 5-5 on the season following a 74-63 victory over Lake Erie College, Dec. 23.
A BULLSEYE ON CLEVELAND STATE: The Eagles and Vikings are squaring off for the 13th time with Eastern Michigan holding an 8-4 advantage in the all-time series. The meeting will be the first in Ypsilanti since 1991, when Eastern posted an 81-59 victory at venerable Bowen Field House, Dec. 11. EMU won seven of the first eight meetings to open the series before CSU notched back-to-back wins in 1987 and 1991. Last season, the Vikings captured a 76-67 victory at the Wolstein Center, Nov. 18, 2008.
EMU VERSUS THE HORIZON LEAGUE: Eastern is 45-31 all-time versus the Indianapolis, Ind. based conference, having played against all 10 member institutions. EMU has faced the University of Detroit Mercy more times than any other league member, with the Titans holding an 11-8 lead in the series.
CLOSING OUT THE YEAR: Tuesday's game versus Cleveland State marks the Eagles' final game during the 2009 calendar year, as the team will usher in 2010, Jan. 4, against the University of North Dakota. Eastern Michigan is 16-16 all-time in the team's final game during the month of December, including winning six of the last seven contests dating back to 2002.
BEST START TO A SEASON SINCE 2004-05: The Eagles' 7-2 start to the 2009-10 season is the best by an EMU squad since the 2004-05 campaign. That season, the Green and White opened the year with eight straight victories before being tripped up, 56-42, at Indiana, Dec. 18. Eastern Michigan finished the year with a 23-8 record and a WNIT appearance.
TIES WITH CLEVELAND STATE: Even though the two schools have only met once since Dec. 11, 1991, the ties between the athletic departments run deep. Cleveland State Athletic Director Lee Reed spent seven years at EMU (1995-2002), the last four as the Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs. Meanwhile, the Vikings' men's basketball head coach Gary Waters spent seven seasons (1989-96) in Ypsilanti as a part of Ben Braun's staff. He served as the assistant head coach from 1989-93, and was associate head coach for the final three seasons. During that time, the EMU men's basketball team compiled a 127-87 record and captured two Mid-American Conference titles. EMU earned two NCAA Tournament bids during his tenure, defeating Mississippi State and Penn State to advance to the Sweet 16 in 1991 and knocking off Duke in the opening round in 1996.
RAINA THREES!: Redshirt sophomore Raina Spencer made the most of her EMU debut against Chicago State, Dec. 21, coming off the bench to notch 17 points, four rebounds, a steal and an assist in just 14 minutes of work. Despite a 716 day layoff, the Fordham University transfer was stellar a 5-of-6 from beyond the arch, including a perfect 4-for-4 in the final five minutes stretch, to help boost the EMU edge from just five points to as many as 21 en route to the 83-64 victory.
Spencer, who last played in a collegiate contest against Longwood University, Jan. 5, 2008, finished one point shy of her career best of 18 points versus American University, Dec. 9, 2007.
LEADING THE PACK: Eastern Michigan has been the most dominate team statistically in the Mid-American Conference this season, leading the league in 10 categories and ranking in the top five in seven others. The Green and White are tops in the MAC in: scoring offense (76.9 ppg), scoring defense (57.4 ppg), scoring margin (+19.5), rebounding offense (44.7 rpg), rebounding margin (+7.9), assists (16.5), steals (13.7), turnover margin (+6.80), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.94) and offensive rebounds (18.4).
DE'JA WILLS EASTERN PAST CHICAGO STATE: After a 12-day hiatus from the hardwood, EMU made a triumphant return to action, cruising to an 83-64 victory over Chicago State University, Dec. 21, at the Jones Convocation Center. Junior guard De'Ja Wills notched a season-best 19 points, including 5-of-10 from downtown, to help push the Eagles past a pesky Cougar squad. Wills' five treys equalled a career-best set last season against Toledo, Feb. 28, 2009, as well as, marking the sixth time in her short tenure in Ypsilanti that she has connected on four-or-more threes in a game.
IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: In the most recent NCAA Division I statistics rankings, junior Cassie Schrock cracks the list at fifth in assists per contest with 7.6 dimes while sophomore Tavelyn James is 10th nationally in points per game at 22.4. James is also 14th in three-point field goals per game.
JAMES NETS SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS: Eastern Michigan University sophomore guard Tavelyn James was named the Mid-American Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Week for the period ending Dec. 13. This marks the first time in her career and the sixth time in school history that a women's basketball player has won the weekly honor.
The MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honor is presented to a MAC male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during the week's competition. The winners are selected by a group of the conference's faculty athletic representatives.
DOUBLE VISION: In just 39 games during her brief career, sophomore Tavelyn James has reached double figures in points on 26 occasions. The Detroit native has scored 20 or more in 12 of those contests for a total of 628 points. Given her current pace of 16.2 points per game, James is on pace to become the second leading scorer in the program's 34-year history, trailing only Laurie Byrd.
Junior Cassie Schrock has also been a lock to reach double-digits in points, posting 10-or-more points in 34 of her 68 career contests. Just five points shy of 700 for her career, the Wadsworth, Ohio native is looking to become the 30th EMU student-athlete to surpass that scoring plateau.
