Eagles Trek West for the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Following a 73-56 non-conference victory over Hillsdale College, Nov. 25, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team will head to Las Cruces, N.M. to compete in the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 28-29.
   EMU (2-2) will take on teams from Cal State Fullerton (1-3) and Weber State (3-2). The contest against the Titans will mark the first time the two teams have met on the hardwood, while this will be the third meeting between the Wildcats and the Eagles.

EMU AND THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT: Since winning three consecutive in-season tournaments during the 2004-05 campaign, the Eagles have struggled with a 6-12 record in the eight 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. In 2011-12, EMU downed Saint Louis, 66-55, in the opener of the Holiday Hoops Tournament in Seattle, Wash., Dec. 29. EMU fell to Tulane, 65-71, and Ole Miss, 58-61, at the 2012 DoubleTree Classic in New Orleans, La., Dec. 29-30.
   Last season, EMU went 2-0 at the Seawolves Holiday Classic in Stony Brook, N.Y., Dec. 21-22. The Eagles edged out Wagner, 69-56, and Monmouth, 64-53.

EMU VERSUS TEAMS IN THE TOURNAMENT: Eastern Michigan has never faced Cal State Fullerton prior to the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 28-29.
   Located in Fullerton, Calif., the Titans are a member of the Big West Conference. EMU also has a limited history with the Big West as the Green and White are 3-1 all-time with victories over Cal State Northridge (2-1) and Hawai'i (1-0).
    Eastern Michigan and Weber State are meeting for the third time on the hardwood. The teams last faced off in 2008 with the Eagles posting a 77-47 victory at the Convocation Center, Dec. 29. Behind 18 points from Tavelyn James and 17 from Cassie Schrock, the Eagles out-scored the Wildcats 44-20 in the second half to cruise to the win. A year prior at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah, Nov. 29, 2007, it was the Wildcats walking away with a hard-fought 61-49 victory.

SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON: After dropping its first three contests of the season, Cal State Fullerton is hoping it has found its stride on the court after defeating Weber State on the road, 70-68, Nov. 24.
   Senior Chante Miles leads the Titan offense as she comes into the tournament averaging 16.8 points per game and is shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from three-point range. Daeja Smith averages 6.8 points per game, while three other Titans average five points per contest. Cal State Fullerton is led on the boards by Amanda Tivenius, Kathleen Iwuoha, and Samantha Logan who each pull down an average of five rebounds per game.
   As a team, the Titans are giving up 60.2 points per game, while scoring just 53.5 with a majority of their points coming in the second half. Cal State Fullerton is shooting 37.8 percent from the floor, while the opposition is shooting 35.9 percent from the floor. The Titans have had trouble protecting the ball in their first four games, committing 81 turnovers, while forcing just 48 miscues.

WEBER STATE AT A GLANCE: The Wildcats come into the tournament with a 3-2 record after picking up victories in their first three contests before dropping the last two. Weber State defeated Montana-Western, 71-31, Bristol University, 94-48, and Air Force, 71-53.
   Weber State has three players averaging double-digit points per contest with Regina Okoye contributing a team-best 13.8 points per game. Jalen Carpenter and Kailie Quinn are dropping 13.4 and 10 points per game, respectively. Okoye also leads the team on the boards, pulling down 8.6 rebounds per contest, while Tinisha Toussaint is grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game.
   The Wildcats are averaging 70 points a game and keeping opponents to just 52.6, while shooting 37.8 percent from the floor and 30.6 from beyond the arc. Weber State has forced 117 turnovers, blocked 22 shots, and has stolen the ball 60 times, while the opposition has forced 84 turnovers, blocked 41 Wildcat shots, and stolen the ball 41 times.

MOVING MORTON: Being a primary starter as a freshman and averaging 13.0 points per game, Janay Morton earned a spot in the starting lineup at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. However, the Brooklyn Park, Minn. native was not putting in production that met Coach Tory Verdi's standards, scoring only 28 points combined through the first three games. Therefore, the third-year head coach decided to make a change, bringing Morton off the bench for the Eagles' game against Hillsdale, Nov. 25. The move paid off as the sophomore shot 7-of-14 from the floor for a season-high 20 points, leading the Eagles in scoring en route to a 73-56 victory over the Chargers. Morton knocked down four shots from beyond the arc in the contest after coming into the contest just 3-of-13 from three-point land.

