Women's Hoops Looks to White Out Buffalo on Saturday

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YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team briefly returns home Saturday, Jan. 31, to host the University at Buffalo. 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 Western Michigan University at 12 p.m. In addition, it will be a 'White Out' at the Convo with fans encouraged to wear white when cheering on the Eagles. Those in attendance will also enjoy halftime performances from the King BMX Stunt Show.
   Eastern Michigan enters the game with a 10-8 (3-4 MAC) record after an emotionally draining 83-56 loss at Western Michigan, Jan. 28. Meanwhile, the Bulls are also 10-8 (3-4 MAC) after enjoying the mid-week bye following a 47-43 victory over Northern Illinois University, Jan. 24.
   Veteran broadcasters Chad Bush and Greg Steiner will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM) beginning at 2:20 p.m. Live video and statistics of the game can also be found on EMUEagles.com.

TOP TWO REBOUNDING TEAMS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD: The MAC's top two rebounding clubs face off against each other Saturday, Jan. 31, when EMU tangles with Buffalo. The Eagles and Bulls are tied atop the league's rankings with 43.6 boards a game. Coincidentally, the pair find themselves at the bottom of the league in rebounding defense with EMU coming in 11th (41.5) and UB 12th (43.6).
   The Bulls feature three of the conference's top 20 rebounders with Christa Baccas ranked third with 8.6 caroms per game followed closely by Alexus Malone in fourth at 8.2. The Eagles' Jamaica Bucknor cracks the list in 18th with 6.2 rpg while Brianna Puni would be fourth, but she has not played in enough contests to qualify for the MAC's rankings.

ALL-TIME VERSUS BUFFALO: Saturday's contest marks the 21st meeting between the Bulls and Eagles, who first met during the 1993-94 season. EMU leads the series, 13-7, including winning 10 of the last 13 meetings between the two schools. EMU has never lost three consecutive games to Buffalo.
   The teams met only once during the 2013-14 regular season with UB claiming an 84-83 overtime decision at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. The last time the squads played in Ypsilanti was during the 2012-13 regular season when the Bulls notched a 79-63 victory.

REBOUND THAT BASKETBALL!: EMU is tied for the Mid-American Conference lead in rebounding offense at 43.6 caroms per contest while also ranking third in rebounding margin at +2.1. Eastern is second in the league with an average of 15.8 offensive rebounds a game to go along with ranking third in defensive boards at 27.8.

DAILEY FINDING HER OWN: After a sensational freshman debut with 31 points and nine steals, freshman Sasha Daily experienced some growing pains on the court combining for just 43 points over the next 15 games. In contests at Toledo (Jan. 24) and Western Michigan (Jan. 28), the Toledo Rogers High School product returned to form with back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts on 14-of-18 shooting. At Toledo, Dailey scored 14 points off the bench to go along with three steals and followed it up with a team-best 15 points in 24 minutes of work at WMU.

DEFENSE LEADING TO EASY OFFENSE: Over the previous four games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 20.8 turnovers a game while snagging 14.3 steals. The 83 turnovers by the opposition led to 92 points-off-turnovers or 36.7 percent of the EMU's offense.

ARCH RIVALS COME TOGETHER TO HONOR A FALLEN TEAMMATE: Emotions were high before the Jan. 28 game at Western Michigan as the Eagles were taking the court for the first time since the loss of their teammate, junior Shannise Heady, who along with fellow EMU student Jordan Hopkins passed away in an automobile accident. A moment of silence was held in Heady's honor before the game and the teams joined together for the national anthem. Both schools and members of the crowd also wore No. 32 patches in her memory.
   WMU beat EMU, 83-56, but Eagles coach Tory Verdi said he believed his team won by just playing the game.    "I know we came here for a basketball game here tonight, but it's more than just basketball," Verdi said. "I'm proud of our team. The one thing that I said to them leaving the locker room was that we won before the game even started. We won because we were able to take a step and get here. I'm proud of them."

