Eagles and Kangaroos Square Off in Kansas City

EAGLES AND KANGAROOS SQUARE OFF IN KANSAS CITY: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to the road Saturday, Dec. 15, for a non-conference affair versus the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST inside the Swinney Recreation Center in Kansas City, Mo.
EMU enters the game with a 1-8 record after falling to the University of Michigan, 55-43, in the “Battle for Washtenaw County,” Dec. 11, at the EMU Convocation Center. The Kangaroos are 4-6 on the young season following a 87-49 setback at Minnesota, Dec. 7.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SERIES WITH UMKC: The schools are meeting for the fourth time with EMU holding a 2-1 edge in the series. Last season EMU dropped a 70-68 overtime decision to UMKC at the Convocation Center, Dec. 9, 2011. Tavelyn James led the Eagles with 19 points while Natachia Watkins scored 18.
During the 2010-11 campaign, the Eagles downed the Kangaroos, 64-58, at the Swinney Recreation Center, Dec. 1, 2010. EMU led by as many as 21 points in the second half before UMKC began chipping away to get within two, 60-58, in the final minute. However, Sydney Huntley hit a pair of free throws with 22 seconds to play to seal the six-point victory.
The only other meeting was an opening round contest at the State Farm Tiger Classic hosted by the University of Missouri, Dec. 3, 2004, in Columbia, Mo.

A BREAK IN THE ACTION: Due to final exams and the upcoming holidays, EMU enters a stretch in which it will only play three games over the next 20 days. The Green and White play at UMKC, Dec. 15, before next returning to the court Dec. 29-30 at the Tulane University/DoubleTree Classic in New Orleans, La.

NO CUPCAKES: This year's non-conference schedule has left little room for error. Just ask EMU Head Coach Tory Verdi. Going into the season EMU's non-conference strength of schedule was projected to be one of the hardest in the Mid-American Conference if not the country. EMU's first nine opponents have a combined record of 56-24 (70.0 winning percentage) with five schools having already won seven games (Michigan State, Boston U., Harvard, Wyoming, and Michigan).

SHOOTING BLUES: The Eagles have struggled mightily shooting the basketball in 2012-13. The Green and White has averaged just a 34.0 percent clip from the floor and have shot less than 30.0 percent against Northeastern (29.8) and Michigan (27.0). EMU's best performance occurred at South Dakota State, when the squad made 25-of-52 shoots for a 48.1 percentage.
The three-point shot has also been an issue with EMU making more than the opposition in just two contests (Northeastern and Harvard).

A FAMILIAR FACE: The Eagles will square off against a familiar face on the opposing sideline, as UMKC Head Coach Marsha Frese spent the past two seasons as the Associate Head Coach at Northern Illinois University. During her two seasons with the Huskies, the Eagles posted a perfect 4-0 mark against their Mid-American Conference West Division rival.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: Eastern Michigan is 11-12 all-time versus the Elmhurst. Ill. based Summit League, having played against six of the nine member institutions. EMU is 7-7 against Oakland, 1-0 versus IPFW, 1-1 against IUPUI, 2-1 versus UMKC, 0-1 against Western Illinois and 0-1 versus South Dakota State.

EMU TRIES TO SNAP THE SKID: EMU will be trying to avoid its first nine game losing skid since the 2008-09 campaign. That season, the Green and White lost 10 consecutive contests en route to an 8-21 record.

INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU: In its lone victory this season, EMU scored 50.0 points while the opposition posted 47.0 points. In that game, opponents shot 27.3 percent from the field compared to 29.8 percent for the Eagles. In defeats, the Eagles have only posted 54.8 points, while giving up 64.1. Another factor in the Eagles' success was the ability to control the glass. EMU grabbed 42.0 rebounds in the win, while in setbacks EMU has been out-rebounded its opponents by carom (38.5 to 38.9).

A LOOK INSIDE THE SPECIALTY STATS: The Eagles are averaging 26.8 points per game in the paint, 14.0 points off the bench, 13.1 points per game off turnovers, 9.9 second-chance points and 4.6 fast break points per game.

A TRIP TO THE BIG EASY ON THE HORIZON: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team jets to the “Big Easy” to participate in the DoubleTree Classic hosted by Tulane University at Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans, La. The Eagles and Green Wave will be joined by the University of Mississippi and McNeese State University. The Green and White square off versus Tulane Saturday, Dec. 29, followed by a matchup with either the Rebels or the Cowgirls Sunday, Dec. 30.
The trip will mark the first time that EMU has played a game in the state of Louisiana since the 1988-89 campaign.

EMU AND THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT: Since winning three consecutive in-season tournaments during the 2004-05 campaign, the Eagles have struggled with a 4-10 record in the six events since. The Eagles downed the University of Alabama, 52-43, in the opening game of the Fifth Annual Junkanoo Jam, Nov. 23, 2007, at St. George's High School in the Bahamas. The Green and White then posted an 83-67 victory over Hawai'i, Nov. 20, 2011, and a 79-68 win against Cal State Northridge, Nov. 21, 2011, at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Last season, EMU downed Saint Louis, 66-55, in the opener of the Holiday Hoops Tournament in Seattle, Wash., Dec. 29. EMU dropped the finale to host Seattle, 75-72, the next afternoon at KeyArena.

EMU VERSUS TEAMS IN THE TOURNAMENT: Eastern Michigan has never faced either Tulane or Ole Miss prior to the DoubleTree Classic, Dec. 29-30.
Tulane is a member of Conference USA, but will be joining the Big East Conference for the 2014-15 campaign. EMU also has a limited history with the Southeastern Conference, of which Mississippi is a member. The Green and White is 3-3 all-time versus the SEC with victories over Alabama, Florida and Missouri.
Interestingly, the tournament's third participant, McNeese State, does have a history with the Eagles. The Cowgirls defeated the then-Hurons, 94-79, in the team's only meeting, Dec. 31, 1988, in Lake Charles, La.

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