THE BATTLE OF WASHTENAW COUNTY:

AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS:

BATTLING THE BIG TEN

POWER 7 VISITS A RARITY:

OFFENSE A PLENTY:

A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE LEADERS:

Player Category Rank Number

STRONG UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS:

SEVEN EAGLES POST DOUBLE FIGURES AT MADONNA:

WINNING BIG ON THE ROAD:

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK:

Date Opponent Result Score

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE:

DEFENSE LEADING TO EASY OFFENSE:

INTERESTING STATS ABOUT EMU:

SWIPER KEEPS SWIPING:

THREE-POINT THREAT HEATING UP:

ON THE HORIZON:

The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns home for the first time in 22 days Wednesday, Dec. 23, for a non-conference contest against the University of Michigan. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.EMU enters the game with a three-game winning streak and a 7-2 record after knocking off Madonna University, 104-45, on the road at the Activities Center, Dec. 18. The Wolverines are 8-2 on the season following a 97-55 victory over Miami University, Dec. 19.The contest will be shown on ESPN3. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Chad Bush andcalling the action on the court.Eastern Michigan will renew the "Battle of Washtenaw County" as the team hosts the University of Michigan.The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 15-8, including winning the last three by an average of 18 points a game (EMU 56.7, U-M 75.0). Last year, U-M rolled past the Eagles, 81-52, in a high-scoring contest inside the Crisler Center, Dec. 22, 2014.The series, which was most recently 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.Eastern Michigan's last triumph in the series occurred Dec. 11, 2012, when the Green and White posted a 77-64 decision. In that game, Tavelyn James led all-scorers in the contest, pouring in a game-high 38 points on 10-of-21 shooting and five made three-pointers.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 59-26 (69.4 winning percentage) against in-state rivals.: The Green and White have faced off against Big Ten Conference institutions 55 times in program history, with the 56th meeting set for Wednesday against the Wolverines. Eastern Michigan holds a 12-43 mark against the conference all-time. The Eagles have been most successful against Michigan, recording eight wins against their Washtenaw County neighbors. EMU has also registered wins against Michigan State, Northwestern, and Ohio State.When Michigan makes the six mile trip west Wednesday, Dec. 23, it will mark a rare appearance of a "Power Seven Conference" opponent at the Convocation Center. Since the building opened for the 1998-99 campaign, it has only happened nine times with Indiana, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Utah having each played in the facility as part of home-and-home agreements.The Power Seven Conferences are considered "major schools" and include the American Athletic Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference.Overall, EMU has played 44 contests high-majors during that span, posting a 10-34 record.Wednesday's contest should feature plenty of offense as Michigan is the eighth most potent scoring offense at 84.6 ppg while EMU pours it in at 79.4 for 25th-best. Furthermore,ranks 35th in points per game while Michigan's Katelynn Flaherty is 17th at 21.5 ppg.Eastern Michigan has positioned itself near the top of multiple statistical categories in the Mid-American Conference as of Dec. 21. Let's take a look...EMU Fewest Turnovers 1st 106 (5th nationally)EMU Turnovers Per Game 1st 11.8 (8th nationally)EMU Turnovers Margin 1st +7.11 (11th nationally)EMU Offensive Rebounds Per Game 1st 17 (15th nationally)EMU Scoring Offense 1st 79.3 (25th nationally)EMU Assist Turnover Ratio 1st 1.18 (35th nationally)EMU Free Throws Attempts 1st 188 (125th nationally)EMU Fewest Fouls 2nd 133 (16th nationally)EMU Rebounds Per Game 2nd 44.11 (33rd nationally)EMU Scoring Margin 2nd +9.7 (88th nationally)EMU Free Throws Made 2nd 127 (132nd nationally)EMU Steals Per Game 3rd 10.7 (33rd nationally)Offensive Rebounds Per Game 1st 4.0 (18th nationally)Steals Per Game 1st 3.0 (19th nationally)Assist Turnover Ratio 1st +2.38 (37th nationally)Steals 1st 27 (46th nationally)Field Goal Attempts 2nd 174 (28th nationally)Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage 2nd 45.1 (40th nationally)Field Goal Percentage 2nd 50.5 (98th nationally)Points Per Game 3rd 19.4 (35th nationally)Rebounds Per Game 3rd 8.6 (101st nationally)The ties run deep between the Eastern Michigan and Michigan women's basketball programs. U-M athletic trainer, Melissa Pohorence, spent four seasons in Ypsilanti while the U-M's Athletic Communications Office has a heavy EMU flavor to it with Associate Director Tom Wywrot and Assistant Director Sarah VanMetre both having been standout student-athletes for the Green and White.VanMetre was a four-year letterwinner for the Eagles' hoops squad. The Noblesville, Ind. native was EMU's first women's basketball player to be named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team, sponsored by the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA). VanMetre averaged 11.