Eastern Michigan Looks to Zip Up Akron Wednesday

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EASTERN MICHIGAN LOOKS TO ZIP UP AKRON WEDNESDAY: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hits the road Wednesday, Feb. 6, for a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional showdown against the University of Akron. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.
Eastern Michigan enters the game with a 5-16 (3-5 MAC) record, after a 56-41 home setback to West Division co-leader Ball State University, Feb. 3. The Zips are 14-7 (5-3 MAC) on the season and are just a game out of first place in the MAC's East Division following a 75-57 victory over the University at Buffalo, Feb. 2.

A SPOTLIGHT ON THE ZIPS: The Feb. 6 contest against the University of Akron marks the 31st meeting between the Zips and Eagles, who first met during the 1981-82 season. UA leads the series, 16-14. The teams met only once during the 2011-12 regular season with EMU claiming a 91-46 decision in Ypsilanti.

CONTRASTING STYLES COLLIDE: How do you like your basketball? EMU and Akron could not be more different when it comes to their style of play. Eastern Michigan has focused on defense and limiting the opposition to an average of 62.1 points per game while scoring 54.9 points. Meanwhile, Akron likes to light up the nets to a tune of 75.6 points per game while giving up 64.6 points.
The Eagles rank 174th nationally in scoring defense and 300th in scoring offense, while the Zips are 11th in scoring offense and 239th in scoring defense. UA has reached 75-or-more points in a game 11 times with EMU yet to score more than 74 points in a single contest.

FINDING THE GAME ON YOUR RADIO DIAL: With the EMU men's basketball team at home for a game against the University at Buffalo Wednesday, the women's contest will only be broadcast on Eagle All-Access rather than WEMU (89.1 FM). Adam Kuffner will have the call beginning at 6:50 p.m. from Akron, Ohio. As always, on demand replays of select EMU basketball games are available to subscribers at EMUEagles.com/showcase.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: EMU raced out to a big first-half lead and never looked back in a 91-46 win over Akron, Jan. 28, 2012, in a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional game in the Convocation Center. Eastern had three players in double-figure scoring and two with double-double scoring-rebounding efforts. Tavelyn James led the way with 31 points while Natachia Watkins turned in the first double-double of her career with 26 points and a career-best 13 rebounds. Paige Redditt also had a double-double, her fifth of the season, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Akron was led by Carly Young with nine while Candace Martino added eight.
Eastern would finish the game shooting 44.7 percent from the field, making 38-of-85 attempts while also recording a 59-34 advantage on the boards. Akron would be held to just 24.5 percent, making only 13-of-53 shots. The Zips also turned it over a whopping 27 times.

SMILES & BASKETBALL - EMU TO STAGE A CLINIC IN NEWTOWN, CONN.: Head Coach Tory Verdi was born and raised in Connecticut. His first coaching experiences came at Western Connecticut State University and before that at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, Conn., located just 10 miles from Newtown.
On Dec. 14, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown shook the entire world, sparking a desire to help the community in any way possible. In response, Verdi and his Eastern Michigan team plan to help stage an afternoon of basketball instruction and fun activities for youngsters in Newtown on Sunday, Feb. 10.
Verdi and members of the Eastern team will work with the Newtown Youth Basketball Association to stage the “Smiles & Basketball” clinic, from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. at Newtown High School.
The clinic will be for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. There will be three hours of basketball instruction and an hour of entertainment for two separate groups, kindergarten through third grade and fourth through eighth grades. A carnival area will consist of games, arts and crafts, face painting, a balloonist and clowns, plus food and prizes. Eastern's players will be working at stations in both the gym and carnival areas. Verdi says his and the team's objective is to help the children and families of Newtown keep moving forward, and understand that they are not alone.

SHOOTING BLUES: The Eagles have struggled mightily shooting the basketball in 2012-13. The Green and White has averaged just a 36.1 percent clip from the floor and shot less than 30.0 percent against Northeastern (29.8), Michigan (27.0) and Ball State (25.4). EMU's best performance occurred at South Dakota State, when the squad made 25-of-52 shots 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).

THOMAS DISHING OUT THE ASSISTS: Court vision is what most guards work on daily in practice, and lately for junior Desyree Thomas it has come naturally. Thomas tallied 11 assists in the 67-62 victory over Northern Illinois, Jan. 31, which is tied for the 11th most in a single game in the program's 37-year history. To add to the impressive feat, the Waterford, Mich. native had zero turnovers in 33 minutes of work.
Betsy Brown holds the record set in 1995 with 14 dimes against Chicago State.

CAGE HEATING UP: Freshman Bianca Cage has found Mid-American Conference play to her liking. Through seven games the Memphis, Tenn. native is averaging a team-best 12.9 points per game and a 41.1 percent shooting clip. She is one of only five freshmen to average double figure points in MAC-only contests, joining Buffalo's Mackenzie Loesing (13.1), Ball State's Nathalie Fontaine (12.7), Ohio's Kiyanna Black (12.4) and Western Michigan's Marquisha Harris (11.8).

OHIO ON THE HORIZON: The Feb. 9 contest marks the 53rd meeting between the Ohio Bobcats and Eastern Michigan Eagles, who first met during the 1980-81 season. Ohio leads the series, 30-22, with EMU posting a 63-53 victory in the team's only meeting last season back in Athens, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2012.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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