EMU Motors Into Detroit for Wednesday Night Showdown

Women's Basketball at Detroit
Date	Wednesday, Dec. 30 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Detroit, Mich. \| Calihan Hall (8,295)
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU 89.1 FM
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team will close out its 2015-16 non-conference slate Wednesday, Dec. 30 when it heads to the University of Detroit Mercy. Tipoff for the 25th meeting between the two squads is slated for 7 p.m. at venerable Calihan Hall.
   The Green and White enter the contest with an 8-2 overall record after upending the University of Michigan, 64-63, Dec. 23, while the Titans hold a 4-6 overall record following an 81-42 setback at No. 24 Michigan State University, Dec. 21. Veteran broadcasters Chad Bush and Greg Steiner will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM) beginning at 6:50 p.m.

ALL-TIME AGAINST DETROIT: The Eagles and Titans face off for the 25th time in the program's history with Detroit holding the 14-10 advantage in the all-time series. Wednesday's meeting will mark the 10th consecutive season in which the schools have squared off on the hardwood. UDM opened the series with nine consecutive victories before EMU rattled off five wins between 1989 and 1999.
   Last year, EMU came away with a 75-71 overtime victory at the Convocation Center, Dec. 30, 2014. The Eagles, which led by as many as 15 points in the second half, had to hold off a furious Titan rally down the stretch to send it to the extra frame. In overtime, EMU scored six of the game's final eight points to sneak out the hard-fought victory.

CLOSING OUT THE YEAR: Wednesday's game marks the Eagles' final contest during the 2015 calendar year, as the team will usher in 2016 against the University at Buffalo, Jan. 2. Eastern Michigan is 20-18 all-time in the team's final game during the month of December, including winning 10 of the last 13 contests dating back to 2002.

HAIL TO THE CHAMPIONS OF WASHENAW COUNTY: Eastern Michigan knocked off Washtenaw County rival, Michigan, for the first time since the 2012-13 season in a thrilling game at the Convocation Center, Dec. 23. The Eagles trailed for 39 minutes before regaining the lead with one minute to play, upending Michigan by a final score of 64-63.
   Junior Phillis Webb led EMU with a career-best 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting against Michigan, while finishing just one rebound shy of the double-double. She also dished out three assists while posting a steal and a block. With the game tied at 62-all and just 15 seconds left, Webb hit a jumper to give the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish.
   The Green and White out-shot the Maize and Blue in the contest 45 percent to 40 percent, while also converting 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Eastern also out-rebounded Michigan by a 37-35 margin, and forced 18 turnovers, which they turned into 20 points.

CARDIAC KIDS: Since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, EMU has posted 15 victories after trailing by 10-or-more points.
   Date   Opponent   Deficit   Time Left   Final Score
   Nov. 11, 2012   vs. Northeastern   -17 (29-43)   12:37-2nd   50-47
   Dec. 23, 2015   vs. Michigan   -16 (34-50)   5:50-3rd   64-63
   March 5, 2011   vs. Miami   -15 (30-45)   1:38-1st   82-74
   Feb. 16, 2011   at Ball State   -15 (23-38)   5:15-1st   81-73
   March 8, 2014   vs. Central Michigan   -14 (16-30)   6:27 - 1st   99-84 - OT
   Jan. 16, 2010   vs. Northern Illinois   -13 (16-29)   7:51-1st   72-63
   March 21, 2011   at UNC Wilmington   -13 (34-47)   14:26-2nd   63-54
   Jan. 4, 2010   vs. North Dakota   -12 (8-20)   12:12-1st   76-65
   Feb. 17, 2015   at Miami   -12 (10-22)   8:24 - 1st   54-51
   Jan. 6, 2010   vs. Central Michigan   -11 (7-18)   12:46-1st   73-55
   Feb. 18, 2015   at Ohio   -11 (5-16)   12:09 - 1st   73-61
   Jan. 27, 2010   at Ohio   -10 (21-31)   16:44-2nd   56-53
   Jan. 9, 2010   at Western Michigan   -10 (3-13)   14:38-1st   61-52
   March, 3, 2012   vs. Toledo   -10 (39-49)   9:48-2nd   59-57
   Dec. 8, 2015   at Harvard   -10 (40-50)   6:46-3rd   85-81

MACTION > B1G: Eastern's win over Michigan was the first victory by a MAC squad over a team from the Big Ten Conference since the 2013-14 campaign when Bowling Green edged the Wolverines (W, 63-53) at the Stroh Center, March 27, 2014.

BIG MOMENTS, BIG STAGE: Since 1998-99 the Eagles have posted 11 victories over Power Seven Conference opponents, most recently a 64-63 come-from-behind triumph over Michigan, Dec. 23. Overall, EMU has played 45 contests high-majors during that span, posting an 11-34 record.
   The past 17 seasons have really been the glory years of the program, with the team posting a
.589 percent winning percentage and 312 victories. In the 22 years prior, Eastern Michigan totalled just 224 wins and wins in just 40 percent of its contests.

