Women's Basketball to Honor a Pair of Seniors Tuesday Evening

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EAGLES AND BRONCOS SQUARE OFF FOR SEEDING IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team closes out the home portion of the 2008-09 schedule Tuesday evening, March 3, against instate rival Western Michigan University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The Eagles' (7-19, 3-11 MAC) hopes of repeating as the Mid-American Conference's West Division Champions have been extinguished, but now the ideas of playing the spoiler and getting a better seed in the upcoming Kraft MAC Tournament have taken root. A win over the Broncos would jump the Eagles into the fifth seed in the MAC West Division with a game left in the regular season. Western Michigan (7-20, 3-11 MAC) has dropped its last three games, including an 80-61 home setback to West Division frontrunner Ball State, Feb. 28.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE BRONCOS: Tuesday's contest marks the 65th meeting between the Broncos and Eagles, who first played during the 1976-77 season. EMU leads the all-time series, 34-30, and has won five of the last seven meetings. The Broncos got the better of the Eagles earlier this season, Jan. 21, posting a 76-67 victory at University Arena in Kalamazoo. That night, freshman Tavelyn James had a career-best 27 points and sophomore Sydney Huntley-Rogers chipped in 20.

LAND AND McKINNEY MAKE FINAL CONVO APPEARANCE: EMU will honor a pair of seniors Tuesday night that have made significant contributions to the Eagles success these past few seasons. A transfer from Wayne County Community College, Shana McKinney has played in 42 games, starting 14 of those in her two years in Ypsilanti. She has reached double digits in points twice in her career, and her best showing occurred on this court earlier this season when she notched a double-double versus Detroit with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Amber Land has played in all 26 games this season and has played in 86 during her career, the most of any current Eagle. A redshirt during the 2004-05 campaign, Land contributed to the Eagles' 2005-06 campaign that featured a 15-1 conference record and an appearance in the Postseason WNIT. The North Dakota native saw her first major amount of court time in 2007-08, starting 11 times, while averaging 4.1 points and 4.2 rebounds during the Eagles' run at the West Division Championship. This season as a captain, Land recorded her best game by nearly notching a triple-double in the team's upset of Miami. She posted nine points, nine rebound and a career-best eight steals while committing no turnovers in the 56-45 triumph over the defending MAC Tournament Champion.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN ON THE HORIZON: Saturday's contest marks the 63rd meeting between the Chippewas and Eagles, who first met during the 1976-77 season. CMU leads the overall series, 33-29, including posting a 77-56 victory earlier this season at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti. In that game, sophomore Cassie Schrock turned in her fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds led the Eagles. CMU put four players in double figures, led by freshman Brandi Baker and junior Britni Houghton, who each scored 18.

JAMES IN SOME RAREFIED COMPANY: Freshman Tavelyn James has joined a select group of the most prolific freshman scorers in program history. In 26 games, the Detroit native has racked up 357 points. The mark ranks third best in the EMU freshmen laurels, trailing only Ryan Coleman (417) and Holly Mitchell (393). The MAC record for most points by a freshman is Western Michigan's Kristin Koetsier with 559 points in 1999-2000.

WILLS TAKES OFF IN TOLEDO: Sophomore guard De'Ja Wills had a career-best 23 points versus the University of Toledo, Feb. 28. The Anderson, Ind. native turned in a 5-for-13 effort from beyond the arc to go along with grabbing six rebounds in 33 minutes of work. Prior to the game Wills' previous best was a 14 point effort at North Dakota, Nov. 14, 2008.

ANOTHER EMU STREAK TO END: Unfortunately, another streak of the EMU women's basketball team's success will come to a close this season. Unless the Eagles win-out all the way to a national championship, Eastern Michigan will reach the 20-loss plateau for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign. The 13-year streak of success included eight campaigns with 15-or-more victories, three 20-or-more win seasons, two WNIT Postseason appearances and an NCAA Tournament berth. EMU is tied with Ball State for the third-longest active streak in the conference without a 20 loss campaign. Toledo is second having last dropped 20 games in 1985-86, while Bowling Green holds the longest mark by having never lost more than 19 contests in a single-season.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Women's Basketball to Honor a Pair of Seniors Tuesday Evening

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