Saturday Showdown in the Rose Center

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SATURDAY SHOWDOWN IN THE ROSE CENTER: Fresh off a 63-57 victory over Ball State University to complete the Eagles' first season sweep of the Cardinals since the 2005-06 campaign, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hits the road again Saturday, Feb. 20, for a Mid-American Conference West Division showdown at instate rival Central Michigan University. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. inside the Rose Center. The contest is the first leg of a doubleheader with the CMU men's basketball team hosting Tennessee State University following the conclusion of the women's contest.
The Eagles enter the game with a mark of 18-6 (8-4 MAC), two games behind the University of Toledo which sits atop the MAC West Division. Meanwhile, the Chippewas are 10-14 (7-5 MAC) and just a game behind the Eagles in the standings after upending Northern Illinois University, 98-71, in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Feb. 14.

A BULLSEYE ON CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Saturday's contest marks the 65th meeting between the Chippewas and Eagles, who first met during the 1976-77 season. CMU leads the overall series, 34-30, but EMU has won 17 of the last 19 meetings dating back to the 2000-01 campaign.
In the first meeting this season back in Ypsilanti, Jan. 6, Eastern Michigan used an 18-4 second-half run on its way to a 73-55 win over Central Michigan in the MAC opener at the Convocation Center. The freshman duo of Chenise Miller and Lindsey Mahone had breakout games for the Green and White. Miller recorded her first double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds off the bench while Mahone chipped in a career-high 13 points in her 10th start of the season.

SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE: With its 63-57 victory over Ball State, Feb. 13, Eastern Michigan tied the school record for most road victories in a single season at nine. This comes on the heals of a 2008-09 campaign in which the Eagles won just one road game the entire season. The 2004-05 and the 2007-08 squads also notched nine road victories en route to MAC West Division titles.
Conversely, Central Michigan is a perfect 6-0 at home in league play and 8-2 overall inside Rose Arena. The Chippewas are averaging 78.3 points per game on their home court, including an 84-75 victory over No. 25 Louisville and a 67-65 win over perennial power Bowling Green.

WINNING WAYS: The Eagles are 18-6 overall, their .750 winning percentage is third in the Mid-American Conference and 41st best in the nation. EMU's 18 victories are tied for fourth most all time with the 2001-02 squad.
The Eagles will need to pick up four more victories to equal the 2003-04 and 2005-06 squads for the second most victories in a season with 22.

JAMES SETS THE SOPHOMORE SCORING MARK AT EMU: With 513 points on the season, sophomore Tavelyn James has obliterated the EMU record for most points in a single-season by a sophomore. The Eastern Michigan record for most points by a sophomore was 507 by Kristy Maska in 1998-99.
James already holds the EMU freshman scoring record with 426 points during the 2008-09 campaign. Previously, the record was held by Ryan Coleman with 417 points in 2002-03.

A LOOK AT THE BIGGEST SINGLE-SEASON TURNAROUNDS IN MAC HISTORY: With its 10-game win improvement in 2009-10, EMU ranks among the top 15 single-season MAC turnarounds since the 1982-83 campaign.
The 10-game improvement from eight wins in 2008-09 to the 18 victories this season is the biggest in school history. The previous standard of a nine-game turnaround during the 2003-04 campaign, when the Eagles went from 13 victories to 22 wins en route to the MAC Tournament championship.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Eastern Michigan is 9-2 at the Convocation Center this season. The Eagles have won 10 of the last 12 home games dating back to last year.

APPROACHING 1,000: Two Eagles are closing in on 1,000 career points. Sophomore Tavelyn James has scored 939 points during her career. She is 16th all time and needs 29 points to catch Dru Bishop for 15th. Junior Cassie Schrock has scored 884 points in her career and is 20th all time. Currently, 14 players are in the 1,000-point club for EMU women's basketball.

A LOOK INSIDE THE SPECIALTY STATS: The Eagles are averaging 30.3 points per game in the paint, 24.5 points off the bench, 23.1 points per game off turnovers, 13.7 second-chance points and 12.0 fast break points per game.

IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: In the most recent NCAA Division I statistics rankings, junior Cassie Schrock cracks the list at 15th in assists per contest with 5.7 dimes while sophomore Tavelyn James is ninth nationally in points per game at 21.4. James is also 13th in three-point field goals per game with 3.0. As a team, the Eagles rank eighth in steals with 12.1 swipes per contest.

JAMES ON PACE TO SET THE EMU RECORD FOR POINTS IN A SEASON: With her proficiency to score in bunches sophomore guard Tavelyn James is currently charting a course to set the EMU single-season record for points in a season. With an average of 21.4 points per game, the Detroit native is on pace to total 621 points this season and surpass Laurie Byrd's mark of 602 in 26 games during the 1981-82 season.
Additionally, at her current pace, James' total would come up just short of the all-time mark among sophomores in Mid-American Conference history. Ohio's Caroline Mast holds down the league's current standard of 635 points during the 1983-84.

DIAL THREE FOR LONG DISTANCE: Sophomore Tavelyn James is quickly moving up the EMU record book, ranking eighth all-time with 123 three pointers made and sixth with 387 three-point field goals attempted. Kristy Maska (1997-01) holds the EMU record with 215 threes on 578 tries.

LEADING THE PACK: Eastern Michigan has been one the most dominant teams statistically in the Mid-American Conference this season, leading the league in four categories and ranking in the top five in 10 others. The Green and White are tops in the MAC in: rebounding offense (42.1 rpg), turnover margin (+4.54), steals (12.13) and offensive rebounds (16.75).

THREE POSTSEASON OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT: Should the Eagles fail to secure the NCAA Tournament bid or a berth in the Women's NIT, there is now a third option for postseason play with the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). The WBI is a 16-team, single elimination tournament divided into two regions with eight seeded teams in each.
The event is being run by Sport Tours International, Inc. and will take place over two weeks with all games being played on campus sites. The first round matchups will take place March 17-18, with the championship game tentatively scheduled for March 27 or 28.
Also, in 2009-10 the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) expands by 16 teams to a 64-team field. The Postseason WNIT will celebrate its 13th year with the 2010 event. The tournament will continue to feature an automatic berth for each of the nation's 31 established conferences, in addition to now offering at-large berths to 33 teams.
The 2010 Postseason WNIT will feature 32 first-round games, followed by 16 second-round games, eight third-round games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games, and the championship. All games in the single-elimination format are played at a host facility of participating schools. Games may begin Wednesday, March 17. The championship game will be played on Saturday, April 3, with national television coverage of the contest.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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