Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Ball State
MAC West Division Leader Ball State Comes to Town Tuesday
2/23/2009 2:27:07 PM | Women's Basketball
Eagles tangle with MAC West leading Cardinals at the Convocation Center
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EMU OUT TO UPSET MAC WEST DIVISION LEADER BALL STATE: With a trio of victories under its belt, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hosts Mid-American Conference West Division leader Ball State University Tuesday evening, Feb. 24, at the Convocation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Eagles (7-17, 3-9 MAC) come in riding high, following a 53-49 victory over Northern Illinois University, Feb. 21, for the team's first three-game winning steak of the campaign. Meanwhile, the Cardinals (18-8, 10-2 MAC) are looking for their fifth consecutive win after rallying past Central Michigan, Feb. 22, for a 71-67 victory at Rose Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
ALL-TIME VERSUS THE CARDINALS: Tuesday's contest marks the 58th meeting between the Cardinals and Eagles, who first played during the 1979-80 season. EMU leads the series, 31-26, but Ball State has won the last five meetings by an average of seven points a game (58.2 to 65.2).
Earlier this season, the Eagles dropped a 62-55 decision to the Cardinals, Jan. 7, at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind. Eastern had to weather a scoring drought of nearly nine minutes during the first half, before using a 16-7 run to open the second half to retake a 37-36 lead via a Sydney Huntley-Rogers three-pointer with 16:27 to go in the ballgame. The teams would exchange scores but once again Ball State was able to build an eight-point cushion, 50-42, with 9:57 left. Eastern would continue to battle down the stretch but was unable to get any closer than five points the rest of the way as the Cardinals were 8-for-8 from the free throw line with under a minute to play.
TALE OF TWO TEAMS: With confidence brimming, the previous three times the Eagles have stepped on to the court, the outcome has been extremely positive. Eastern posted a pair of 11-point victories over Buffalo (W, 69-58 - Feb. 11) and Miami (W, 56-45 - Feb. 14) followed up with a four-point upset of Northern Illinois (W, 53-49 – Feb. 21). In those three games, EMU averaged 59.3 points per game while a stingy defense has limited opponents to 50.7 points. EMU also forced 73 turnovers, while distributing the ball better by upping its average to 13.0 assists per game. In EMU's first nine Mid-American Conference contest, the Green and White averaged just 56.9 points while giving up 71.1.
TOLEDO ON THE HORIZON: Saturday's contest marks the 59th meeting between the Rockets and Eagles, who first met during the 1977-1978 season. Toledo leads the overall series, 36-22. Eastern has won six of the last seven meetings, including winning three-in-a-row at the newly renovated Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.
JUST ONE HOME GAME LEFT: Following Tuesday's game, the Eagles return to the Convocation Center just once more in the 2008-09 regular season. Eastern travels to Toledo, Ohio for a rematch with the Rockets of Toledo (Feb. 28) before wrapping up the home schedule Tuesday, March 3, against Western Michigan. A visit to instate rival Central Michigan (March 7) concludes the regular season.
JAMES AGAIN AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE: Freshman Tavelyn James in making a name for herself not only in the MAC but nationwide. The Detroit, Mich. native is ranked sixth among the nation's leaders in freshmen scoring average at 13.8 points per game. Long Island's Ashley Palmer tops all freshman at 17.3 ppg, followed by Missouri State's Casey Garrison (16.0 ppg), Eastern Kentucky's Kayla Drake (15.9 ppg), Fairleigh Dickinson's Mariyah Laury (14.3 ppg) and Washington State's Jazmine Perkins (14.1 ppg).
Rounding out the list are Oral Roberts' Georgia Jones (13.6), Washington State's April Cook (13.3), Arkansas' Ceira Ricketts (13.3) and UMBC's Michelle Kurowski (13.2).
SCHROCK EARNS FIRST CAREER PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Sophomore guard Cassie Schrock was named Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday, Feb. 15. It marks the first time she has won the award in her career. Schrock turned in one of the best weeks of her career and among the best in the program's history by averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals in a pair of victories over the University at Buffalo (Feb. 11) and Miami University (Feb. 14). She was also near perfect from the charity stripe, making 20 attempts in 24 trips to the line on the week.
DEFENSE WAS COOKING IN OXFORD: EMU rolled to a 56-45 victory over Miami University on Valentine's Day at Millett Hall, Feb. 14. The Eagles used a 27-3 run to open the second half en route to the squad's first Mid-American Conference road victory of the campaign. The win was EMU's sixth all-time in Millett Hall and the second consecutive in the venerable building. The only other time Eastern has won back-to-back games in Oxford was between 1986 and 1987 when head coach Kathy Hart guided the then-Hurons to the consecutive victories.
LAND ENTERS RARE TERRITORY AT MIAMI: Senior Amber Land turned in the best game of her career, collecting nine points, nine rebounds and eight steals in a 56-45 victory over Miami, Feb. 14. Land's Valentine's Day performance was an EMU student-athlete's second attempt to record a near triple-double in as many games.
