Eagles and Broncos Set For A Double-Dip in Kalamazoo

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EAGLES AND BRONCOS SET FOR A DOUBLE-DIP IN KALAMAZOO: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hits the road Saturday, Jan. 9, for a Mid-American Conference affair versus Western Michigan University. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.. The game is the first part of a doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team, who tangle with WMU following the conclusion of the women's contest.
Eastern Michigan enters the game with a mark of 11-2 (1-0 MAC) after cruising to a 73-55 victory over Central Michigan University at the Convocation Center, Jan. 6. The Broncos are 5-9 (0-1 MAC) on the season, and come in reeling following a pair of setbacks to No. 25 James Madison University, Dec. 30, and Ball State University, Jan. 6.

ALL-TIME VERSUS WESTERN MICHIGAN: Saturday's contest marks the 66th meeting between the Broncos and Eagles, who first played during the 1976-77 season. EMU leads the all-time series, 35-30, and has won seven of the last nine meetings. Last year, the Eagles posted a 69-66 victory at the at the Convocation Center, March 3, 2009. Meanwhile, the Broncos notched a 76-67 victory at University Arena, Feb. 21, 2009.
Eastern has won three of the last four meetings in Kalamazoo dating back to the 2005-06 campaign. It has been almost eight years since the Broncos last posted consecutive home wins over the Eagles. WMU notched an 86-83 win, Feb. 28, 2001, and followed it up with an 80-68 victory the following season, Jan. 9, 2002.

DOUBLE THE FUN: For the first time in nearly six years, fans of Eastern Michigan University basketball will get the chance to see both the men's and women's teams in back-to-back contests at the same road venue. The last occurrence was Jan. 31, 2004, also in Kalamazoo, Mich. The women's team walked away with an 85-74 victory, but the men's squad fell 75-55 to the Broncos.
Just a season earlier EMU was also pitted against the University of Toledo in a rare road doubleheader at then-Savage Hall in Toledo, Ohio, Feb. 22, 2003. The women's team was upended by the Rockets, 65-55, with the men's team pulling out a 76-73 victory thanks to a three-pointer by Michael Ross with less than a second remaining in the game.

LOOKING TO EQUAL THE BEST 14-GAME START IN SCHOOL HISTORY: The Eagles' 11-2 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 12-2 mark through the first 14 contests.

STRIVING FOR SEVEN STRAIGHT: The Eagles have strung together six 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 12 winning streaks of five-or-more contests.
During the current steak, the Eagles are winning games by an average of more than 26 points (80.8 to 54.0) and out-rebounding opponents by 10 rebounds per game (49.3 to 38.5). Hot-shooting has been another key as Eastern is shooting 40.6 percent from the floor while the defense is holding the opposition to just 34.4 percent.

HOW EMU RANKS ACCORDING TO COLLEGERPI.COM: With an 11-2 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. 7 release at 69th out of 345 Division I schools, and tops among teams in the Mid-American Conference with the University of Toledo second at 73rd.
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.

LEADING THE PACK: Eastern Michigan has been the most dominant team statistically in the Mid-American Conference this season, leading the league in 10 categories and ranking in the top seven in seven others. The Green and White are tops in the MAC in: scoring offense (76.2 ppg), scoring defense (58.1 ppg), scoring margin (+18.2), field goal percentage defense (37.2 percent), rebounding offense (46.1 rpg), rebounding margin (+8.4), blocks (4.85), steals (12.77), turnover margin (+5.82) and offensive rebounds (19.46).

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 4.8 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.

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.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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