Women's Basketball Continues Homestand Against Southern Illinois

Women's Basketball vs. Southern Illinois
Date	Saturday, Nov. 23 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Twitter	@EMUW BB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team continues its three-game homestand at the Convocation Center Saturday, Nov. 23, against Southern Illinois University. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Ryan Wooley providing the play-by-play and Tom Helmer offering analysis. Fans can also follow live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats, or get live updates from the team's Twitter, @EMUWBB.

OPENING HOT AT HOME: Eastern Michigan's 69-64 win over Southeast Missouri, Nov. 19, gave the Eagles an unblemished 2-0 record at home to start the 2019-20 campaign. EMU took care of Olivet College, 95-38, in its first home game, Nov. 8.
   The win cemented a 2-0 start in Ypsilanti for the third consecutive year. Last season, EMU started 5-0 at home before falling on its home court.

FINDING HER STROKE: After beginning the season 1-of-11 (9.1%) clip from deep, freshman guard Aaliyah Stanley has found her stroke in the last two games. The Boynton Beach, Fla. native drained 4-of-7 (57.1%) shots from downtown, and recorded her first-ever game as the team's three-point leader, Nov. 16 at Youngstown State. Stanley followed up that performance with a team-leading 24-point performance to guide the Eagles against Southeast Missouri, Nov. 19. The freshman shot 5-of-9 from behind the three point line and 9-of-15 overall.
   Her nine makes in the past two games aided in quadrupling her season three-point percentage, which now sits at 37 percent, good for second on the team.

WELCOME BACK, JUANITA: After missing all-but three games a season ago due to injury, redshirt sophomore Juanita Augosto is off to a hot start in the 2019-20 campaign. She leads all Eagles with an .625 shooting percentage (5-of-8), and is averaging 3.0 points per game in just over 13 minutes per game this season.

CONSISTENT ON THE COURT: Four different Eagles are shooting better-than 50 percent from the floor this season. Redshirt sophomore Juanita Agosto leads the way with a .625 field-goal percentage. As a team, the Eagles are shooting .426.

POINTS ALL AROUND: Through four games this season, the Eagles have recorded points from at least eight players in each contest. A team-high 11 made the box score against Olivet, Nov. 8, while nine notched points against Michigan State, Nov. 5. Eight players made baskets against Youngstown State, Nov. 16, and versus Southeast Missouri, Nov. 19.

STACKING UP IN THE MAC: Four Eagles rank in the top-five of Mid-American Conference statistics. Freshman Aaliyah Stanley's 24-point performance during Eastern's 69-64 win over Southeast Missouri, Nov. 19, ranks second in the conference in single-game points scored by a freshman. Dyaisha Fair's (Buffalo) 31 leads the MAC. In addition, the 24 points rank seventh in single-game points scored across the conference.
   Redshirt junior Corrione Cardwell has no trouble sharing the ball. Her 5.0 average assists per game ranks third in the MAC, while her 2.0 assist/turnover ratio (20-to-10) is good for second.
   Redshirt sophomore RayJon Harris holds the third spot in the MAC in free throw percentage, currently shooting .900 (9-10).
   Sophomore Kiara Johnson's 1.3 average blocks per game is tied for second in the conference.

POINTS IN THE PAINT: The Green and White have outscored their opponents 44-to-10 in the paint in quarters when the Eagles score 10 or more in the free-throw lane.
   Eastern has scored at least 10 points in the paint in 4 of 16 quarters played so far this season. Two of those quarters came Nov. 19 against Southeast Missouri, notching 10 points in both the first and fourth quarters. In addition, the Eagles held the Redhawks to just two points in the rectangle over those same two quarters. Nov. 16 at Youngstown State, Eastern recorded 12 points in the paint in the second quarter while holding the Penguins to two, and outscored Michigan State, 12-6 in the paint in the second quarter, Nov. 5.

TAKING THE ROCK AWAY: After forcing 16.7 turnovers per game a season ago, Eastern looks poised to be pesky on the defensive end of the court yet again in 2019-20. EMU has forced 77 turnovers, averaging 19.3 per game, including 31 swipes this season. Most recently, EMU stole a season-best 13 passes against Youngstown State, Nov. 16.

UTILIZING DEPTH: Depth is a term Fred Castro has consistently used to describe his 2019-20 squad. The depth of his bench has been on display thus far, as at-least nine players have seen action in every game this season. All-11 players that have been active for the game have found court time in two of the first three contests. Every player scored against Olivet, Nov. 8.

ALL-TIME VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: The Eagles and Salukis will face off for the second time in program history Saturday, Nov. 23. The lone previous meeting between the two sides occured Jan. 23, 1982, when Southern Illinois came away with the 64-59 win over Eastern Michigan at the University of Illinois Classic in Champaign, Ill. This will be the first time either team has played on each other's home floor.

ALL-TIME VS. MVC: Saturday's meeting between the Eagles and Salukis may only be the second all-time meeting between the two program, but the Eagles have faced other Missouri Valley Conference opponents in the past. Eastern holds an 11-15 record against MVC squads, and holds the best record against Loyola Chicago, 6-2.

ALL THE LEAGUES EMU WILL FACE: The Eagles will play teams hailing from eight different Division I conferences this season. In addition to its 18-game Mid-American Conference slate, EMU will face three Horizon League members, two teams from the Big Ten Conference, as well as one opponent from the Missouri Valley Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, America East Conference, American Athletic Conference, and Summit League.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern will wrap up its homestand Wednesday, Nov. 27 against Michigan at the Convocation Center. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Women's Basketball Continues Homestand Against Southern Illinois

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Juanita Agosto

Corrione Cardwell

RayJon Harris

Kiara Johnson

Aaliyah Stanley

Eastern Michigan Athletics