EMU PLAYING WITH A HEAVY HEART: EMU women's basketball student-athlete Shannise Heady and fellow EMU student Jordan Hopkins died in an automobile accident on Hewitt Road north of Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti Township. The accident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25.
   EMU grief counselors met with and continue to provide support for the team, students, faculty and staff. The University is prepared to offer counseling and support to anyone who requests it. Please contact University Health Services at 734.487.1118.
   Heady transferred to EMU from Seton Hall University prior to the 2013-14 season and played in 22 games after missing the first four due to NCAA transfer rules. This season Heady played in 17 games, starting 10, averaging 7.9 points and 23.2 minutes per game.

SWEENEY'S BIG WEEK: Sophomore Cha Sweeney regained her 2014 MAC Freshman of the Year form in helping propel the Eagles to a 2-0 week with wins over Miami (56-38) and Toledo (75-61). Sweeney led the team in scoring in both contests with an average of 17.5 points per game while shooting 44.4 (12-of-27) from the floor. She also drilled seven treys, including tying her career high with five makes from long-range at UT.
   In 34 minutes versus Toledo, the Glass City native posted 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting while also grabbing three rebounds along with three assists and three steals. The win was just EMU's 10th all-time at Savage Arena and the first win against the Rockets since 2012.
   For her efforts, she was named the MAC West Division co-Player of the Week.

INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU: In its 10 victories this season, EMU is averaging 76.4 points while the opposition is posting just 57.0 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 34.2 percent from the field compared to 43.2 percent for the Eagles. In defeats, the Eagles are only scoring 57.6 points, while giving up 72.2. Another factor in the Eagles' success has been the ability to control the glass. EMU is grabbing 44.5 rebounds to just 39.0 for the opponents in the wins, while in setbacks the rebounding edge tracks in the opponents favor (EMU 42.4, OPP 44.8).

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: The Eagles have won 57 of the last 74 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 67.9 percent of the contests played in the building, piling up a 150-71 all-time mark.

STARTER STABILITY: EMU is still looking for some continuity in its starting five, as the Eagles have rolled out 11 different starting lineups. EMU has not had a player start every game this season.

EMU'S DEFENSE CAUSES A FAILURE TO LAUNCH FOR TOLEDO: EMU limited Toledo's shooting to just 37.7 percent (23-of-61) from the field, including 25.0 percent (4-of-16) from three-point land, and 19 turnovers in the 75-61 decision at Savage Arena, Jan. 24.
   EMU took full advantage of Toledo's miscues and translated them into a whopping 27 points to claim its second win in Lucas County since 2009. The Rockets entered the showdown averaging only 13.9 turnovers per game, the fourth-best total in the league. They were also hitting a league-high 38.5 percent from three-point range in conference games before clashing with the Eagles.
   UT had 36 possessions in the opening half, and scored on only 14 of them. Worse, the Rockets threw away 13 of those possessions — including four unforced turnovers — which led to 18 Eastern Michigan points.

GLASS CITY RETURNS: It is safe to say Cha Sweeney and teammate Sasha Dailey had memorable returns to their hometown in EMU's 14-point victory at Toledo, Jan. 24 . Sweeney scored 23 points and Dailey added 14 off the bench at Savage Arena, a little more than three miles away from their former high school.

SWEENEY COMING UP BIG IN THE SECOND HALF: Sophomore Cha Sweeney has been slow to start games for EMU, but has quickly found her rhythm in the second half of action. The Toledo, Ohio native has recorded 119 of her 252 total points in the second half so far this year and has reached double-digits in the final 20 minutes on six separate occasions. Sweeney poured in 18 second half points in the Green and White's victory over Cleveland State, Dec. 2.

KENT STATE ON THE HORIZON: Following the UB contest, EMU heads back out on the road with a trip to Kent State University Wednesday, Feb. 4. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.
   The contest marks the 58th meeting between the Kent State Golden Flashes and Eastern Michigan Eagles, who first met during the 1980-81 season. Kent State leads the series, 34-23, but Eastern Michigan has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
   EMU is currently riding a program-best seven-game winning streak in the series. The Green and White downed the Golden Flashes, 88-70, last season in Kent, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2014, and followed it up with a 65-57 decision back in Ypsilanti, Feb. 6, 2014.

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Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Eastern Michigan Athletics