Eastern Michigan Athletics

Wednesday, March 10
Cleveland, Ohio
6 p.m.

Eastern Michigan University

vs

Akron

Eastern Michigan University Basketball

Eagles and Zips Set for Wednesday's Quarterfinal Contest

3/8/2010 2:23:33 PM | Women's Basketball

MAC Madness Shifts to Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena

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MAC MADNESS HEADS TO THE “Q”: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team continues its post-season run Wednesday evening, March 10, against the University of Akron in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. The Eagles, seeded fifth in the tournament, fell to the No. 4-seed Zips in their only previous meeting this season, 73-66, Jan. 30, at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Coming off a 66-56 victory over 12th seeded Buffalo, March 6, the Eagles enter the game with a mark of 22-7 (11-5 MAC) and will be playing its first game on a neutral court this season. Meanwhile, Akron earned a bye to the quarterfinal round with a 69-41 pasting of Ohio University, March 2, to up its record to 17-12 (11-5 MAC).

A BULLSEYE ON AKRON: Wednesday's contest marks the 28th meeting between the Zips and Eagles, who first met during the 1981-82 season. UA leads the series, 15-12, but EMU has won seven of the last 10 outings. The teams met only once during the 2009-10 regular season with Akron claiming a 73-66 decision at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich., Jan. 30. The contest featured numerous momentum swings, with the Eagles rushing out to a 12 point lead before the Zips charged back to take an 18-point second half lead. Akron had to withstand a frantic EMU charge in the closing moments to claim the victory.
The two program's have never been pitted against each other in postseason play prior to Wednesday's quarterfinal bout.

HISTORY IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Eastern is 13-15 all-time in 16 previous trips to the MAC Tournament, while Akron has recorded a 2-14 mark in 14 seasons of league post-season play. The 1999-2000 campaign marked the first season that all teams qualified for the tournament.

MAKING HISTORY NOTHING NEW FOR THIS PROGRAM: Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert and crew can add another first to their already impressive 2009-10 resume. The Eagles are the first Mid-American Conference women's basketball program to post a 20-win season following a year in which the team won less than 10 games.
The Eagles are also just one victory shy of equalling the 1985-86 Ohio University squad for the biggest single-season turnaround in league history. That Bobcat crew won 26 games after posting just 11 victories during the entire 1984-85 campaign. 

NOW THIS IS MARCH MADNESS: The Green and White have posted an 19-16 record during the month of March over the last 12 years, including a 2-0 mark this season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST TEAMS IN THE TOURNAMENT: The Eagles sport a 13-15 mark in 16 trips to the conference postseason and are making their third under Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert. The Eagles have faced Bowling Green (2-4) the most times of any squad in the tournament. Eastern is 2-2 versus Ohio, 2-1 against Toledo, 1-2 versus Miami and 0-3 versus Kent State. Eastern is 1-1 in postseason play versus Ball State and Northern Illinois. The Green and White is 2-0 against Buffalo and winless in only one attempt against Western Michigan.

MAC TOURNAMENT SEEDING FACTS: In the 26 years of the tournament, the top seed has won the title 19 times. Miami, a No. 4 seed in 1995, Western Michigan (No. 4 in 2003) and Bowling Green (No. 4 in 2004), became the highest seeds to ever advance to the title game. Western Michigan, a No. 4 seed in 2003, is the highest seed to ever win the title. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have met 14 times in the championship game, with the top seed winning 12 times.

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 20.6 points per game, the Detroit native is on pace to total 618 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 sophomore standard of 635 points during the 1983-84.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE EAGLES FROM BACK AT HOME: For those who are unable to make it to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament, you can still follow all the action on the radio and on the television. Brian Nemerovski, Tyler Jones and Jeff Fulton will call the action on WEMU 89.1 FM. Pregame coverage begins 10 minutes prior to every EMU contest. On the tube, fans can catch replays of both semifinal games Friday, March 12, on FS Detroit Plus (Comcast digital cable channel 901 throughout the state of Michigan) beginning at noon. Saturday's title game will also be shown on FSN Plus at 1 p.m.

THIRD-BEST RECORD IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: During the past seven Mid-American Conference Tournaments dating back to the 2004 championship, Eastern Michigan has posted a 9-6 mark, the third best record in the over that span. EMU went 1-1 in the 2003 tourney, 3-0 in claiming the 2004 title, 2-1 in 2005, 1-1 in 2006, 1-1 in 2007 and 0-1 in 2008 and 2009. Bowling Green is 14-4 over that time while Ball State is 10-6, Miami 7-6 and Ohio 7-7.

GILBERT RETURNS TO NORTHEAST OHIO: This week's MAC Tournament will be a homecoming of sorts for head coach AnnMarie Gilbert. A native of nearby Elyria, Ohio, Gilbert began her collegiate career at Ohio University, playing two seasons (1986-88) before transferring to Oberlin College. She transferred to Oberlin for her junior and senior seasons (1989-91), where she was a two-time Kodak first team All-American, a two-time NCAC Player of the Year, the Honda Division III Athlete of the Year and the Champion USA/WBCA Player of the Year in 1991.

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