The Road to a Championship Begins Saturday

THE ROAD TO A CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS SATURDAY: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team begins its post-season run Saturday, March 9, by hosting Western Michigan University in the opening round of the 2013 FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The game is the second leg of a doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team, which tangles with the University of Toledo at noon.
The defending 2012 MAC Tournament champion Eagles, seeded eighth in the tournament, defeated the No. 9-seed Broncos in both previous meetings this season. EMU won, 56-52, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Jan. 10, and followed it up with a 73-69 victory in Ypsilanti, Feb. 23.
Coming off a 63-56 setback to Central Michigan University, March 6, the Eagles enter the game with a mark of 8-21 (6-10 MAC) and a 4-11 record this season inside the confines of the Convocation Center. Meanwhile, WMU is 10-19 (6-10 MAC) having lost four of its last five games dating back to a 77-53 setback at CMU.
The winner advances to play the winner of No. 5 Bowling Green State University/No. 12 Kent State University Wednesday, March 13, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Tipoff is scheduled for noon.

#MACTION AT THE CONVO: Eastern is 6-1 all-time in MAC Tournament games played at the Convo. EMU's only home postseason setback was in 2001 to 10th-seeded Ohio, 80-75, when EMU was the No. 7 seed.

SECOND-BEST RECORD IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: During the past nine MAC Tournaments dating back to the 2004 championship, Eastern Michigan has posted a 13-7 mark, the second-best record over that span. EMU was 3-0 in 2004; 2-1 in 2005; 1-1 in 2006, 2007 and 2010; 0-1 on 2008 and 2009; 3-1 in 2011 and 2-0 in 2012. Conversely, Bowling Green is 21-4 during that time.

NOW THIS IS MARCH MADNESS: The Green and White has posted a 26-22 record during the month of March over the last 13 years, including a 2-1 mark last season. Eastern is 18-17 all-time in 19 trips to the MAC Tournament. The 1999-2000 campaign marked the first season that all teams qualified for the tournament.

ALL-TIME AGAINST TEAMS IN THE TOURNAMENT: The Eagles sport an 18-17 mark in 19 trips to the conference postseason and are making their first under Head Coach Tory Verdi. The Eagles have faced Bowling Green (2-5) the most times of any squad in the tournament. Eastern is 4-1 against Toledo, 2-2 versus Ohio, 2-2 against Miami and 1-3 versus Kent State. Eastern is 1-1 in postseason play versus Ball State and Northern Illinois. The Green and White are 2-0 against Buffalo, 1-0 versus Central Michigan and winless in only one attempt against Akron and Western Michigan. EMU was 2-0 versus Marshall in tournament play before the Thundering Herd departed for Conference USA.

A SPOTLIGHT ON THE BRONCOS: The March 9 contest marks the 74th meeting between the Western Michigan Broncos and Eastern Michigan Eagles, who first played during the 1976-77 season. EMU leads the all-time series, 43-30, and has won 15 of the last 17 meetings. Eastern has won the last five meetings at the Convocation Center dating back to the 2008-09 campaign.
In the first meeting earlier this season in Kalamazoo, Mich., Eastern Michigan notched a 56-52 victory over Western Michigan at University Arena, Jan. 10. Bianca Cage scored a career-high 25 points, all coming in the second half, to lead the Eagles. The freshman guard scored 25 of the team's final 33 points in the win. Cage finished 10-of-16 shooting from the floor including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Just 14 days ago the teams met in Ypsilanti with the Eagles completing the regular-season sweep with a 73-69 victory, Feb. 23. The Green and White shot 26-of-66 (39.4 percent) whereas the visitors shot 25-of-54 (46.3 percent). Western's Michelle O'Brien led all scorers with 21, including 15 points from beyond the arc. Four Eagles scored in double figures including Natachia Watkins with 13, India Hairston with 12, Bianca Cage with 14 and Desyree Thomas, who scored 15 and dished out nine dimes.

THE LAST POSTSEASON MEETING WITH WMU: A potent Western Michigan offense cruised to a 95-68 victory over Eastern Michigan in the quarterfinal round of the 1999 Kraft Mid-American Conference Tournament at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich., Feb. 26. The third-seeded Broncos built a 19-point halftime advantage and never looked back as they shot a sizzling 52.2 percent (36-of-69) for the contest.
Shani Charles finished with a double-double for EMU, notching 18 points and 10 rebounds in 40 minutes of action. Kristy Maska finished with 16 points and Emily Steinmetz had 11 points for then-Head Coach Suzy Merchant. Current WMU Head Coach Shane Clipfell was in his first season as an assistant coach at EMU as the Eagles finished the year with a 14-13 record.
Three WMU players reach double figures in points led Kelly DeLong's 26 point output. Shelsea Erving added a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

SEEKING TITLE NUMBER THREE: The Eagles advanced to the championship game of the MAC Tournament in 2004, 2011 and 2012. EMU is 2-1 all-time in the contest that decides the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Green and White defeated BGSU, 65-56, in the 2004 finale, March 13, and then fell to the Falcons, 51-46, in the 2011 title game, March 12. Last season, EMU defeated CMU 72-71 thanks to a Paige Redditt layup with 1.8 seconds left in the contest.

