Women's Basketball Hosts Senior Day Saturday at 2 p.m. Versus Ball State

Women's Basketball vs. Ball State
Date	Saturday, Feb. 27 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,784)
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	N/A
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.2282

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team closes out the home portion of the 2015-16 schedule Saturday afternoon, Feb. 27, against Mid-American Conference rival Ball State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
    The Eagles' (18-8, 9-6 MAC) hopes of the Mid-American Conference's West Division Championship still exist, but it will take some help to catch Central Michigan University with just three games remaining. EMU would need to win out against BSU, Western Michigan and CMU, plus the Chippewas would have to lose all three to WMU, Toledo and EMU. Furthermore, a win over the Cardinals would pull the Eagles into a tie with them for seeding in the upcoming MAC Tournament. Ball State (18-8, 10-5 MAC) enters the matchup having most recently having fallen short on the road in Mount Pleasant, Mich. against the Chippewas, Feb. 24.
    Fans can catch the game on ESPN3 with Greg Steiner and former University at Buffalo assistant coach Blake DuDonis on the call as part of the campus connection initiative.

OH, THE POSSIBILITIES: Eastern Michigan remains one of the hottest teams in the MAC after rattling off five consecutive victories dating back to Feb. 6 to climb back in the league's race for a first round bye. The Eagles reside a game back of both Ball State and Toledo, which possess the all important automatic berth to Cleveland, Ohio. The Eagles already hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rockets, while they look to deadlock the season series with the Cardinal with a victory.
   Each game continues to matter in a wacky season that has shown a ton of parity. If EMU were to win on Saturday and Toledo wins at Northern Illinois, the Eagles would be the fourth seed. More so, if Eastern wins and Toledo loses this weekend, the Green and White would leapfrog into the third seed with BSU in fourth and the Rockets in fifth.

NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT!: EMU has won its last five games and now looks more like the team that was the league's West Division preseason favorite. During the current streak, the Eagles have poured in an average of 70.4 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent (135-of-328) from the floor. Despite being out-rebounded by more than five boards a contest, EMU has limited the opposition to 35.5 percent shooting (105-for-296) and 54.6 ppg.
   Even more impressive has been the team's ability to cause havoc on defense, as the team has not trailed for even a second of game action in the last four. With the team forcing 111 turnovers and blocking 15 shots, Cha Sweeney has been able to chip in 20.2 points while Chanise Baldwin is averaging 12 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game as well.

OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE: Saturday matches Ball State's efficient offense against Eastern Michigan's solid defense. In conference games only, EMU is third in scoring defense (61.6 ppg) and fourth in both overall field-goal percentage defense (.384, 345-of-898) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.298, 99-of-332). On the flip side, the Cardinals sit fourth in overall field-goal percentage (.415, 345-of-831), second in free throw percentage (.728, 225-of-309) and eighth in scoring offense (66.3 ppg) in league contests.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE CARDS: The Eagles will meet Mid-American Conference West Division rival Ball State on the hardwood for the 73rd time in program history Saturday, Feb. 27. Holding a 39-33 lead in the all-time series, Eastern Michigan will look for its fourth win in the last six against the Cardinals.
   EMU held a 2-1 advantage over Ball State last season after the Cardinals took the first of three meetings, 72-62, at the Convocation Center. The Eagles got revenge later in the season, defeating Ball State, 56-41, at Worthen Arena before bouncing the No. 2 seeded Cardinals in the MAC Semifinal game, 75-65.
   However, earlier this season in Muncie, Ball State cruised to an easy 76-54 win as the Eagles struggled with a season-high 21 turnovers and field goal woes. Junior Janay Morton scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including converting 5-of-9 shots from long range. Morton's five triples marked the most she's made this season. Chanise Baldwin added 10 points, as the only other Eagle to reach double figures in the loss while Rachel Kehoe fell one rebound shy of her career-high, grabbing a team-best 12 boards. Nathalie Fontaine and Jill Morrison paved the way for Ball State, scoring 27 and 21 points, respectively. Fontaine converted 10-of-14 shots from the floor while Morrison's seven three-pointers stretched the EMU defense.