EAGLES STAY PERFECT IN CONVO: EMU grabbed its second victory of the season by defeating Hillsdale College, 73-56, in a mid-week non-conference contest Tuesday, Nov. 25, inside the Convocation Center.
   Sophomore Janay Morton led the EMU scoring effort with a season-best 20 points, going 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-11 from three-point range, while three other Eagles notched double-digit points. Sophomore Cha Sweeney matched a season-best 15 points, while Phillis Webb and Jamaica Bucknor scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. As a team, the Green and White shot 40.3 percent from the floor, making 31 shots. Bucknor recorded her second career double-double, adding a team-best 10 rebounds to her 11-point night. Webb notched seven rebounds for EMU.
   On defense, the Eagles forced Hillsdale to turn the ball over on 30 occasions, while also stealing 16 balls. In comparison, the Green and White had just 18 turnovers. EMU also added a season-best seven blocks, with 17 points off of fastbreaks and 34 points off of Charger miscues.

CAUSING MISCUES: The Eagles have made it difficult for their opposition to protect the ball, posting 61 steals in just four games for an average of 15.3 steals per contest. Freshman Sasha Dailey has contributed 14 steals in her first four games as an Eagle, while Janay Morton and Cha Sweeney have swiped 10 balls apiece. As a team, the Green and White has had the ball stolen just 24 times and has committed 72 turnovers compared to the opposition's 101 turnovers.

SHOT HAPPY EAGLES: EMU wastes no time on its trips down the court as it is out-shooting its opponents 306-260 from the floor on the young season. The Eagles have taken 46 more shots from the floor than their first four opponents and are shooting 44.8 percent, while keeping teams to a 31.2 shooting percentage. However, the Green and White has been a little more conservative from three-point range, shooting just 56 times from beyond the arc compared to opponent's 101 trey attempts.

EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS: Junior Shannise Heady posted a career day for EMU at Texas-Pan American, Nov. 22, notching 20 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double. The Hazel Crest, Ill. native's previous career output was 19 points and nine boards in a WBI postseason contest against the University of Evansville, March 20, 2014.

GREEN AND WHITE DROPS CLOSE CONTEST WITH UTPA: With a five-point advantage and 11 minutes to play, the Eagles were unable to hold off a late surge by Texas-Pan American, falling 81-75 in its second-straight road contest of the 2014-15 season. The Broncs used a 22-8 run midway through the second half of play to edge out the Green and White in the non-conference contest.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: The Eagles have won 52 of the last 68 home games dating back to the 2008-09 season. Eastern Michigan has racked up a solid home-court advantage inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center since the doors opened during the 1998-99 campaign. The Green and White has won 67.4 percent of the contests played in the building, piling up a 145-70 all-time mark.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the Eagles' trip to Las Cruces, N.M., EMU will return to Ypsilanti for a non-conference mid-week contest against Cleveland State Tuesday, Dec. 2. The Green and White will be teaming up with Toys for Tots and fans will have the opportunity to bring an unwrapped gift in exchange for a free general admission ticket to the contest. Tip off from the Convo is slated for 7 p.m.

CLASHING WITH THE VIKINGS: Tuesday's mid-week contest against Cleveland State will mark the 15th time the two teams have met on the hardwood with Eastern Michigan holding a 10-4 overall record over the Vikings. Last season when the Eagles traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, EMU brought an 84-70 victory back to Ypsilanti, Nov. 17, 2013.

ALL-TIME AGAINST TEAMS FROM THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan holds a slight 51-40 advantage over teams from the Indianapolis, Ind. based league. The Eagles have faced all nine members of the conference with their most games coming against in-state rival, the University of Detroit Mercy.

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Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Janay Morton

Cha Sweeney

Phillis Webb

Eastern Michigan Athletics