A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan has positioned itself near the top of multiple statistical categories in the Mid-American Conference as of Dec. 28. Let's take a look...
   Player   Category   Rank   Number
   EMU   Fewest Turnovers   1st   124 (7th nationally)
   EMU   Turnovers Per Game   1st   12.4 (11th nationally)
   EMU   Turnovers Margin   1st   +6.3 (14th nationally)
   EMU   Offensive Rebounds Per Game   1st   17 (25th nationally)
   EMU   Scoring Offense   1st   77.8 (31st nationally)
   EMU   Assist Turnover Ratio   1st   1.10 (49th nationally)
   EMU   Free Throws Made   1st   137 (119th nationally)
   EMU   Free Throws Attempts   1st   199 (133th nationally)
   EMU   Fewest Fouls   2nd   147 (17th nationally)
   EMU   Steals Per Game   2nd   10.7 (28th nationally)
   EMU   Scoring Margin   2nd   +8.8 (89th nationally)
   Janay Morton   Steals Per Game   1st   3.0 (20th nationally)
   Chanise Baldwin   Offensive Rebounds Per Game   1st   4.0 (23rd nationally)
   Janay Morton   Steals   1st   30 (41st nationally)
   Cha Sweeney   Field Goal Attempts   2nd   186 (30th nationally)
   Sera Ozelci   Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage   2nd   42.9 (51st nationally)
   Phillis Webb   Field Goal Percentage   2nd   52.7 (69th nationally)
   Cha Sweeney   Points Per Game   3rd   18.7 (44th nationally)
   Chanise Baldwin   Rebounds Per Game   3rd   8.3 (115th nationally)

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER: EMU closes out the month looking to make some history as a victory over Detroit Wednesday would give the squad its winningest December in program history. EMU is 6-1 so far this month and is tied with the 1977-78 and 2013-14 clubs as the only other seasons to post six wins in the 12th calendar month.
   The 2005-06 team went a perfect 8-0 in January while last year EMU was 8-2 in March for the program's high-water mark for triumphs in a single month.

APPROACHING 1,400: Junior Cha Sweeney has scored 1,380 points in her career and ranks 10th all time. Sweeney ranks 44th nationally in active points leaders and is second in the MAC behind only Ball State's Nathalie Fontaine (1,742).

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: The Eagles will be looking for their ninth non-conference win of the season Wednesday, Dec. 30, at Detroit. Should EMU win, it would mark the fifth time in the past seven season that the team has posted eight-or-more non-league victories.

WEBB ON A ROLL: Through the Eagles first 10 games this season, junior Phillis Webb has reached double figures eight times, including a career-high 22 points in Eastern's 64-63 win over Michigan, Dec. 23. To put that in perspective, Webb had racked up eight double-digit scoring efforts coming into this season. Entering this season, Webb's carried modest career averages of 4.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game but has crushed them through the Eagles first 10 games. Averaging 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest, Webb ranks 12th in the Mid-American Conference in both categories, while also serving as one of the most efficient players with the seventh best field goal percentage in the league (52.7 percent).
   In the Eagles last four games, the Brooklyn Park, Minn. product is averaging 18.0 points and 8.3 caroms per game, with one contest left before the start of league play.

COMMON OPPONENTS: Eastern Michigan and Detroit share a pair of common opponents – Michigan and Western Michigan. Just over a month before the Eagles took on U of M, the Titans were topped, 88-61 by the Wolverines. The Broncos topped the Titans, 70-66 earlier this month, while the Eagles first clash with WMU comes in league play, Feb. 6.

ALL-TIME AGAINST TEAMS FROM THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan holds a 53-40 advantage over teams from the Indianapolis, Ind. based league. The Eagles have faced nine of the 10 members of the conference with their most games coming against UDM. The league's newest member, Northern Kentucky, is the only program the Eagles have yet to face.

AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS: Eastern Michigan has had great success against other collegiate programs in the state of Michigan over the past 12 seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, the Eagles are 60-26 (69.8 winning percentage) against in-state rivals.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: The Eagles have won 66 of the last 86 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 68.4 percent of the contests played in the building, piling up a 160-74 all-time mark.

DEFENSE LEADING TO EASY OFFENSE: Over the first 10 games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 18.7 turnovers a game while snagging 10.7 steals. The 187 turnovers by the opposition has led to 198 points-off-turnovers or 25.4 percent of the EMU's offense.

INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU: In its eight victories this season, EMU is averaging 81.5 points while the opposition is posting 64.8 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 36.7 percent from the field compared to 43.8 percent for the Eagles. In defeats, the Eagles are only scoring 63.0 points, while giving up 86.0. Another factor in the Eagles' success has been the ability to control the glass. EMU is grabbing 43.8 rebounds to 41.0 for the opponents in the wins, while in setbacks the rebounding edge tracks in the opponents favor (EMU 42.0, OPP 44.5).

SWIPER KEEPS SWIPING: Through Eastern Michigan's first 10 contests, junior Janay Morton ranks 20th in the nation in steals per game, tallying 3.0 swipes per contest. The Brooklyn Park, Minn. product recorded a career-high seven steals against Texas Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 21) while adding four at Harvard (Dec. 9). Morton trails the nation's leader, Ashley Deary (Northwestern), who is posting 4.67 thefts per contest.

THREE-POINT THREAT HEATING UP: Senior Sera Ozelci has hit three-or-more triples in five of the Eagles' 10 games this season. One of the Eagles' biggest threats from beyond the arc, Ozelci has converted 24-of-56 or 42.9 percent of her shots from downtown this season.

ON THE HORIZON: After their final non-conference game, Wednesday, Dec. 30, the Eagles will turn their attention to a grueling Mid-American Conference slate. League play opens at home for the Green and White as they play host to Buffalo, Jan. 2, and Akron, Jan. 6, before making a long trek to Northern Illinois, Jan. 9.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Players Mentioned

Chanise Baldwin

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

Phillis Webb

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