Women's Basketball Wraps Up Road Trip at Detroit Mercy

Women's Basketball at Detroit Mercy
Date	Sunday, Dec. 17 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Detroit, Mich. - Calihan Hall (8,295)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| UDM Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	E SPN3
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - With final exams complete, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team closes out the longest road trip in NCAA Division I women's basketball Sunday, Dec. 17, against the University of Detroit Mercy. Tipoff between the Eagles and Titans is slated for 12 p.m. inside Calihan Hall.
   EMU (2-7) looks to right the ship after coming up short, 65-56, against Illinois State, Dec. 10. Meanwhile, UDM (0-9) is seeking its first win of the year after a narrow 73-65 defeat to Illinois, Dec. 10.
   The Eastern Michigan-Detroit contest will be broadcast on ESPN3. Additionally, veteran broadcaster Greg Steiner will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM) beginning at 11:50 a.m. Fans can also follow the game via Twitter through the team's account, @EMUWBB.

TAKING ON THE TITANS: Detroit Mercy and Eastern Michigan have squared off 26 times since the 1976-1977 campaign, including in each of the past 11 seasons. The Titans hold the 15-11 edge in the all-time series, while the Eagles have controlled the rivalry as of late, winning three of the last four meetings. Most recently, the Green and White dropped a 77-64 decision to the Titans, Dec. 6, 2016. Sasha Dailey was one of three Eagles to post double digit scoring, netting a game-high 31 points. Micah Robinson and Phillis Webb added 16 and 10 points, respectively, while Webb also grabbed 12 rebounds.

RETURNING TO THE AIRWAVES: For the first time this season, fans can catch the action between Eastern and Detroit Mercy on the airwaves as EMU women's basketball returns to WEMU 89.1 FM. Veteran broadcaster Greg Steiner will be on the call from Calihan Hall. The EMU-UDM game is the first of more than 15 broadcasts scheduled to take place this season.

NOTHING AVERAGE ABOUT THIS: Senior Sasha Dailey has put up some of the best performances of her career against Detroit Mercy. Last season's meeting saw Dailey go off for 31 points on 13-of-26 shooting, to go along with four rebounds and two steals. In three career games against the Titans, Dailey has averaged 17.0 points while shooting 57.9 percent from the field. Adding to her staggering offensive line against UDM all-time, the Toledo, Ohio native has knocked down 50 percent of her shots from behind the arc.

EMU VS. THE MITTEN: The Titans are one of four opponents on the Eagles' 2017-18 schedule that call Michigan home. Eastern Michigan has thrived against in-state competition over the years, compiling a 153-142 advantage over in-state opponents. The Eagles have been most successful against Western Michigan, piecing together a 47-35 mark versus the Broncos. Meanwhile, Michigan State has been the toughest opponent for EMU, leading the all-time series 15-1 over the Eagles.

EMU AND THE HORIZON LEAGUE: EMU owns a 53-43 record against current Horizon League foes. Home to Detroit Mercy and nine other institutions, the Eagles have battled all but one of the members of the Indianapolis, Ind.-based conference.
Given the proximity, it comes as no surprise that EMU has squared off against Detroit Mercy more than any other Horizon League opponent, with 26 meetings taking place between the two all-time. While Eastern trails in the all-time series, 15-11, against Detroit Mercy, EMU holds the upperhand versus Cleveland State, (11-5), Illinois-Chicago (8-3), Valparaiso (5-3), Wright State (6-0), and Youngstown State (4-2). The Green and White sit level with Oakland (7-7) and Milwaukee (2-2) all-time, and are winless in the all-time series against Green Bay, 0-5.

FINDING HER STRIDE: Shaking off a slow start to the season, senior Sasha Dailey has looked more like herself in the past four games. The Toledo, Ohio native shot 24.0 percent from the field over the first five games, going 12-of-50 from the field, but has bounced back to shoot at a 43.4 percent clip (23-of-53) over the last four games. She has also been solid from beyond the arc over that span, knocking down 42.9 percent of her three-point attempts (6-of-14).

WORKING TOWARDS THE 1000-POINT CLUB: Senior Sasha Dailey stands 59 points short of the 1,000-point mark in her final season donning the Green and White. Dailey amassed 855 points for her career through her first three seasons, and has scored 86 points so far this year. If Dailey eclipses four-digits, she will become the 22nd player in program history to score at least 1,000 points during their career.

TURNING UP THE PRESSURE: Mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter against Illinois State, Dec. 10, EMU's feisty full-court press was on full display. The Eagles turned the Redbirds over 10 times in the final stanza, cashing the ISU miscues in for 15 points. Of Illinois State's 10 turnovers, eight of them were the result of an EMU steal.

OFF TO THE RACES: Eastern Michigan has been dominant in transition through its first nine games, outscoring the opposition 94-33 in fast break points. Offensively, the Green and White average 10.4 transition points per game, while giving up just an average of 3.7 points per contest. For the season, EMU is 2-2 when scoring 10+ fast break points.

CREATING SECOND CHANCES: The Green and White have dominated the offensive glass, racking up 149 offensive rebounds. EMU's 17.0 offensive rebounds per game ranks top in the MAC and 26th nationally, while leading to 110 points or 19.6 percent of Eastern's scoring this season.

SHARING IS CARING: EMU's ability to distribute the ball has been a true-tale sign of its success offensively this season. Eastern has racked up 10-or-more assists in five games this year and has averaged 66.6 points in those contests. On the flip side, the Eagles score roughly 10 points less when finishing with a single digit assist total.

I'LL TAKE STEALS FOR 200, ALEX: Senior Sasha Dailey has frustrated opponents with her knack for racking up steals over the course of her career. The Toledo, Ohio native has registered 23 swipes on the season. As of Dec. 6, her steals ranked as the fourth-most in the league and the 79th most in the country, while her 2.71 steals per game are sixth-best in the MAC and 57th in the nation. For her career, Dailey has tallied 199 steals and sits just one shy of the 200-mark.

ROAD TRIP TROUBLES: The Green and White are in search of its first win away from the Convocation Center since beating Incarnate Word, 66-47, in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 29, 2016. Since knocking off UIW, the Eagles have lost 17 consecutive games away from the Convo.

FIRST QUARTER STRUGGLES: Since hitting the road, the first quarter has been a thorn in the side of Eastern Michigan. Through its seven road games, EMU is connecting on just 23.5 percent (27-of-115) of its shots in the opening period, while opponents are hitting shots at a 41.2 percent (47-of-114) clip.
   To make matters worse, the Eagles are just 10-of-39 from three-point range, while opponents have hit 18 triples in 49 tries in the opening period over that span. The difference in efficiency has the Green and White trailing by an average of about eight points (EMU-10.4, OPP-18.3) after 10 minutes of play during the seven-game stretch.

ON THE HORIZON: For the first time in more than a month, the Eagles will return home as they wrap up the non-conference portion of the 2017-18 schedule. EMU hosts Longwood inside the Convocation Center Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Sasha Dailey

Micah Robinson

Eastern Michigan Athletics