Eagles and Huskies Ready for Round Two

Women's Basketball vs. Northern Illinois
Date	Saturday, Feb. 24 \| 2:30 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| NIU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	E SPN3
Listen	WEMU (89.1 FM)
Twitter	@EMUW BB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team looks to bounce back against Mid-American Conference West Division foe Northern Illinois University Saturday, Feb. 24. The MAC West clash is the second leg of a doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team and is scheduled to begin at approximately 2:30 p.m.
   Eastern Michigan saw an early lead erased at the University of Toledo Wednesday, Feb. 21, as EMU failed to hold off UT, 80-69. The loss dropped Eastern's record to 10-16 on the season and 6-9 in MAC play. Like the Eagles, the Huskies are seeking their first win in three games, most recently coming up short at Central Michigan University, 91-77, Feb. 21. NIU sits just one game behind EMU in the tournament standings at 5-10 in league play, while Northern Illinois is 13-13 overall.
   The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, where Ryan Wooley and Kyler Ludlow will call the action on the hardwood. Veteran broadcasters Chad Bush and Greg Steiner will also have the call on WEMU 89.1 FM. Fans can also follow via Twitter, @EMUWBB.

THANK YOU, FANS!: Saturday's doubleheader has been dubbed Fan Appreciation Day inside the Convocation Center. Those attending can purchase tickets for just $5, while the first 1,500 fans will receive an EMU drawstring backpack. Additionally, it is Girl Scout Day as well as Mascot Day, with numerous troops and mascots scheduled to be in attendance. Fans can also get their fix of Girl Scout cookies, which will be on sale in the atrium.

GREEN OUT: With a planned "Green Out" at the Convocation Center, all fans attending the Mid-American Conference battle between EMU and NIU Saturday, Feb. 24, are encouraged to wear green-colored clothing to the game.

DEE FROM DOWNTOWN: Four days after a sensational performance by Courtnie Lewis, Danielle Minott one-upped her teammate with a historic effort at Toledo, Feb. 21. Minott knocked down seven triples against the Rockets, the fifth-most in EMU single-game history. Her 70 percent shooting from long range also tied her for eighth-best in EMU annals.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER...OR IS IT?: A serious candidate for Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, Courtnie Lewis has been one of EMU's most consistent players this season. Lewis is the only freshman in the country to boast shooting percentages of 45+ percent - 39+ percent - 75+ percent from the field, three-point range, and free throw line, respectively. The Belton, Mo. native is shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, 39.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 77.5 percent from the charity stripe in her first collegiate season.

FALLING OFF IN THE FOURTH QUARTER: EMU has seen its production drop off in the fourth quarter of the last two games. The Green and White is shooting just 33.3 percent from the field and 36.4 from three-point range in the final period. Meanwhile, opponents are knocking down shots at a 60 percent clip, highlighted by a 66.7 three-point field goal percentage, and are out-scoring EMU, 48-33.

SASHA CRACKS THE TOP-FIVE: In her return home, Sasha Dailey cracked Eastern Michigan's top-five for games played in a career. Dailey's appearance against Toledo marked the 126th game she has played in for the Eagles, tying for the fifth-most in EMU laurels. The senior guard is currently tied with Cassie Schrock, while former teammate Phillis Webb holds the record, having played in 134 games from 2013-2017.

SECOND TIME AROUND: The Green and White have not found success when squaring off against opponents for the second time. So far this season, EMU has played two games against Kent State, Miami, Central Michigan, and Toledo. Eastern is 2-2 when taking on those opponents for the first time, but are winless (0-4) in the secondary meetings.
   A large part of the Eagles' struggles have been on the defensive side of the ball, where Eastern Michigan is allowing 11.5 points more per game (81.0-69.5). Opponents are also shooting the ball more efficiently, knocking down buckets at a 47.9 clip compared to a 45.2 mark. EMU's shooting percentage in the first meeting sits at 44.3, but fails to 41.7 in rematches.

CLOSING IN ON 400: Following her game-high 30-point effort at Toledo, Feb. 21, Danielle Minott is on the verge of eclipsing the 400 points scored this season. Currently, the Miami, Fla. product sits at 391 points on the year, just 10 points behind Jessica Henry for 10th-most by a junior all-time. At her current average of 16.3 points per game, Minott is on pace for 456 points, which would be good for seventh on the all-time list.

DIALING IN FROM LONG DISTANCE: Eastern Michigan has been locked in from beyond the arc over the past two games, having gone a combined 22-of-41 from distance. EMU went 11-of-21 from long range against Central Michigan, Feb. 17, and followed that up with an 11-of-20 showing at Toledo, Feb. 21. The two-game stretch marks the first time EMU has posted double-digit triples in back-to-back games since Feb. 11-14, 2014. That season, the Eagles drained 11 three-balls against Ball State and 13 versus Central Michigan.

SEEDING SCOOP: With more than half of the Mid-American Conference season in the books, Eastern Michigan finds itself in the thick of things when it comes to tournament seeding. If the MAC Tournament began today, the Eagles would hold the No. 8 seed and host No. 9 seeded Northern Illinois. Central Michigan, Buffalo, Ball State, and Miami would hold byes to Cleveland as the top four seeds.

