Eagles Host Redbirds for Saturday Double Dip

Women's Basketball vs. Illinois State
Date	Saturday, Nov. 17 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,784)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	W EMU 89.1 FM
Twitter	@EMU WBB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -  Eight days after its season-opening win, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to the hardwood Saturday, Nov. 17, for a non-conference clash with Illinois State University inside the Convocation Center. Tipoff for the EMU-ISU tilt is set for noon and will be the first leg of a doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team.
Fans unable to attend the game can catch the action on ESPN3 with Ryan Wooley providing play-by-play and Kyler Ludlow serving as the analyst, while Chad Bush will also have the call on 89.1FM WEMU.
Eastern Michigan men's and women's basketball season tickets are now available for purchase at EMUEagles.com/tickets, by calling 734.487.3669 or by visiting the office daily between 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

DROPPING DIMES: Redshirt senior Danielle Minott and freshman Jenna Annecchiarico played a selfless role in Eastern Michigan's season-opening win over Cleveland State, Nov. 9, as the duo combined for 13 assists. Minott led the way with seven assists and Annecchiarico chipped in six, marking the first time a pair of Eagles have recorded six-or-more assists in a game since Cha Sweeney and Janay Morton tallied six apiece against Central Michigan, March 5, 2016.
   Moreover, the duo's 13 assists are more than Eastern recorded in 24 games last season.

DANDY DEBUTS: Three freshmen made their EMU debuts against Cleveland State, Nov. 9, and the trio lived up to the hype. Coming in as the top-ranked class in the conference, Jenna Annecchiarico, Natalia Pineda, and Kiara Johnson combined for 14 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

FEELING FLIRTY: Danielle Minott was all over the box score in EMU's season opener, despite only scoring six points. Minott flirted with a triple-double, as she paced the Eagles with 10 rebounds, while also adding seven assists and four steals.

PRODUCTION OUT OF THE POST: Eastern used a by-committee approach in the post, as Lorraine Enabulele, Kiara Johnson, and Autumn Hudson all saw time down low. Enabulele poured in a career-high 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go along with four rebounds and an assist. Johnson added a balanced eight points, five rebounds, one steal, and an assist in her debut, and Hudson chipped in two points and a board in five minutes.
   The trio combined for 21 points and 11 rebounds, the most Eastern has gotten out of the post position since the 2016-17 season.

YONNIE OR LAUREL, WE SAY YONNIE: Redshirt sophomore guard Corrione Cardwell turned in a strong stat line in Eastern's win over Cleveland State, Nov. 9. Cardwell scored a career-best 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including the first triple of her career. The Cleveland, Ohio native also added four rebounds, four steals, and an assist. Cardwell's four swipes also tied a career-high and tied for the team-lead.

BATTLE OF THE BIRDS: Saturday afternoon will be just the fifth all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Illinois State, and the second since 2008. EMU is winless in the previous four meetings after ISU knocked off Eastern, 65-56, in Normal, Ill. last season. Two Eagles finished that game in double figures as seniors Sasha Dailey and Micah Robinson recorded 16 and 15 points, respectively.

EMU AGAINST THE VALLEY: EMU holds a 10-15 record against the Missouri Valley Conference all-time, having hit the hardwood against eight different member institutions of the St. Louis, Mo.-based league. Eastern has been most successful against Loyola-Chicago (6-2), winning six of eight meetings between the two, while adding wins against Drake (1-0), Evansville (2-1), and Missouri State (1-1). ISU has won all four meetings against EMU and is one of three MVC squads Eastern has yet to post a win against (Bradley, 0-1 & Indiana State, 0-5).

AIN'T NO VALLEY LOW ENOUGH: Eastern's last win over a Missouri Valley opponent came in the opening round of the 2016 Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), an 80-70 victory over Drake, March 20. EMU rode a nine-point halftime lead to the 10-point victory behind a pair of outstanding performances. Cha Sweeney scored 28 points and added five assists, while Brianna Puni grabbed a game-high 20 rebounds.

TOPPING THE VALLEY IN YPSI: The Eagles are in search of just their second win over a Missouri Valley Conference member on their home floor, as well as their first since 2014. EMU's lone home triumph against a MVC opponent came in the opening round of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
   The top-seeded Eagles used a 15-2 run to break a tie in the final 4:42, winning 78-65 over Evansville, March 20, at the Convocation Center. All five starters finished in double-digits, combining for 77 of Eastern's 78 points. Shanise Heady and Cha Sweeney led the way with 19 points apiece, while Phillis Webb and Jamaica Bucknor both posted double-doubles.

SEASON OPENERS: The Eagles won their eighth consecutive season opener, and their 30th overall, with a 69-63 victory against Cleveland State, Nov. 9.
   Courtnie Lewis led all players with 20 points, highlighted by a 4-of-5 showing from distance. Also finishing in double digits were Corrione Cardwell and Lorraine Enabulele, who scored 14 and 11 points, respectively.

DOUBLE THE EASTERN BASKETBALL FUN: After opening the season with a 69-63 win over Cleveland State, Nov. 9, in the second leg of an Education Day doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team, the Eagles will return to action with another double dip. EMU's clash with Illinois State, Nov. 17, is the second of four double features at Convo.
   In the past five seasons, the Eagles have played 17 doubleheaders in the Convocation Center, posting a 10-7 record.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan hops across the border for a midweek tilt against Iowa State University. The game, which will be played in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, will tipoff at 6 p.m.
   It will mark EMU's first game played outside the country since the Green and White took part in the Carribean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico during the 2008-09 campaign. The Eagles will be in search of their first win outside the country over a NCAA Division I institution since defeating Alabama, 52-43, in the Junkanoo Jam, Nov. 23, 2007.

ANOTHER STOUT SIGNING CLASS: EMU Head Coach Fred Castro announced the Eagles newest signing class Wednesday, Nov. 14. Joining Eastern Michigan for the 2019-20 season will be Aaliyah Stanley and Constance Chaplin.
   A four-star recruit hailing from Miami, Fla., Stanley was named the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) Class 5A Co-Player of the Year this past season after leading Oxbridge Academy to a state title.
   Chaplin, a three-star recruit out of Euclid, Ohio, will reunite with high school teammate RayJon Harris. A 5-foot-9 guard with great vision, Chaplin has led Euclid High School to three straight conference championships.

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Players Mentioned

Jenna Annecchiarico

Corrione Cardwell

Sasha Dailey

Lorraine Enabulele

RayJon Harris

Autumn Hudson

Kiara Johnson

Courtnie Lewis

Danielle Minott

Natalia Pineda

Micah Robinson

Eastern Michigan Athletics