THANK YOU SENIORS!: Prior to the game Saturday, the EMU women's basketball program will honor six seniors that have made significant contributions to the Eagles success these past few seasons. During their tenure at EMU, the team has posted 60 victories and a pair of postseason appearances. Head Coach Tory Verdi will present each senior with a framed version of their jersey along with their locker room stool, which has stickers on it that were awarded based on academic, community service and on-court performances.
   #00 - KaBria Walker - A walk-on from Toledo, Ohio, Walker earned a scholarship after posting career-highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals as a junior. Walker scored a career-high 12 points against Kent State in November of 2014, before pulling down a career-high 10 rebounds later that season against Bowling Green. She has been an emotional leader on the bench for the Eagles this season.
   #15 - Chanise Baldwin - A graduate transfer from Providence College, Baldwin has been rock-solid in the post for the Eagles this season. She has reached double digits in points 13 times while pulling down 10 or more rebounds six times. Baldwin's best game of the season came against Oral Roberts, when she notched her first double-double of the season. Pulling down a season-high 14 rebounds, she also added 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting. In EMU's win over Toledo, Baldwin registered a season-high five blocks, the most by an Eagle since the 2003 campaign. In total she has scored 248 points and grabbed 116 rebounds to go along with 41 blocks this season.
   #23 - Sera Ozelci - A transfer from Odessa College, Ozelci has been a sharp-shooter for the Eagles from beyond the arc. Knocking down 126 triples over the course of her career, she has converted three or more in a game 11 times. She hit four treys en route to a 12-point and eight rebound performance against Central Michigan last season before picking up her first career double-double against Northern Illinois with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ozelci turned in her best offensive game in the 2015 MAC Quarterfinals, drilling five threes to lead the Eagles into the semifinals. In total she has scored 305 points while corralling 214 boards.
   #52 - Rachel Kehoe - A transfer from St. Clair Community College, Kehoe has started 61 games for Eastern Michigan at center. Playing in every game this season, Kehoe has set career-highs in points, field goals, free throw percentage, and offensive rebounds. She turned in her best game on Dec. 18, 2015, when she registered a career-high 11 points to go along with seven rebounds against Madonna. In total she has scored 143 points and recorded 238 rebounds.
   #32 - Shanise Heady - She passed away in an automobile accident with fellow EMU student Jordan Hopkins just over one year ago,. The Hazel Crest, Illinois native would have celebrated her senior night as well Saturday afternoon. Heady, who transferred from Seton Hall University prior to the 2013-14 season, averaged nearly eight points a game last season.
       Student manager Isaiah Walton - An invaluable member of the women's basketball program, Walton has been a student member of the National Association of Black Accountants as well as the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants. A member of the 2012 MAC Tournament Championship team, he is expected to graduate in April with 3.0 GPA in his major and intends to continue his post graduation plans of coaching.

MUDDY'S BUDDIES: Cha Sweeney's left shoulder has a tattoo with a Toledo Mud Hens logo and an inscription that reads "Never Forget Where You Came From." It's safe to say Sweeney has remembered just fine when taking on her hometown team. In seven career games versus Toledo, Sweeney has averaged 20.9 points while connecting on at least seven field goals in all but one of of the contests. The Rogers High School product also has 20 career three-pointers versus the Midnight Blue and Gold to go along with 20 assists and 13 thefts.

DEFUSING THE ROCKETS: Eastern Michigan defeated Toledo by double digits for the fourth time in the past 13 months with a 58-46 victory Feb. 24 at Savage Arena in a game that the Eagles led wire-to-wire. Eastern Michigan swept the season series with two easy blowouts. Though the Rockets cut the final margin to 12, the Eagles led by 28 late in the third quarter.
   In two meetings almost exactly a month apart, the Rockets never held a lead in 80 combined minutes against the Eagles, whose defense confounded UT once again. The Rockets turned over the ball 21 times and shot 18-for-48 (37.5 percent). Toledo has failed to score 50 points three times this season: once against No. 2 Notre Dame and twice against Eastern Michigan.

FOURTH QUARTER SWOON: Despite having a 27-point lead against Toledo entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets made it interesting down the stretch at Savage Arena, Feb. 24. Eastern Michigan managed just four points in the final frame while going 1-for-10 from the field. UT was 7-for-13 and posted a game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough as EMU claimed a 58-46 victory.