HITTING THE HARDWOOD WITH THE HUSKIES: Saturday's meeting between Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois will be the 50th meeting all-time. EMU holds the edge, leading the series 35-14, and seeks its first sweep of the Huskies since the 2015-16 campaign.
   EMU and NIU met in DeKalb, Jan. 20, with Eastern coming away with an, 83-76, triumph. Four players reached double figures for the Eagles, with Sasha Dailey leading the way with 19 points. Emoni Jackson also had a breakout game, corralling 14 rebounds and dropping 13 points for the first double-double of her career.

HOSTING THE HUSKIES: Playing host to the Huskies has turned out pretty well for the Eagles since NIU made its first trip to Ypsilanti back on Jan. 19, 1983. EMU is 18-5 against Northern Illinois on its home court all-time and has won 10 of the last 12 meetings in Ypsilanti dating back to 2006.
   The Huskies came out on top last season, holding off the Eagles, 81-71, Feb. 25, 2017. The 10-point defeat snapped an 11 game home win-streak against NIU for the Green and White.

PLENTY TO GO AROUND: Since conference play has rolled around, Eastern Michigan has seen the best of its three-headed monster. In league games only, EMU is one of two teams to have three players inside the top-15 in scoring, with Central Michigan being the only other team to do so. Danielle Minott's 19.3 points per contest rank fourth-most, while Courtnie Lewis comes in at 10th at 16.7 ppg. Sasha Dailey rounds out the trio at 15th with 15.6 points per contest.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: Freshman Courtnie Lewis is 26 games into her Eastern Michigan career, but has already put people on notice. The Belton, Mo. native is averaging 14.8 points per game, the second-best mark on the team, as well as the seventh-highest scoring average among "true" freshmen nationally. In the MAC, Lewis ranks sixth in three-point field goal percentage (39.8) and 12th in scoring, 12th in free throw percentage (77.5), and 13th in three-pointers made (43), all of which are the best of any freshman in the league.

BIG GAMES AGAINST THE BIG THREE: EMU's setback at Central Michigan Saturday, Feb. 17, marked Eastern's fourth game against the "Big Three" of the MAC. Buffalo, CMU, and Ball State, all of whom rank inside the top-40 RPI, hold the top three seeds in the MAC currently, but don't tell Courtnie Lewis that.
   The Belton, Mo. product is averaging 24.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in four games against the trio of MAC foes. Not only is she putting up gaudy numbers, she is also doing it efficiently. Lewis is shooting a whopping 55.1 percent from the floor against the trio, including a blistering 52.4 percent from three-point range.

CONTINUING TO CLIMB: It comes as no surprise to those familiar with Eastern Michigan that Courtnie Lewis has reached yet another milestone in what has already been a fantastic freshman season. A MAC Freshman of the Year candidate, Lewis eclipsed the 300-point mark with her 29-point output versus Ball State, Feb. 7, becoming the first freshman Eagle to do so since Janay Morton and Cha Sweey both acomplished the feat in 2013-14.
   In addition, Lewis sits in sixth-place on EMU's freshman scoring list and trails Holly Mitchell's fifth-ranked mark of 393 points by 22. With her current average of 14.8 points per game, she is on pace to finish the year with 428 points, which would be good for second-most in EMU laurels.

MAKIN' MOVES: Senior Sasha Dailey eclipsed the 1, 000-point mark against Toledo, Jan. 6. Since then, the Toledo, Ohio native has continued her ascent up the EMU all-time scoring list. Currently, she ranks 17th in EMU laurels with 1,183 points, just 45 points behind Kristy Maska (1,228).

ABOVE 40: EMU's offense is much improved from a season ago, having shot 40.0 percent or better 14 times this season. The Green and White have been much more consistent since MAC play began, shooting above 40.0 percent in 10-of-15 conference contests. Last year, EMU only shot above the 40.0 percent mark eight times, and never topped 44.0 percent.

SWEET CHARITY: A key to Eastern Michigan's ability to win close games this season has been how the Green and White perform at the free throw line. In its nine victories EMU is shooting 67.4 percent (124-of-184), while Eastern is converting just 61.2 percent (170-of-278) of its attempts from the stripe in losses.

CREATING SECOND CHANCES: The Green and White have owned the offensive glass, racking up 396 offensive rebounds. EMU's 15.2 offensive rebounds per game ranks top in the MAC and 30th nationally, while leading to 334 points or 18.6 percent of Eastern's scoring this season.

OFF TO THE RACES: Eastern Michigan has been dominant in transition, outscoring the opposition, 274-141, in fast break points. Offensively, the Green and White average 10.5 transition points per game, while giving up just an average of 5.4 points per contest. For the season, EMU is 6-4 when scoring 10+ fast break points.

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 17 games this year and has averaged 73.1 points in those contests. On the flip side, the Eagles score more than 10 points less (61.8 ppg) when finishing with a single digit assist total.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan returns to the road with a trip to Kalamazoo Wednesday, Feb. 28, as the Green and White travel to University Arena to take on the Broncos of Western Michigan University in a MAC West battle with plenty of seeding implications. Tipoff between EMU and WMU is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Sasha Dailey

Emoni Jackson

Courtnie Lewis

Danielle Minott

Eastern Michigan Athletics