STAT YOU VERY MUCH: For the fourth consecutive season the EMU Athletic Media Relations Office will be called upon to serve as the official statistics crew of the 2013 First Energy MAC Tournament. Under the direction of Greg Steiner, the office worked the 2010, 2011 and 2012 tournament logging more than 60 hours over a four day span at Quicken Loans Arena. The office has also worked as the stat crew for the past five Marathon MAC Football Championship games and the previous six MAC Baseball Tournaments. The this year's MAC basketball crew consists of Greg Steiner, Sean Hostetter, Chris Puzzuoli, Adam Kuffner, Chelsea Acho and Ken Dewey.

SIX POSTSEASONS IN THE PAST NINE YEARS: Playing in late March has become a regular tradition for Eastern Michigan, as the Eagles have participated in the postseason six times in the past nine years. Prior to the 2003-04 campaign, EMU had never even advanced to the championship game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. However, all that changed when EMU won the 2004 MAC Tournament and earned the automatic bid to the program's first NCAA Tournament. The Green and White have since followed it up with appearances in the 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011 Women's National Invitational Tournaments (WNIT). Last season, EMU again returned to the NCAA Tournament after winning the MAC Tournament.

HITE CONTINUES TO GROW: Senior Chelsea Hite continues her development on the court, as the senior center turned in arguably her best career game against Northern Illinois, Feb. 28. The 6-foot-4 Hite set a career-high with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while grabbing five rebounds in 21 minutes of action. She also collected a steal and a block as the Eagles' held the Huskies to just 18-of-57 shooting from the field and 16 turnovers.
On Senior Night, Hite followed it up with a 5-of-9 performance for 13 points against CMU, March 6.

AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS: Eastern Michigan has had great success against other collegiate programs in the state of Michigan over the past 10 seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, the Eagles are 45-19 (70.3 winning percentage) against in-state rivals.

CAGE AMONG THE MAC's BEST FRESHMAN SCORERS: Freshman Bianca Cage found Mid-American Conference play to her liking. In 16 games the Memphis, Tenn. native averaged 10.3 points per game and a 37.1 percent shooting clip. She was one of only three freshmen to average double figure points in MAC-only contests, joining Ball State's Nathalie Fontaine (13.9) and Buffalo's Mackenzie Loesing (13.8) .

SENIOR CLOSE IT OUT: On Wednesday, March 6, the EMU women's basketball program honored three seniors who have helped the transform the Eagles in their time on campus. During their tenure at EMU, the team has posted 77 victories, a Mid-American Conference West Division title, a MAC Tournament championship, a NCAA appearance as well and a pair of WNIT appearances.
     Taylor Bird - A transfer from Johnson County CC, this senior played in 58 games in her two years in Ypsilanti, racking up 174 points, 132 rebounds and 88 assists in her career. Her best game as an Eagle occurred earlier this season against Ole Miss, when she scored a personal-best 11 points. She followed it up by hauling down a season-best nine rebounds against Loyola.
     India Hairston - Having played in 124 career games for EMU, she has been known for her inside presence while donning the Green and White uniform. In her career, she has accumulated 473 points, 431 rebounds and 71 steals. This season, she has started every game for EMU, setting career-highs in nearly every statistical category.
     Chelsea Hite - Having played in 58 career games for the Green and White, she has been the ultimate team player providing energy and help off the bench. The tallest player on the EMU roster, she has been playing her best basketball as a senior. Having scored a career-best 13 points at Northern Illinois and again versus Central Michigan on senior night, she hauled down a person-best six rebounds against Bowling Green and blocked three shots at Miami.

2013 FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament

First Round - Saturday, March 9 - Campus Sites
Game 1 - No. 12 Kent State at No. 5 Bowling Green - 1 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 9 Western Michigan at No. 8 Eastern Michigan - 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 - No. 10 Northern Illinois at No. 7 Buffalo - 2 p.m.
Game 4 - No. 11 Ohio at No. 6 Miami - 2 p.m.

Second Round - Wednesday, March 13 - Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Game 5 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - Noon
Game 6 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner - 2:30 p.m.

Quarterfinal Round - Thursday, March 14 - Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Game 7 - Game 5 Winner vs. No. 4 Central Michigan - Noon
Game 8 - Game 6 Winner vs. No. 3 Akron - 2:30 p.m.

Semifinal Round - Friday, March 15 - Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Game 9 - Game 7 Winner vs. No. 1 Toledo - Noon (SportsTime Ohio)
Game 10 - Game 8 Winner vs. No. 2 Ball State - 2:30 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio)

Championship - Friday, March 15 - Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Game 11 - Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 winner - 1 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio)

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos