Women's Basketball Wraps Up East Coast Swing at Monmouth

Women's Basketball at Monmouth
Date	Thursday, Dec. 10 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	West Long Branch, N.J. \| Multipurpose Activity Center (4,100)
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	MonmouthHawks.com
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	N/A
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team continues its five-game road trip Thursday, Dec. 10, with non-conference game at Monmouth University. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Multipurpose Activity Center.
   The Hawks enters the game with a 2-5 record following an 81-70 setback at Princeton University Tuesday, Dec. 8. Meanwhile, Eastern is 5-2 overall after a come-from-behind 85-81 win at Harvard University, Dec. 8.

THE COUNTDOWN TO 1,000 IS NEARLY COMPLETE: Junior Janay Morton has scored 991 points in her career and is 20th all-time for EMU. There are currently 19 players in the 1,000-point club for EMU women's basketball, including junior Cha Sweney, who joined the elite group last season.
   When Morton reaches 1,000 she and Sweeney will become just the fourth EMU combo of millennium scorers to play together. Laurie Byrd and Denise Allen first accomplished the feat during the 1981-82 campaign, Ryan Coleman and Nikki Knapp followed it up in 2005-06, and most recently Tavelyn James and Paige Reddit did so in 2011-12.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HAWKS: Thursday's contest is just the second meeting all-time between the two schools with Eastern Michigan posting a 64-53 decision at the Seawolves Holiday Classic at Stony Brook University, Dec. 22. The Green and White struggled from the field, shooting a mere 19-for-72 for 26.4 percent, however, the squad mustered a season-high 91.3 percent from the charity stripe, sinking 21-of-23 free throws en route to the victory.

THE BIG MAAC: Monmouth is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) after previously playing in the Northeast Conference. The Green and White are 13-4 all-time versus the MAAC with victories over Canisius (6-6), Niagara (3-0), Siena (2-0), Marist (1-0) and Monmouth (1-0).

THIBAULT RETURNS TO HER ALMA MATER: Thursday's game will be the first time EMU Assistant Coach Carly Thibault has faced off against her alma mater since graduating in 2013. The native of East Lyme, Conn., enjoyed a strong collegiate career at the school from 2009-13. Thibault was a prominent player from beyond the arc, finishing third in program history with 166 field goals made for her career. Thibault shot nearly 37 percent for her career from three-point range, including 40 percent as a junior and a career-best 44 (.439) percent to highlight her senior year. Highlighting her career was an All-NEC Third Team selection in 2013 and the 2012 Team Coaches' Award.

SECOND HALF PRODUCTION: Junior guard Cha Sweeney has the flair for dramatics and her second half scoring against Harvard, Dec. 8, certainly proved that. After being held to just four points on 2-of-8 shooting in the first half, the Toledo, Ohio product connected on 10-of-18 shots for 27 points after the intermission. The total ranks second in school-history in second half production, trailing only a 28-point performance by Colleen Russell versus Akron, Feb. 12, 2008.
   Sweeney has scored 15-or-more points in the second half on 12 occasions in her career.

   2nd Pts.   Name   Opponent   Date
   28   Colleen Russell   vs. Akron   Feb. 12, 2008
   27   Cha Sweeney   at Harvard   Dec. 8, 2015
   26   Sydney Huntley   at Central Michigan   Feb. 20, 2010
   25   Bianca Cage   at Western Michigan   Jan. 10, 2013
   25   Kris Kachaturoff   vs. Kent State   March 3, 2000
   24   Cha Sweeney   at Western Michigan   Feb. 26, 2014
   23   Accomplished six times (most recent Janay Morton at CMU - March 7, 2015)

CARDIAC KIDS: Since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, EMU has posted 14 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
   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

ROAD TRIPPIN': The 263-mile trip from Harvard University to West Long Branch, N.J. marks the teams final stop on an eight day journey that started with a pair of games at the Air Force Classic in Colorado. In total, EMU will have logged more than 4,251 miles before it returns home to Ypsilanti.

DEFENSE LEADING TO EASY OFFENSE: Over the previous seven games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 17.7 turnovers a game while snagging 10.1 steals. The 124 turnovers by the opposition has led to 119 points-off-turnovers or 22.4 percent of the EMU's offense.

INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU: In its five victories this season, EMU is averaging 81.2 points while the opposition is posting 68.4 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 38.7 percent from the field compared to 42.2 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 44.4 rebounds to 43.4 for the opponents in the wins, while in setbacks the rebounding edge tracks in the opponents favor (EMU 42.0, OPP 44.5).

HOLDING ON TO THE ROCK: The Eagles tied a season-low with just six turnovers in the contest against Harvard, Dec. 8. EMU has produced three games this season that it has turned the ball over less than 10 times.

CATCHING THE EAGLES OUT EAST: Neither WEMU nor Eagle All-Access will be making the trip east to broadcast the game at Monmouth, Dec. 10. Fans wanting to follow the Eagles can find live stats and links to the video broadcasts online at EMUEagles.com.

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. 8. Let's take a look...
   Player   Category   Rank   Number
   EMU   Fewest Turnovers   1st   83 (10th nationally)
   EMU   Offensive Rebounds Per Game   1st   17 (20th nationally)
   EMU   Turnovers Margin   1st   +5.86 (24th nationally)
   EMU   Turnovers Per Game   1st   11.9 (24th nationally)
   EMU   Scoring Offense   1st   76.0 (49th nationally)
   EMU   Fewest Fouls   2nd   110 (48th nationally)
   EMU   Assist Turnover Ratio   2nd   1.07 (53rd nationally)
   EMU   Rebounds Per Game   3rd   44.7 (43rd nationally)
   EMU   Steals Per Game   3rd   10.1 (60th nationally)
   Cha Sweeney   Field Goal Attempts   1st   142 (19th nationally)
   Chanise Baldwin   Offensive Rebounds Per Game   1st   4.0 (26th nationally)
   Janay Morton   Steals   1st   24 (29th nationally)
   Janay Morton   Steals Per Game   1st   3.4 (12th nationally)
   Janay Morton   Assist Turnover Ratio   2nd   +2.4 (50th nationally)
   Sera Ozelci   Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage   2nd   44.7 (50th nationally)
   Chanise Baldwin   Rebounds Per Game   3rd   8.1 (138th nationally)
   Cha Sweeney   Points Per Game   3rd   19.7 (32nd nationally)
   Phillis Webb   Field Goal Percentage   4th   46.8 (154th nationally)

THREE-POINT THREAT HEATING UP: Senior Sera Ozelci knocked down a season-best four three-pointers in Eastern's loss to Abilene Christian, Dec. 5. The Ankara, Turkey product has hit three-or-more triples in four of the Eagles' seven games this season. One of the Eagles' biggest threats from beyond the arc, Ozelci has converted 17-of-38 or 44.7 percent of her shots from downtown this season.

SWIPER KEEPS SWIPING: Through Eastern Michigan's first seven contests, junior Janay Morton ranks 12th in the nation in steals per game, tallying 3.4 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 5.25 thefts per contest.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT: Due to final exams and the upcoming holidays, EMU enters a stretch in which it will only play three games over the next 22 days. The Green and White will play at Madonna, Dec. 18, before next returning to the court against Michigan, Dec. 23, and Detroit, Dec. 30.

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Players Mentioned

Chanise Baldwin

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

Phillis Webb

Eastern Michigan Athletics