Women's Hoops Closes Out Cross-Division Play Wednesday vs. Buffalo

Women's Basketball vs. Buffalo
Date	Wednesday, Feb. 15 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,784)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU 89.1 FM \| Mobile Apps: iPhone or Android
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.2282 \| Clear Bag Policy

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team wraps up cross-divisional play Wednesday, Feb. 15, against the University at Buffalo. Tipoff from the Convocation Center scheduled for 7:04 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3.
The Eagles enter the game with a mark of 6-18 (1-11 MAC), after a 79-63 home setback to Miami University, Feb. 11. Meanwhile, the defending MAC Tournament champion Bulls are 16-7 (6-6 MAC) following an 89-80 defeat to Northern Illinois University, Feb. 11.
   Chad Bush and Greg Steiner will have the radio call beginning at 6:50 p.m. on WEMU (89.1 FM). Links to live video and statistics can be found at EMUEagles.com.

ALL-TIME WITH UB: Wednesday's Mid-American Conference contest pits Eastern Michigan against Buffalo for the 23rd time in program history. The Green and White hold the upperhand in the series, 15-8, including sweeping a pair of meetings last season.
   In the first meeting, EMU edged UB, 67-56, in Ypsilanti to open conference play, Jan. 2, 2016. Cha Sweeney led all scorers with 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Phillis Webb finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
   Eastern completed the season sweep with a 70-55 triumph at Alumni Arena, Feb. 17, 2016. The Eagles' defense overpowered the Bulls while the offense converted nearly 49 percent of its shots. Chanise Baldwin posted a double-double, pitching in 13 points to go along with team-high 10 rebounds.
   All-time in games played in Ypsilanti, Eastern is 8-4.

OH WHAT A WEBB WE WEAVE: Senior Phillis Webb has been putting on a show as a late, averaging 20.2 points and 8.8 caroms a contest in her last six appearances. During that time frame, the Brooklyn Park, Minn. native is shooting 40.9 percent (45-of-110) from the floor, including 12 trilighters. Webb has carried 31.4 percent of the Eagles' offensive output, and has taken 38 more shots than anyone else on the squad.

STEADY AS IT GOES: The offense has scored between 60 and 69 points on 14 occasions in 2016-17.

SECOND QUARTER SPELLS TROUBLE VERSUS MIAMI: EMU dropped the season series versus Miami, despite actually outscoring the RedHawks in five of the combined eight quarters played. In those frames, the Eagles were 13 points better (EMU 97, MIA 84), however, the RedHawks were 40 points ahead (MIA 67, EMU 27) in the remaining three quarters.
   Most recently, Miami limited EMU to just seven points in the second quarter of the Feb. 11 matchup, while shooting an astounding 90 percent (9-of-10) from three-point range in the half.

THE FINAL SIX: Down the backstretch of the season the Eagles have not been dealt an easy hand by the schedule makers. EMU plays teams with a combined winning percentage of .695 (98-43) with all but one of the squads having 16-or-more victories. Of those six teams, three have already won 10 games in conference play (Ball State, Central Michigan, and Northern Illinois).

MAC TOURNAMENT SEEDING: With teams wrapping up cross-divisional play Wednesday, some parts of the MAC Tournament picture are becoming clearer. If the season ended today, EMU would be the 12th seed traveling to Kent State University in the first round. Central Michigan Northern Illinois, Ball State, and Ohio would have byes directly to Cleveland. For the complete bracket, turn to page nine of these notes.

HOME COOKING: The Eagles are nearly five points a game better at home than on the road, averaging 66.4 ppg inside the Convocation Center while shooting 37.3 percent from the field. The Eagles have also benefited from an average of 16.2 points off turnovers on its home floor, compared to just 12.3 in away venues.

DIFFERENCES IN CONFERENCE PLAY: Eastern Michigan's defense has been giving up an average of 79.2 points per game, while the offense is managing just 62.6 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 61.9 percent (140-of-226).

MAKING IT LOOK EASLEY: Junior Tori Easley has picked up her game in the last six outings, averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds a contests dating back to Jan. 21. During that span, the Toledo, Ohio, product has a pair of double figure rebounding games against Bowling Green (12) and Central Michigan (10). She also tied her career-high in points and field goals with 10 and five, respectively, against the Chippewas, Feb. 4.

DOUBLE THE FUN: For just the second time in the past seven years, fans of Eastern Michigan basketball will get the chance to see both the men's and women's teams in back-to-back contests at the same road venue Saturday, Feb. 18. Overall, it will be the fifth time it has happened in the past 15 seasons.
   The last occurrence was a season ago in DeKalb, Ill. against Northern Illinois University, Jan. 9, 2016. The women's team pulled out an 87-80 overtime victory over the Huskies but the men fell by an 80-63 tally.
   This weekend will be the third time it has occurred in Kalamazoo, Mich., with the last one taking place Jan. 9, 2010. That day, the women's team walked away with a 61-52 victory, but the men's squad fell 61-47 to the Broncos. Coincidentally, the previous road doubleheader to that also came at WMU and was six years earlier. It was again the women winning, 85-74, with the men falling, 75-55.

Women's Hoops Closes Out Cross-Division Play Wednesday vs. Buffalo

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Players Mentioned

Chanise Baldwin

Tori Easley

Cha Sweeney

Phillis Webb

Eastern Michigan Athletics