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for her career while shooting 44.0 percent from the field during her EMU tenure. VanMetre is one of 20 players to score 1,000 points while donning an Eastern Michigan uniform, totaling 1,361 points during her career.Another thread between the two comes in EMU Athletic Media Relations Graduate Assistant,. A four-year gymnast at Michigan, Panhorst helped the Wolverines to two Big Ten Conference titles and two NCAA Division I National Championships.The Eagles made the short trip to Livonia, Mich. to take on Madonna University, Dec. 18, where seven Eagles scored in double digits to overpower the Crusaders, 104-45. The balanced box score of the Eagles marked the first time since Nov. 30, 2013, that seven players recorded double-digit scoring efforts and believed to be just the second time in school history the feat has been accomplished. Additionally, the Eagles forced the Crusaders into 32 turnovers in the contest, the most forced miscues by EMU since Niagara committed 31, Dec. 28, 2011.Juniorled the way, scoring a team-high 16 points while adding five assists. Graduate transferregistered the third double-double of her EMU career with 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Senioradded 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc while seniorand junioradded 11 each and sophomorechipped in career-high 10.EMU's 59-point victory over Madonna was the second-largest margin of victory in a road contest in program history. EMU led by as many as 72 in the contest at the NAIA opponent. The team's biggest road victory came in the finale of the 2003 San Juan Shootout when the Eagles cruised past UPR-Mayaguez, 104-30, Dec. 22.For just the 14th time in program history the Eagles hit the century mark en route to a 104-45 victory at Madonna, Dec. 18. All told, Eastern has eclipsed 100 points in a road game on six occasions, posting a 5-1 record in those contests.Jan. 18, 1977 WINDSOR W, 106-27Jan. 26, 1980 TOLEDO W, 100-42Jan. 31, 1985 at Toledo * W, 100-78Dec. 22, 2003 vs. UPR-Mayaguez W, 104-30Jan. 21, 2004 at Ball State* W, 100-83Nov. 11, 2007 TEMPLE BAPTIST W, 108-22Dec. 9, 2009 ROCHESTER W, 108-24Feb. 20, 2010 at Central Michigan* L,(2OT) 107-113Nov. 14, 2011 MARYGROVE W, 110-31Nov. 09, 2013 MADONNA W, 101-52Nov. 30, 2013 MARYGROVE W, 120-35Dec. 15, 2013 at Detroit W, 104-96Nov. 14, 2014 KSU-TUSCARAWAS W, 127-40Dec. 18, 2015 at Madonna W, 104-45The Eagles have won 65 of the last 85 home games dating back to the 2008-09 season. Eastern Michigan has racked up a solid home-court advantage inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center since the doors opened during the 1998-99 campaign. The Green and White has won 68.2 percent of the contests played in the building, piling up a 159-74 all-time mark.Over the first nine games, the ultra-athletic Eagles have forced 18.9 turnovers a game while snagging 10.7 steals. The 170 turnovers by the opposition has led to 178 points-off-turnovers or 24.9 percent of the EMU's offense.In its seven victories this season, EMU is averaging 84.0 points while the opposition is posting 65.0 points. In those games, opponents are shooting 36.3 percent from the field compared to 43.7 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 44.7 rebounds to 41.9 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 nine contests, juniorranks 19th in the nation in steals per game, tallying 3.0 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 4.64 thefts per contest.Seniorhas hit three-or-more triples in five of the Eagles' nine games this season. One of the Eagles' biggest threats from beyond the arc, Ozelci has converted 23-of-51 or 45.1 percent of her shots from downtown this season.After a clash with Washtenaw County rival, Michigan, the Eagles will hit the road for their sixth road contest of the month. Eastern Michigan will make a short drive into the Motor City for a tilt with the Titans of the University of Detroit Mercy, Dec. 30. The contest marks the last of the 2015 calendar year for the Green and White and final non-conference tune-up before welcoming Mid-American Conference foe, Buffalo, to the Convocation Center, Jan. 2.