Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Buffalo
Eagles Look to Corral the Bulls Wednesday
2/9/2009 3:23:47 PM | Women's Basketball
Eastern Michigan seeks to break 10-game losing skid
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EAGLES AND BULLS SQUARE OFF WEDNESDAY AT THE CONVO: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to the confines of the Convocation Center Wednesday evening, Feb. 11, for a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional tilt versus the University at Buffalo. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Eagles are out to snap a 10-game losing skid that has dropped the squad's record to 4-17 (0-9 MAC). Meanwhile, the Bulls are 5-17 (1-8 MAC) after falling to Ball State University, 83-62, Sunday, Feb. 8, at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y..
ALL-TIME VERSUS BUFFALO: Wednesday's contest marks the 14th meeting between the Bulls and Eagles, who first met during the 1993-1994 season. EMU leads the series, 9-4, including winning the last six meetings between the two schools by an average of 17 points per game (71.5 to 54.5). The teams met only once during the 2007-08 regular season with EMU claiming a 74-71 decision in Buffalo, N.Y., Jan. 26, 2008.
STILL SEARCHING FOR THAT RIGHT COMBO: Head coach AnnMarie Gilbert has had to tinker with the starting lineup this season to try and get the Eagles back on track. Through 21 games, the Eagles have utilized 13 different starting combinations. Sophomore guard Cassie Schrock has been the common denominator in all the games, as the only EMU student-athlete to start every contest. Shana McKinney and Sydney Huntley Rogers have both started 14 times, while De'Ja Wills (13), Tavelyn James (12), Amber Land (9), Mary Lawson (9), Paige Redditt (5), Kimberly Davis (3), Tara Johnson (2), Brittany Simmons (2) and Carla Warren (1) have also started for the Green and White.
EMU TEAMS WITH AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION: EMU Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women's Administrator Stephannnie Vandenberg, head women's basketball coach AnnMarie Gilbert and sophomore guard Cassie Schrock will serve as models in the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women luncheon and fashion show Friday, Feb. 13. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College. Proceeds benefit education and research specific to women and heart disease. For ticket information, call Ryan Davis at 734.483.1697.
MIAMI ON THE HORIZON: Saturday's contest marks the 46th meeting between the RedHawks and Eagles, who first met during the 1979-80 season. Miami has dominated the all-time series, 34-11, but Eastern has won two of the last three meetings. In 2006, the Green and White rolled to a 75-55 victory in Ypsilanti, Feb. 11, 2006, and followed it up the next year with a 74-56 decision in Oxford, Ohio, Feb. 7, 2007. The victory marked the Eagles' first victory in Oxford since a 69-66 overtime triumph, Feb. 2, 1991. The win at Millett Hall was also just the fifth in the program's history. Last season, after being down by as many as 20 points, the Eagles posted a valiant comeback that fell just short, as they dropped an 81-70 decision to the RedHawks at the Convocation Center, Jan. 29, 2008. EMU was down by 20 in the second half before storming back to within six, 72-66, with 2:50 remaining. Miami answered every Eagle run, hanging on for the tough road victory. Leading the way for Eastern was Colleen Russell, who just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. Senior Amanda Jackson notched a game-high 22 points for the RedHawks, with Jenna Schone chipping in 20.
EAGLES VERSUS THE EAST DIVISION: Eastern Michigan has posted a 19-16 record versus MAC East Division opponents since the 2004-05 campaign. Eastern is 0-4 this season after finishing 4-3 last season. Eastern was 4-4 in cross-divisional games in 2006-07, 6-2 in 2005-06 and 5-3 in 2004-05.
REDDITT POST CAREER-BEST VERSUS AKRON: Freshman forward Paige Redditt notched a career-high 17 points Saturday, Feb. 7, versus the University of Akron at the JAR in Akron, Ohio. The Belton, Mo. native was 5-of-11 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. She also hauled down nine rebounds in 34 minutes of work.
OUT TO BREAK A TREND: Eastern Michigan's 0-9 start to the Mid-American Conference schedule marks the team's slowest start to a league schedule since the 1993-94 campaign. That season head coach Paulette Stein's crew finished 0-18 in the Mid-American Conference and 1-24 overall. Additionally, the team's 10-game losing streak is the longest since the 1994-95 campaign when the team lost 12 in-a-row. In 33-years of basketball, Eastern has now lost seven-or-more games on seven different occasions.
FROM THE PEACE GARDEN STATE TO THE WOLVERINE STATE: Senior forward Amber Land's parents, Arlyn and Sharalyn, have made the move from North Dakota to Ypsilanti for the winter to follow their daughter during her senior season. The Lands have been to every EMU game since the start of the new year.
