ALL-TIME AGAINST NON-DIVISION I COMPETITION:

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HOW THE EAGLES STACK UP AGAINST NON-DIVISION I TEAMS:

DON'T TAKE THEM LIGHTLY:

EMU AT THE ACTIVITIES CENTER:

AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS:

MORTON'S COUNTDOWN COMPLETE:

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INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU:

SWIPER KEEPS SWIPING:

THREE-POINT THREAT HEATING UP:

A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE LEADERS:

Player Category Rank Number

ON THE HORIZON:

With final exams complete and the holidays nearing, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to the court Friday, Dec. 18, for a non-conference affair at Madonna University. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 inside the Activities Center.EMU enters the game with a 6-2 record after knocking off Monmouth University, 78-68, to wrap up an eight-day road trip, Dec. 10. The Crusaders are 3-7 (3-4 WHAC) on the season following a 92-43 throttling of conference foe Marygrove University, Dec. 12.WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game withandcalling the action on the court.The Madonna contest marks the fourth regular season meeting between EMU and Madonna. The Eagles are 21-2 all-time against non-NCAA Division I foes The Green and White opened the 2013-14 season against the Crusaders with a 101-52 victory, Nov. 8, 2013. Last year, EMU captured a 20-point decision with an 88-68 triumph at the Convocation Center, Dec. 9, 2014.On Nov. 29, Madonna's Director of Sports Information Patrick Moore tragically passed away at the age of 36. Moore began his career as a student in 1997 at Eastern Michigan working as the baseball contact for Hall of Famer Jim Streeter. He later became the first ever three-time winner of the WHAC's SID of the Year having worked at the school since 2007. Moore was a tremendous asset to the media relations field but importantly an even better person and a friend.You will be forever missed, Patrick.The Eagles have squared off against non-Division I opponents seven times under Head Coach's watch, sporting a perfect 7-0 record against them. Additionally, the Green and White have won by an average of 44.0 points per contest (EMU 99.7, OPP 55.7)Recent history shows the Crusaders should not be taken lightly, as just two years ago Madonna upset Detroit, 86-76, at Calihan Hall, Dec. 30, 2013. The win was the first for the MU women over a NCAA Division I team in program history.Then-senior Carrie Kloster went 9-of-15 from the floor, including knocking down six triples while pulling down a career-high 14 rebounds, including 13 on the defensive end of the floor. As a team, the Crusaders shot 53.8 percent (28-of-52) from the floor and 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from beyond the arc. MU also forced UDM into 13 turnovers and converted those into 16 points.Surprisingly, Friday's game is not the first time the Eagles will have set foot inside the Activities Center on Madonna's Campus. During the 2013-14 campaign, Eastern Michigan hosted UMKC in the building instead of the Convocation Center, Dec. 7, 2013. The change was necessitated as EMU's home court was occupied with the annual St. Joe's Holiday Ball. The Eagles edged the Kangaroos, 75-66, as three different Eagles reached double figures in points.Eastern Michigan has had great success against other collegiate programs in the state of Michigan over the past 12 seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, the Eagles are 58-26 (69.0 winning percentage) against in-state rivals.During the Dec. 10 contest at Monmouth, juniorbecame the newest member of the 1,000-point club at Eastern Michigan. She is just the 20th Eagle in program history to reach the milestone scoring number.Morton andare just the fourth EMU combo of millennium scorers to play together. Laurie Byrd and Denise Allen first accomplished the feat during the 1981-82 campaign, Ryan Coleman and Nikki Knapp followed it up in 2005-06, and most recently Tavelyn James and Paige Reddit did so in 2011-12.Due to final exams and the upcoming holidays, EMU is in a stretch in which it will only play three games over a 22 day span. The Green and White will play at Madonna, Dec. 18, before next returning to the court against Michigan, Dec. 23, and Detroit, Dec. 30.Over the previous eight games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 17.3 turnovers a game while snagging 9.9 steals. The 138 turnovers by the opposition has led to 135 points-off-turnovers or 22.1 percent of the EMU's offense.In its six victories this season, EMU is averaging 80.7 points while the opposition is posting 68.3 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 37.7 percent from the field compared to 41.8 percent for the Eagles. In defeats, the Eagles are only scoring 63.0 points, while giving up 86.0. Another factor in the Eagles' success has been the ability to control the glass. EMU is grabbing 44.8 rebounds to 43.3 for the opponents in the wins, while in setbacks the rebounding edge tracks in the opponents favor (EMU 42.0, OPP 44.5).Through Eastern Michigan's first eight contests, juniorranks 27th in the nation in steals per game, tallying 3.1 swipes per contest. The Brooklyn Park, Minn. product recorded a career-high seven steals against Texas Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 21) while adding four at Harvard (Dec. 9). Morton trails the nation's leader, Ashley Deary (Northwestern), who is posting 5.25 thefts per contest.Seniorhas hit three-or-more triples in four of the Eagles' eight games this season. One of the Eagles' biggest threats from beyond the arc, Ozelci has converted 19-of-43 or 44.2 percent of her shots from downtown this season.Eastern Michigan has positioned itself near the top of multiple statistical categories in the Mid-American Conference as of Dec. 11. Let's take a look...EMU Turnovers Per Game 1st 11.8 (6th nationally)EMU Offensive Rebounds Per Game 1st 17 (20th nationally)EMU Fewest Turnovers 1st 94 (21st nationally)EMU Turnovers Margin 1st +5.5 (28th nationally)EMU Scoring Offense 1st 76.3 (50th nationally)EMU Assist Turnover Ratio 1st 1.07 (52nd nationally)EMU Free Throws Attempts 1st 164 (77th nationally)EMU Rebounds Per Game 2nd 44.13 (34th nationally)EMU Fewest Fouls 2nd 119 (65th nationally)EMU Free Throws Made 2nd 109 (94th nationally)EMU Steals Per Game 3rd 9.9 (74th nationally)Field Goal Attempts 1st 165 (8th nationally)Steals Per Game 1st 3.1 (27th nationally)Steals 1st 25 (28th nationally)Offensive Rebounds Per Game 1st 4.0 (28th nationally)Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage 2nd 44.2 (55th nationally)Field Goal Percentage 2nd 48.9 (114th nationally)Points Per Game 3rd 20.5 (25th nationally)Assist Turnover Ratio 3rd +2.2 (72nd nationally)Rebounds Per Game 3rd 8.4 (120th nationally)Following the game against Madonna, Eastern Michigan will renew the "Battle of Washtenaw County" as the team returns home Wednesday, Dec. 23, to host the University of Michigan. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.at the Convocation Center. The series, which was dormant for five seasons, returned in March 2011 when the two teams were pitted against each other in the opening round of the Women's Postseason WNIT. The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 14-8, but the Eagles have won three of the last six meetings.