Battle of the Birds Wednesday in Muncie

Women's Basketball at Ball State
Date	Wesnesday, Jan. 18 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Muncie, Ind. \| Worthen Arena (11,500)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU 89.1 FM
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.2282 \| Clear Bag Policy

MUNCIE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team opens a stretch in which it will play three of the next four games on the road, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Ball State University. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at John E. Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind.
    Eastern Michigan enters the game with a 5-12 (0-5 MAC) record after falling at home to Western Michigan University, 76-67, Jan. 14. The Cardinals are 11-6 (4-1 MAC) and have won five of their last six contests, including an 80-70 home triumph over the University of Akron, Jan. 14.
   Veteran broadcasters Chad Bush and Greg Steiner will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM). The game will also be shown on ESPN3 as part of the campus connection initiative.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE CARDS: The Eagles will meet Mid-American Conference West Division rival Ball State on the hardwood for the 75th time in program history Wednesday, Jan. 18. Holding a 40-34 lead in the all-time series, Eastern Michigan will look for its fifth win in the last eight tries against the Cardinals.
    BSU held a 2-1 advantage over Eastern Michigan last season, including posting a 76-54 win at Worthen Arena, Jan. 20, 2016, and on Senior Day at the Convocation Center, 67-63, Feb. 27. However, the Eagles got revenge in the postseason, bouncing the No. 3 seeded Cardinals in the MAC quarterfinals, 67-53, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, March 9.

TRIUMPHS IN WORTHEN: Worthen Arena has proven to be to Eastern Michigan's liking over the past seven seasons, as the Eagles are 4-3 in the building since the 2009-10 season. However, the Green and White are being outscored by the Cards during the current streak by two points a game (EMU 57.3, BSU 59.6).

EMU In Muncie Since the 2009-10 Season
   Feb. 13, 2010   W,   63-57
   Feb. 16, 2011   W,   81-73
   Jan. 5, 2012   L,   51-54
   Feb. 20, 2013   L,   34-56
   Feb. 23, 2014   W,   62-60
   Feb. 25, 2015   W,   56-41
   Jan. 20, 2016   L,   54-76

RETURNERS AGAINST BALL STATE: Phillis Webb is averaging a team-best 7.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in eight career contests against Ball State, while Sasha Dailey and Sheyna Deans average 3.0 and 1.3 points per tilt, respectively, against the Cardinals. Just five current Eagles have garnered playing time in their respective careers against Ball State.

WEBB WORKING TOWARDS 1,000 POINT MARK: Senior Phillis Webb stands 103 points short of the 1,000-point mark in her final season donning the Green and White. Webb amassed 677 points for her career through her first three seasons, and has scored 226 points so far this year. If Webb eclipses four-digits, she will become the 21st player in program history to score at least 1,000 points during their career.

CLIMBING THE RANKS: Senior Phillis Webb came into her final season ranked 21st in Eastern Michigan history with 509 rebounds. This season, Webb has grabbed 141 boards, moving her into 13th-place with 650 caroms. Nikki Knapp holds the program record with 802 career rebounds, while Webb is 11 boards behind Olivia Fouty for 12th-place on the all-time list.

OUTSHOOTING THE BRONCOS: For the first time since conference play began, the Eagles posted a better field goal percentage than its opposition, Jan. 14, against Western Michigan.   Additionally, it was the Eagles' best offensive performance since the season opener versus Georgia State, Nov. 12. Eastern Michigan finished the day 26-of-61 from the field, good for a 42.6 field goal percentage.

STAT SHEET STUFFER: Junior Sasha Dailey filled up the stat sheet against Western Michigan, Jan. 14, finishing the afternoon with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds, six assists, four steals, and two blocks.

SLOW START TO CONFERENCE PLAY: Eastern Michigan's defense has been giving up an average of 77.0 points per game, while the offense is managing just 63.4 points a contest. Since beginning MAC play one of the team's biggest challenges has been at the free throw line, as the Eagles are shooting just 60.0 percent (57-of-95).

SUCCESS STEMS FROM WINNING THE REBOUNDING BATTLE: Winning the rebounding battle has proven to be a true-tale sign of Eastern Michigan's ability to win this season. In their five wins, the Eagles have out-rebounded opponents by 5.8 boards per game. In fact, EMU averages 46.2 rebounds per game compared to opponents' 40.4 boards per contest average in its five wins. Conversely, in its 12 losses, the Eagles average nearly seven rebounds less per game (39.5), while the opposition's per game average jumps to 45.8, making the Eagles -6.3 on the glass in losses. EMU's ability to rebound and control the glass has had an impact on the squad's ability to score this season. Eastern Michigan averages 66.1 points per game when winning the rebound battle, compared to 60.6 points per contest when it is out-rebounded.

DEFENSE LEADING TO EASY OFFENSE: Over the team's 17 games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 14.3 turnovers a game while snagging 7.8 steals. The 261 turnovers by the opposition has led to 279 points-off-turnovers, or 25.8 percent of EMU's offense.

DEANS BREAKS THROUGH: Up until Jan. 11, senior Sheyna Deans had hit her career-high of 16 points four times, including twice this season. The Detroit native finally broke through, posting the first 20+ point game of her career at Miami, as she led the Eagles with a game-high 21 points against the RedHawks. Deans was efficient in her return to the starting lineup, converting 8-of-14 shots from the field, grabbing seven rebounds, and adding two assists, and a steal in 37 minutes of work.

SECOND QUARTER SPIRAL: Since turning its focus to Mid-American Conference play, the second quarter has been a thorn in the side of Eastern Michigan. Through its first five league games, EMU is connecting on just 24.7 percent (18-of-73) of its field goal attempts in the period, including just 2-of-26 from three-point range. The Eagles' offensive struggles have been compounded by their opponents' 43.2 field goal percentage in the frame, as the opposition has connected on 38-of-88 attempts. EMU's shooting woes, combined with opponent's strong offensive performances in the quarter, have resulted in the Green and White being outscored 94-51.

STACKED IN THE WEST: The West Division of the Mid-American Conference has proven to be a gauntlet through the first five games of league play this season. The West has a combined record of 21-9, while the East Division is just 9-21 in conference games.

EMU WORKHORSE: Coming into the season, junior Micah Robinson had played a total of 378 minutes over 50 games in the first two seasons of her collegiate career, averaging just 7.5 minutes per contest. This season, Robinson has been one of the most utilized players in the country. The Ann Arbor product has played 619 minutes, the most of any player in the conference and the 52nd-most in the country. Additionally, Robinson's 36.4 minutes per game average ranks 30th nationally.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles remain on the road Saturday, Jan. 21, with a trip to the banks of the Hocking River to battle the Ohio University Bobcats. Tipoff from OU's Convocation Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Sasha Dailey

Sheyna Deans

Micah Robinson

Phillis Webb

Eastern Michigan Athletics