Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Buffalo
Women's Basketball Shuffles Off to Buffalo
2/1/2010 4:47:50 PM | Women's Basketball
East Division meets West Division as six-game cross-divisional stretch continues
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SHUFFLES OFF TO BUFFALO: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hits the road again Wednesday, Feb. 3, game against the University at Buffalo. Tip-off for the Mid-American Conference cross-divisional contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Alumni Arena.
The Eagles enter the game with a mark of 15-5 (5-3 MAC), two games behind the University of Toledo which sits a top the MAC West Division. Meanwhile, the Bulls are 6-15 (2-6 MAC) after upending Western Michigan University, 50-46 in Kalamazoo, Mich., Jan. 30.
A BULLSEYE ON BUFFALO: Wednesday's contest marks the 15th meeting between the Bulls and Eagles, who first met during the 1993-1994 season. EMU leads the series, 10-4, including winning the last seven meetings between the two schools by an average of 16 points per game (71.1 to 55.0). The teams met only once during the 2008-09 regular season with EMU claiming a 69-58 decision in Ypsilanti, Mich., Feb. 11, 2009.
AN EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: The Eagles' have been dominant versus schools from the State of New York, posting a 13-game winning streak against the Empire State dating back to the 2003-04 campaign. Eastern Michigan's last loss to a team that hailed from the state was a 71-65 setback to Buffalo, Jan. 15, 2003.
EMU is already 2-0 in games played inside the nation's 11th state with a 77-55 win at Siena, Nov. 20, and an 83-68 victory at Niagara, Nov. 22. The Eagles' last loss on New York soil occurred Jan. 2, 2000, in a 66-61 setback at Buffalo.
LOOKING TO GET BACK ON TRACK: Having dropped two of its last three contests, EMU enters Wednesday night's contest looking to rekindle the magic that saw the squad jump out to a 12-2 mark to being the season.
The Green and White have struggled offensively of late, managing just 64.3 points per game and a 38.8 field goal percentage. Over that same three game span, the opposition is averaging 69.7 points per game and a 42.6 field goal percentage. EMU has also been dominated on the glass, with opponents grabbing nearly 11 rebounds more a game (30.3 to 41.0).
APPROACHING 1,000: Two Eagles are closing in on 1,000 career points. Sophomore Tavelyn James has scored 846 points during her career. She is 19th all-time and needs 48 to catch Emily Steinmetz for 18th. Junior Cassie Schrock has scored 835 points in her career and is 20th all-time. Currently, 14 players are in the 1,000-point club for EMU women's basketball.
WINNING WAYS: The Eagles are 15-5 overall, their .750 winning percentage is third in the Mid-American Conference and 40th best in the nation.
EAGLES VERSUS THE EAST DIVISION: The 2009-10 season is the fifth utilizing the current Mid-American Conference scheduling format for women's basketball. Each of the 12 schools opens league action with five divisional games, followed by six cross-divisional games and then five more divisional contests to close the regular season. Eastern Michigan has posted a 22-19 record versus MAC East Division opponents since the 2004-05 campaign.
NOT THE ONLY ROBBER: Cassie Schrock, now with 135 steals in her distinguished career, is not the only Eagle with a tendency to make steals. In fact, there are three current EMU players with 75-plus career steals. Sophomore Tavelyn James (94) and junior Sydney Huntley (79) also reached that plateau this season. De'Ja Wills is also in reach with 43 swipes while Paige Reddit has 40 in her career.
TAKE SOME, THEY'RE FREE: Junior Cassie Schrock is quickly moving up the EMU record book, ranking third all-time with 447 free throws attempted and second with 333 free throws made. The Wadsworth, Ohio native trail Nikki Knapp's standard of 411 makes in 626 attempts.
DIAL THREE FOR LONG DISTANCE: Sophomore Tavelyn James is quickly moving up the EMU record book, ranking eighth all-time with 115 three-pointers made and seventh with 357 three-point field goals attempted. Kristy Maska (1997-01) holds the EMU record with 215 threes on 578 tries.
GREEN GOES RED: Instead of the green the Eagles will be seeing red Saturday, Feb. 6, as Eastern Michigan University teams with the American Heart Association for the basketball doubleheader at the Convocation Center. All fans wearing red shirts will be admitted free to the women's game versus Kent State University at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game against Ohio University.
IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: In the most recent NCAA Division I statistics rankings, junior Cassie Schrock cracks the list at 13th in assists per contest with 6.1 dimes while sophomore Tavelyn James is 11th nationally in points per game at 21.0. James is also 10th in three-point field goals per game. As a team, the Eagles rank 11th in steals with 12.0 swipes per contest.
KENT STATE ON THE HORIZON: Following the trip the Buffalo, Eastern Michigan hosts Kent State University Saturday, Feb. 6, in the first leg of a basketball doubleheader at the Convocation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., followed by the EMU men's basketball team hosting Ohio University 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Saturday afternoon's contest marks the 51st meeting between the Golden Flashes and Eagles, who first met during the 1980-81 season. KSU leads the series 34-16, including winning 24 of the last 30 meetings between the two schools. The Golden Flashes took last year's lone regular season meeting, Jan. 31, 2009, 84-52 at the M.A.C. Center in Kent, Ohio.
