Women's Hoops Hits the Road for Battle with Fighting Illini

Women's Basketball at Illinois
Date	Saturday, Dec. 1 \| 2 p.m. CT
Venue	Champaign, Ill. \| State Farm Center (16,618)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	B TN+
Twitter	@EMU WBB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team hits the road for a trip to the State Farm Center for a clash with the University of Illinois Saturday, Dec. 1. Tipoff between the Eagles and Fighting Illini is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.
Eastern Michigan (3-1) returned to its winning ways with a 52-38 win against the University of Illinois-Chicago Tuesday, Nov. 27. Meanwhile, Illinois came up on the wrong end, 69-67, in overtime at Clemson University in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Nov. 28.
   Fans unable to attend the game can catch the action on Big Ten Network Plus. Additionally, the game will be live streamed from the team's Twitter account, @EMUWBB.

TOP-100 3X: Eastern is one of four schools in the country to have three players slotted inside the nation's top-100 in steals per game, joining Savannah State, Prairie View, and Morehead State.
   EMU is led by Danielle Minott, who ranks fourth nationally with 4.33 swipes per game. Corrione Cardwell is fifth in the MAC and 69th nationally with 2.75 steals per contest, followed by Jenna Annecchiarico's 98th-ranked average of 2.5 thefts a game.

HELPING HAND: Freshman Jenna Annecchiarico has shown why she came in as such a highly touted recruit through her first few games as an Eagle. In fact, Annecchiarico has embraced the role of floor general to the tune of 4.3 assists per game, the 12th-best mark in the MAC. Moreover, the Baldwin, N.Y. native has turned the ball over just three times making her one of the top point guards in the conference. Annecchiarico leads the conference, while ranking sixth nationally, with a 5.0 assist to turnover ratio. She is one of just three freshman to boast an assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.5-or-better, joining New Orleans Traya Bruce (15th-4.0) and Valparaiso's Shay Frederick (20th-3.5).

TURNING 'EM OVER: Illinois-Chicago coughed up the ball 31 times in Eastern's 52-38 win, Nov. 27. It was the most turnovers committed by UIC since totaling 33 against Jackson State, Nov. 16, 2017. The Flames' 31 turnovers also ranked as the ninth-most in Convocation Center history, while they were also the most the Eagles have forced since turning Detroit Mercy over 32 times, Dec. 17, 2017.

LOCKED IN ON DEFENSE, AGAIN: Eastern Michigan continued its dominating defensive start to the season in its win over UIC, Nov. 27, as the Eagles held the Flames to a 26.0 field goal percentage. UIC's shooting woes extended beyond the three-point line, as the Flames were just 1-of-7 from long range.
   Furthermore, EMU held an opponent under 50 points for the second time this season. UIC's 38 points were the fewest EMU has held a NCAA Division I opponent to since the Eagles topped Northern Illinois, 62-35, Feb. 19, 2011.

GETTING AFTER IT ON DEFENSE: Eastern Michigan's high intensity defense has caused opponents fits this season as the Eagles have forced the opposition into 20+ turnovers three times, while picking their pockets 10+ times in three of their four games. EMU's 11.3 steals per game are the second-most in the MAC, as well as the 47th-best nationally. Meanwhile, Eastern is turning opponents over 22.25 times per game, the highest mark in the conference and the 32nd-best in the country.

HARDWOOD ROBBERY: Eastern Michigan registered 16 steals in its win over Illinois-Chicago, Nov. 27. Danielle Minott led the way with six thefts, the most by an Eagle since Sasha Dailey recorded seven against Longwood, Dec. 20, 2017. EMU's 16 swipes were also the most since Eastern tallied 18 against LU last year.

HITTING THE ROAD: EMU will hit the road for its first true road game of the season when it travels to Illinois, Dec. 1. After kicking off the last month of the calendar year in Champaign, Eastern will play four of its next six games outside of the Convocation Center. EMU compiled a 6-8 record outside of the Convo a year ago and is 0-1 in one neutral site game this season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE ILLINI: The Eagles and Fighting Illini have faced each other four times ahead of Saturday's game, with the last coming during the 2002-03 season. Illinois has won all four meetings, holding a 4-0 mark against Eastern all-time. Most recently, the Illini edged the Eagles, 65-57, in Champaign, Dec. 11, 2002. Nikki Knapp put up a team-best 16 points in the setback, while Ryan Coleman added a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.

LONG DISTANCE LUST: The Green and White attempted 33 three-pointers in its win over UIC, Nov. 27, its most in a game since going 9-for-37 in a 75-66 win against UMKC, Dec. 7, 2013. Futhermore, Eastern is 6-18 when taking 20-or-more threes since the start of the 2016-17 season.

BATTLING THE B1G: Eastern Michigan is just 13-44 against Big Ten Conference members all-time, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign. EMU has been most successful against Michigan, posting eight wins against its Washtenaw County foe, but still trails in the series, 15-8. Eastern has also registered wins against Michigan State, Northwestern, and Ohio State, and while the Eagles are level with NU all-time, they trail in the series with MSU, 1-15, and OSU, 1-2. Meanwhile, EMU is winless against Illinois (0-4), Indiana (0-2), Maryland (0-1), Minnesota (0-1), and Purdue (0-3).

EMU AGAINST THE POWER SEVEN: Eastern Michigan holds a combined record of 19-74 against the Power Seven conferences - ACC, American, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC. EMU has faced Big Ten Conference opponents most often, compiling a 13-45 record versus the Rosemont, Ill.-based league, while Eastern is 7-8 versus the American and 4-8 against the Big East. EMU has three wins against both the Atlantic Coast Conference (3-13) and Southeastern Conference (3-5). Meanwhile, EMU is winless against the Big 12 (0-6) and Pac-12 (0-5).

LAST POWER SEVEN WIN: Eastern's last win over a Power Seven opponent came in the Convocation Center as Phillis Webb's near-double-double led EMU past Michigan, 64-63, Dec. 23, 2015. Webb led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds.
   The last time EMU knocked off a Power Seven opponent outside of the Convocation Center came on a neutral court against the University of Alabama. The Eagles and Crimson Tide opened play against one another at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas, Nov. 23, 2007, a 52-43 victory for EMU.

YONNIE OR LAUREL? WE SAY YONNIE!: Corrione Cardwell's work this offseason is paying dividends for the Eagles through their first four games. After dropping a career-high 25 points against Iowa State, Nov. 21, Cardwell followed it up with a game-high 17 points versus Illinois-Chicago, Nov. 27. For the season, Cardwell is averaging a team-best 16.0 points per game, more than a 12-point improvement over last season's mark of 3.7 ppg.
   Cardwell has seen her field goal percentage improve from 36.7 percent to 47.2, while she has already made three triples after going 0-for-8 from the long line in 2017-18. Her rebounding average is up from 1.7 per game to 5.5. Moreover, Cardwell scored 108 points all of last season and is already up to 64 this year.

BIG MOMENT, BIG STAGE: Since 1998-99 the Eagles have posted 11 victories over Power Seven Conference opponents, most recently a 64-63 come-from-behind triumph over Michigan, Dec. 23, 2015.    Overall, EMU has played 49 contests against high-majors during that span, posting an 11-38 record.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan is back at home for a Wednesday night showdown with in-state rival the University of Detroit Mercy, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Jenna Annecchiarico

Corrione Cardwell

Sasha Dailey

Danielle Minott

Eastern Michigan Athletics