EMU Hits the Road for the First Time in 2012-13

EASTERN MICHIGAN TRAVELS TO BUTLER WEDNESDAY: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hits the road for the first time in the 2012-13 campaign with a non-conference tilt Wednesday, Nov. 28, versus Butler University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
Eastern Michigan enters the game with a mark of 1-4 after falling to the Crimson of Harvard University, 67-63, Nov. 24. The Bulldogs are 2-4 on the young season after dropping games to Saint Mary's and Portland State at the St. Mary's Tournament, Nov. 23-24, in Moraga, Calif.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES: The Eagles and Bulldogs wake up the echoes of a non-conference rivalry that has been dormant since the 2003-04 campaign. The all-time series is tied at 2-2. The last time the teams met was Nov. 25, 2002, in Ypsilanti, Mich., when EMU rolled to a 79-47 victory.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE ATLANTIC 10: Eastern is 9-10 all-time versus the Philadelphia, Pa. based Atlantic 10 Conference, having only played seven of the 16 member institutions. EMU is 1-0 against St. Bonaventure, 1-0 versus Saint Louis, 1-0 against Duquesne, 2-2 versus Butler, 2-1 against Massachusetts, 0-6 versus Dayton and 1-1 against Temple.

LAST TIME WE MET: The Eastern Michigan offense awoke in the second half at the Convocation Center, as the Green and White downed Butler, 79-47, Nov. 25, 2002. Melis Ulker had 10 of her 12 points in the second stanza, as the Eagles posted 51 points after the half.
Nikki Knapp led the Eagles with 16 points, while Ryan Coleman and Sarah VanMetre added 13 points a piece for the home team. The Eagles shot 53-percent for the contest and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 42-28, including a 13-board differential in the second half.

SHOOTING FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE: After ranking seventh in the Mid-American Conference in free throw percentage a season ago, the Eagles rank second in the league in that category this season. EMU is making a 73.3 percent clip through the team's first five contests.

FOUTY GOES TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS VERSUS HARVARD: Junior Olivia Fouty turned in a career-best day against Harvard University, Nov. 24, with a 20 point effort against the Crimson. She also finished with eight rebounds and three blocks in the setback. A day earlier against Boston University, Nov. 23, she paced the EMU attack with 13 points in 31 minutes of work.

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK: Senior India Hairston played in her 100th career game against Harvard, Nov. 24. Given her current pace, she will rank inside the top five in the EMU annals in games played. Tavelyn James and Paige Redditt hold the EMU standard with 129 games played from 2008-12.

A LOOK INSIDE THE SPECIALTY STATS: The Eagles are averaging 23.6 points per game in the paint, 16.0 points off the bench, 11.0 points per game off turnovers, 11.2 second-chance points and 6.2 fast break points per game.

WYOMING ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan next squares off against Wyoming Saturday, Dec. 1, in Laramie, Wyo. The schools are meeting for the second time with the Eagles holding a 1-0 edge in the series. Last season in Ypsilanti, EMU opened the 2012 calendar year on a positive note with a 65-43 victory over the Cowgirls, Jan. 2, inside the Convocation Center. Tavelyn James led all scorers with 27 points and Olivia Fouty collected a career-high 18 rebounds in the Eagles' final non-conference game of the season.
After Wyoming recovered from an early 11-0 deficit to tie the game at 13 midway through the opening half, the Eagles used a 19-2 run to take a 32-15 lead into halftime. EMU had no plans of relinquishing that lead in the second half and cruised to the 22-point victory.
Fouty shattered her previous game-high record of 12 rebounds with 18. The Toledo, Ohio native out-rebounded the entire Wyoming team in the first half with 15 boards (UW had 14), while adding three in the second half. She was the only player on either team with double-digit rebounds.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan and South Dakota State have never met on the hardwood prior to the Tuesday, Dec. 4, contest. EMU and SDSU were both participants in the 2012 NCAA Tournament in West Lafayette, Ind. However, both teams had first round exits with EMU falling to South Carolina, 80-48, and South Dakota faltering against Purdue, 83-68.
In fact, the two schools have never met in men's basketball, soccer or volleyball. The EMU football team is 2-1 all-time against the Jackrabbits, with the teams having last played in 1971. The then-Hurons cruised to a 35-2 victory en route to a Pioneer Bowl appearance.

EMU ADDS FIVE FOR 2013-14 CAMPAIGN: EMU Head Women's Basketball Coach Tory Verdi wanted to make his first full recruiting class a memorable one, and that is exactly what he accomplished with the announcement that five new players will join the Eagles in 2013-14.
Verdi has announced that Ajai Meeks (Detroit, Mich.-Pershing-Providence-Schoolcraft), Haley Moore (Milford, Neb.-Milford), Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo), Cha'Ron Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) have signed national letters of intent to join EMU next season.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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