EMU Returns Home for a Matinee Affair With the Huskies

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EMU RETURNS HOME FOR A MATINEE AFFAIR WITH THE HUSKIES: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns home Saturday afternoon, Jan. 16, to host Northern Illinios University in a Mid-American Conference West Divisional tilt at the Convocation Center. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan enters the game with a mark of 12-3 (2-1 MAC) after dropping a hotly-contested game to the University of Toledo, 72-63, at Savage Arena in Toledo, Jan. 13. The Huskies are 7-8 (1-2 MAC) on the season after cruising past Western Michigan University, 73-47, in DeKalb, Jan. 12.

ALL-TIME VERSUS NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Saturday's contest versus Northern Illinois University marks the 32nd meeting between the Huskies and Eagles, who first met during the 1981-82 season. Eastern leads the overall series, 22-9, and has won 17 of the last 20 games over the Cardinal and Black.

TAMING THE HUSKIES: The Eagles have won four straight versus the Huskies in Ypsilanti and seven of the nine all-time meetings inside the Convocation Center. During the current EMU streak, the Green and White are winning by an average of 12 points (66.8 to 54.0) and shooting 45 percent from the field. NIU has struggled to find its shooting touch, shooting just 38.8 percent from the field, including a anemic 28.8 percent (19-of-66) from three-point land.

FINDING THE GAME ON YOUR RADIO DIAL: With the EMU men's basketball team on the road Saturday for a 1 p.m. CST game at Northern Illinois, the women's contest will only be broadcast on Eagle All-Access rather than WEMU (89.1 FM). Chad Bush will have the call beginning at 1:50 p.m. from the Convocation Center. As always, on demand replays of most EMU basketball games are available to subscribers at EMUEagles.com/showcase.

IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: In the most recent NCAA Division I statistics rankings, junior Cassie Schrock cracks the list at ninth in assists per contest with 6.9 dimes while sophomore Tavelyn James is 14th nationally in points per game at 20.2. James is also 12th in three-point field goals per game.

TIED FOR THE BEST 15-GAME START IN SCHOOL HISTORY: The Eagles' 12-3 start to the 2009-10 season is tied with the 2004-05 EMU squad for the best 15-game beginning of a season. The 2004-05 crew won their 16th game at Ohio University to improve to 13-3.

LEADING THE PACK: Eastern Michigan has been the most dominant team statistically in the Mid-American Conference this season, leading the league in nine categories and ranking in the top seven in seven others. The Green and White are tops in the MAC in: scoring offense (74.3 ppg), scoring margin (+15.7), field goal percentage defense (37.4 percent), rebounding offense (45.1 rpg), rebounding margin (+7.0), blocks (4.73), steals (12.60), turnover margin (+5.67) and offensive rebounds (18.87).

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Eastern Michigan is 6-0 at the Convocation Center this season. The Eagles have a seven-game winning streak at home, dating back to last year.

IT'S MILLER TIME: Freshman Chenise Miller has made an immediate impact on the Eagles and can be considered a strong candidate for the Mid-American Conference's Freshman of the Year honor. Miller is the only freshman to rank in the league's top 15 in field goal percentage (3rd – 53.5%), blocks (7th – 1.27), rebounds (9th – 6.7), offensive rebounds (9th –2.87) and defensive rebounds ((15th – 3.80).
Akron's Rachel Tecca cracks the list at seventh in field goal percentage (47.4%) and 13th in rebounding (6.1) , while Miami's Kristen Olowinsk earns a fourth- place ranking with 1.44 rejections. per game.

THOMAS CRASHING THE GLASS: Junior Kristin Thomas has been a rebounding machine for the Eagles during the 2009-10 campaign, hauling down a team-best 9.1 caroms per contest. The Winter Park, Fla. native grabbed eight rebounds in her EMU debut against Illinois-Chicago, Nov. 13, before notching 14 boards against Marygrove, Nov. 16. She also hauled down 15 caroms versus Missouri State, Nov. 29, and then a personal-best 16 rebounds at Western Michigan, Jan. 9. Thomas finally picked up her first career double-double with a 10 point 13 rebound peformance at Toledo, Jan. 13.

SEVENTH HEAVEN: The Eagles strung together seven consecutive victories from Dec. 5 until Jan. 9 for the squad's first five-game game winning streak since the 2005-06 campaign. That season the Green and White rolled off a pair of nine-game winning streaks. In total, the program has 12 winning streaks of five-or-more contests.
During the steak, the Eagles won games by an average of more than 24 points (78.0 to 53.7) and out-rebounding opponents by 10 per game (47.6 to 37.6). Hot shooting was another key as Eastern shot 40.3 percent from the floor while the defense held the opposition to just 34.8 percent.

HOW EMU RANKS ACCORDING TO COLLEGERPI.COM: With a 12-3 record under its belt, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is starting to gain notoriety in the RPI (Rating Percentage Index). EMU cracks the Jan. 14 release at 77th out of 345 Division I schools, and second among teams in the Mid-American Conference with the University of Toledo leading the way at 57th.
EMU's best ever ranking in the RPI was 62nd during the squad's 2003-04 run to the Mid-American Conference Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

DOUBLE VISION: In just 44 games during her brief career, sophomore Tavelyn James has reached double figures in points on 31 occasions. The Detroit native has scored 20 or more in 15 of those contests for a total of 739 points. Given her current pace of 16.8 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 38 of her 73 career contests. The Wadsworth, Ohio native became the 30th EMU student-athlete to surpass the 700-point scoring plateau against Cleveland State, Dec. 29.

DISHING BETTER THAN A SWEDISH CHEF: One of the reasons for the Eagles' dramatic turnaround in 2009-10 is the ability to dish the rock, allowing for much better looks at the hoop. EMU is averaging 14.9 assists per game, up from 12.4 during the 2008-09 campaign. Junior Cassie Schrock leads the way with 100 assists in just 15 games, already shattering her mark of 94 dimes last season. With the better looks at the bucket, the Eagles' shooting percentage has soared from 35.1 percent last season to 39.7 percent in 2009-10.

DOUBLE DIGITS – NO PROBLEM: The 2009-10 campaign has been one of dramatic runs and rallies for the Eagles, with EMU winning three consecutive games in which it has trailed by 10-or-more points. The Green and White trailed North Dakota by 12 points in the first half before rebounding to win by 11, 76-65, Jan. 4. Despite again falling behind by 11 against Central Michigan, Jan. 6, and 10 points at Western Michigan, Jan. 9, Eastern still managed to turn both into victories.

BLOCK YOU VERY MUCH: Since 1987 when the statistical category of blocks was added, swatting away shots has never been a strong point for the Eagles. However, that statement is changing for the 2009-10 squad, as EMU leads the Mid-American Conference in blocks with 4.7 rejections per contest. Given its current pace, Eastern Michigan will shatter the all-time mark of 3.8 swat-a-ways (106 in 28 games) by the 1991-92 team.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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