Women's Hoops Remains on the Road Saturday, Jan. 21, at Ohio

Women's Basketball at Ohio
Date	Saturday, Jan. 21 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Athens, Ohio \| Convocation Center (13,080)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	All-Access \| Mobile Apps: iPhone or Android
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.2282 \| Clear Bag Policy

ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team remains on the road this weekend, Saturday, Jan. 21, when it travels to Athens, Ohio for a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional clash with the East Division-leading Bobcats of Ohio University. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. at OU's Convocation Center.
Eastern Michigan enters the game with a 5-13 (0-6 MAC) record after falling on the road to Ball State University, 78-49, Jan. 18. The Bobcats are 13-4 (4-2 MAC) and enter the weekend on the heels of a 64-55 win over the University of Toledo, Jan. 18.
Greg Steiner will have the call on Eagle All-Access, which is available at EMUEagles.com/showcase or on the new EMU Eagles mobile app on iPhone or Android. The game will also be shown on ESPN3 as part of the campus connection initiative.

NOT MUCH OF AN ADVANTAGE: Dating back to the 2005-06 season, home court advantage has meant very little when it comes to the rivalry between the Eagles and Bobcats. In fact, the road team has won 10 of the past 12 meetings between the MAC foes. The last time the home team came out on top was back during the 2012-13 season when EMU bested Ohio, 64-57, in Ypsilanti.

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 150 boards, moving her into 13th-place with 659 caroms. Nikki Knapp holds the program record with 802 career rebounds, while Webb is two boards behind Olivia Fouty for 12th-place on the all-time list.

GETTING BETTER WITH AGE: Seniors Phillis Webb and Sheyna Deans have been bright spots for the Eagles over the past three games, combining for 98 of EMU's 177 points. Making up 55.4 percent of Eastern's scoring over that span, the senior duo has also paced the Eagles on the glass. Webb and Deans average 7.7 and 7.3 rebounds per game, respectively, the top two marks on the team within the 10-day span.

SHEYNA'S STRETCH: Senior Sheyna Deans has been one of the most consistent Eagles over the past three games. The Detroit native is averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game, and has turned in back-to-back 20-point performances for the first time in her career. Deans poured in a career-high 21 points in EMU's heartbreaking loss to Western Michigan, Jan. 14, and led the Eagles with 20 points against Ball State, Jan. 18. Deans isn't just making buckets, she's doing so at an efficient rate. Over the three-game span, she has converted 44.2 percent of her shots from the field, and is 3-of-7 from three-point range. Deans has also added 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to round out her stat line.

ALL-TIME AGAINST OHIO: Eastern Michigan and Ohio will square off for the 59th time in program history Saturday, Jan. 21. The Bobcats hold the upper hand, leading the all-time series, 33-25, including a 3-1 record against EMU last season two seasons. EMU dropped the most recent contest, 71-64, at home, despite a pair of double-doubles. Phillis Webb paced the Eagles with 17 points and 15 rebounds, both team-highs, while Chanise Baldwin pitched in 10 points and 12 boards. Webb and Baldwin's efforts were not enough to overcome Eastern's 28.8 field goal percentage.

EMU AT OHIO'S CONVOCATION CENTER: EMU and OU have battled inside of Ohio's Convocation Center 26 times since the teams first squared off in 1981. Ohio has protected its home court throughout the all-time series, holding a 16-10 edge over Eastern in Athens. EMU has closed the gap, winning the last three meetings at the Convocation Center, the last of which came during the 2014-15 campaign. The Eagles' last win against the 'Cats came at their place, Feb. 18, 2015, when the Green and White defeated the Bobcats 73-61. Three players scored in double figures for the Eagles (Cha Sweeney-23, Jamaica Bucknor-17, and Janay Morton-14) while Eastern knocked down 20-of-21 free throws in their 12-point victory.

THE EAGLES AGAINST THE EAST: Saturday's showdown marks the third meeting between EMU and a MAC East Division rival. The Eagles are 0-2 in cross-divisional contests this season, having lost to Kent State, Jan. 7, and Miami, Jan. 11. Last season, the Green and White racked up a 4-4 mark against the East Division.

WEBB WORKING TOWARDS 1,000 POINT MARK: Senior Phillis Webb stands 95 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 234 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.

SLOW START TO CONFERENCE PLAY: Eastern Michigan's defense has been giving up an average of 77.2 points per game, while the offense is managing just 61.0 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 (69-of-113).

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 13 losses, the Eagles average nearly seven rebounds less per game (39.3), while the opposition's per game average jumps to 45.7, making the Eagles -6.4 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 59.7 points per contest when it is out-rebounded.

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 six league games, EMU is connecting on just 25.6 percent (22-of-86) of its field goal attempts in the period, including just 3-of-33 from three-point range. The Eagles' offensive struggles have been compounded by their opponents' 42.3 field goal percentage in the frame, as the opposition has connected on 44-of-104 attempts. EMU's shooting woes, combined with opponent's strong offensive performances in the quarter, have resulted in the Green and White being outscored 114-62.

ON THE HORIZON: Following EMU's trek to Athens, the Green and White return to the Convocation Center for its second of three consecutive contests against the MAC East Division when the Eagles play host to Bowling Green, Jan. 25. Tipoff between EMU and BGSU is set for 7 p.m. and will be shown on Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN).

Women's Hoops Remains on the Road Saturday, Jan. 21, at Ohio

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Players Mentioned

Chanise Baldwin

Sheyna Deans

Janay Morton

Cha Sweeney

Phillis Webb

Eastern Michigan Athletics