Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
Instate Rivals Collide in 2010 Mid-American Conference Opener
1/5/2010 4:51:01 PM | Women's Basketball
Eagles and Chippewas Set to Open the MAC Slate
Click Here for the Complete Release (PDF).
Click Here to Watch the Game Live on All-Access.
Click Here for Live Stats.
Click Here to Listen to the Game.
EAGLES AND CHIPPEWAS SET TO OPEN THE MAC SLATE: With a gruelling non-conference slate behind them, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team opens the Mid-American Conference portion of the schedule Wednesday, Jan. 6, against Central Michigan University. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Eastern Michigan enters the game with a mark of 10-2 after cruising to a 76-65 victory over the University of North Dakota at the Convocation Center, Jan. 4. The Chippewas are 3-9 on the season, and come in reeling following a pair of setbacks at the Miami Holiday Tournament in Miami, Fla., Dec. 28-29.
ALL-TIME VERSUS THE CHIPPEWAS: Wednesday's contest marks the 64th meeting between the Chippewas and Eagles, who first met during the 1976-77 season. CMU leads the overall series, 34-29, including sweeping the 2008-09 season series.
EMU IN MAC OPENERS: Eastern Michigan opens its 29th Mid-American Conference slate Wednesday night, Jan. 6, versus the Chippewas of Central Michigan University. The Eagles and Chippewas have faced off five previous times in the MAC lid lifter with CMU holding a 3-2 record in those games. The last occurrence was to start the 2003 campaign when EMU notched a 65-61 overtime victory at the Convocation Center, Jan. 8.
The Green and White are 12-16 all-time in league openers dating back to 1981-82. EMU has won six of the last seven MAC opening tilts going back to the 2002-03 season, including a 62-55 setback to Ball State University last year in Muncie, Ind., Jan. 10, 2009.
TERRIFIC 10: For just the second time in the program's 34-year history, the Eagles entered Mid-American Conference play with 10 victories under their belts. The 2004-05 squad also notched 10 non-conference wins before opening the MAC schedule, as the Green and White finished the year with a 23-8 mark and an appearance in the Postseason WNIT.
Since the 1998-99 campaign, Eastern Michigan has notched 72 non-conference victories and nine seasons with at least six out-of-conference wins.
LOOKING TO EQUAL THE BEST 13-GAME START IN SCHOOL HISTORY: The Eagles' 10-2 start to the 2009-10 season is the best by an EMU squad since the 2004-05 campaign. That season, the Green and White notched a school record 11-2 mark through the first 13 contests.
STRIVING FOR SIX STRAIGHT: The Eagles have strung together five consecutive victories for the first time 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 11 winning streaks of five-or-more contests.
During the current steak, the Eagles are winning games by an average of more than 33 points (84.0 to 51.0) and out-rebounding opponents by 13 rebounds per game (51.5 to 38.5). Hot-shooting has been another key as Eastern is shooting 41.3 percent from the floor while the defense is holding the opposition to just 32.3 percent.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK INSIDE THE CONVOCATION CENTER: Eastern Michigan has racked up a solid home-court advantage inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center since the doors opened during the 1998-99 campaign. The Green and White have won 69.0 percent of the contests played in the building, racking up a 100-45 all-time mark.
HOW EMU RANKS ACCORDING TO COLLEGERPI.COM: With a 10-2 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. 3 release at 68th out of 345 Division I schools, and tops among teams in the Mid-American Conference with the University of Toledo second at 86th.
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.
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 16.2 assists per game, up from 12.4 during the 2008-09 campaign. Junior Cassie Schrock leads the way with 88 assists in just 12 games, and is on past to shatter her mark of just 94 dimes last season. With the better looks at the bucket, the Eagles' shooting percentage has soared from 35.1 percent last season to 40.2 percent in 2009-10.
IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: In the most recent NCAA Division I statistics rankings, junior Cassie Schrock cracks the list at sixth in assists per contest with 7.5 dimes while sophomore Tavelyn James is 14th nationally in points per game at 20.7. James is also 13th in three-point field goals per game.
ALLOWING 50 OR LESS: Eastern Michigan is 83-0 all-time when allowing 50 points or less. Since 2003-04 the Green and White have accomplished the feat 38 times with 19 of those coming against Mid-American Conference foes.
LEADING THE PACK: Eastern Michigan has been the most dominate team statistically in the Mid-American Conference this season, leading the league in 11 categories and ranking in the top six in seven others. The Green and White are tops in the MAC in: scoring offense (76.5 ppg), scoring defense (58.3 ppg), scoring margin (+18.2), field goal percentage defense (37.3 percent), rebounding offense (46.1 rpg), rebounding margin (+8.5), blocks (4.58), steals (12.8), turnover margin (+5.92), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.92) and offensive rebounds (19.58).