ALLOWING 50 OR LESS: Eastern Michigan is 104-1 all time when allowing 50 points-or-less. Since 2003-04, the Green and White has accomplished the feat 60 times with 33 of those coming against Mid-American Conference foes.

LOCKED IN ON DEFENSE: Eastern's defense has always been a point of emphasis with Head Coach Tory Verdi at the helm. Whether its in the half court or the stifling full-court press, Verdi's squads have made a living overwhelming opponents. In fact, the Eagles have forced seven of their past 11 opponents to commit 21-or-more turnovers.
   In the past five games alone, EMU has forced opponents into a combined 111 miscues while only committing 64 itself. The Eagles have cashed in on the trio of opponents mishaps to the tune of a 120-50 edge in points off of turnovers.

SET IT ON 70 AND FORGET IT!: During the team's current five-game winning streak, the number 70 has proven to be magical, as the squad has hit for 70-or-more points in victories over Western Michigan, Miami, Buffalo and Northern Illinois. It was also just the second time this season the Eagles have hit for 70-plus in four consecutive games. Meanwhile, the defense has also limited opponents to just 54.6 ppg during the same span.
   Since Tory Verdi has taken over, the Eagles have tasted victory 45 times when hitting for at least 70 in a game (65.7 percent of the team's win total). Last season, EMU posted a season-best six consecutive games of 70-or-more down the stretch run and into the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

LIVING ON THE ROAD: With three games remaining in the regular season, the Eagles will continue to see plenty of time on the road with the final two contests away from the friendly confines of the Convocation Center. Thankfully though, Eastern Michigan is 9-4 in true road games this season.

SWEENEY MOVING UP THE JUNIOR SCORING CHARTS: With her name already cemented as the best freshman scorer in program history and the second-leading sophomore, Cha Sweeney has now turned her attention to shattering the junior annals. The Toledo, Ohio native already ranks fourth-best among EMU juniors and given her current pace would most likely remain in that spot with 538. The MAC's all-time leading scorer for a junior is Toledo's Kim Knuth, who rolled in 681 points in 1997-98.

Most Points by an EMU Junior
    1.   Tavelyn James   642   2010-11
   2.   Laurie Byrd   557   1980-81
   3.   Ryan Coleman   544   2004-05
   4.   Cha Sweeney   467   2015-16
   5.   Nikki Knapp   433   2004-05

DEFENSE LEADING TO EASY OFFENSE: Over the team's 26 games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 19.7 turnovers a game while snagging 11.5 steals. The 511 turnovers by the opposition has led to 524 points-off-turnovers, or 27.8 percent of EMU's offense.

FIELD GOAL WOES: EMU's aggressive defense has forced 12 of its last 18 opponents to shoot less than 40 percent from the floor during the contest. Even more impressive, three of those teams (Madonna, Akron and Buffalo) have been limited to less than 30 percent for the contest.

BLOCK YOU VERY MUCH: Graduate transfer Chanise Baldwin has averaged 2.8 blocks per game over the past five games including a pair of four block performances against Central Michigan and Buffalo as well as a five rejection effort at Toledo.

MAGIC NUMBERS: This season, when the Eagles have scored at least 70 points, their record is 14-1. All-time under Head Coach Tory Verdi's leadership, Eastern Michigan is 54-12 when leading at the half and 46-7 when posting a better shooting percentage than the opposition.

MAC STREAK CONTINUES: With the Eagles' 84-60 victory over Northern Illinois, Feb. 20, Eastern Michigan secured its 13th season in the last 16 years with a .500-or-better record during Mid-American Conference play. Prior to the run, EMU had only posted five .500-or-better campaigns in 17 years of MAC play.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the Ball State contest, EMU hits the road for the final two games of the regular season. EMU travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, March 2, to battle Western Michigan University at 7 p.m. From there, EMU treks north to play MAC West Division leader Central Michigan University Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m. Both games will air on WEMU (89.1 FM) as well as ESPN3.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Women's Basketball Hosts Senior Day Saturday at 2 p.m. Versus Ball State

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Players Mentioned

Chanise Baldwin

Rachel Kehoe

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

KaBria Walker

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