Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, November 25
Carbondale, Ill.
1 p.m. CT
Eastern Michigan University
1-0,0-0MAC
65
at
52
Southern Illinois
0-1,0-0MVC
1
2
3
4
F
Eastern Michigan
13
10
26
16
65
Southern Ill.
12
17
12
11
52
Women's Hoops Dominates Second Half to Secure Season-Opening Win, 65-52
11/25/2020 4:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Redshirt senior Areanna Combs led the way with 24 points
CARBONDALE, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – After more than 250 days away from competition, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team kicked off its 2020-21 campaign with a convincing non-conference road win over Southern Illinois University, 65-52, Nov. 25, in Carbondale, Ill.
The win moves EMU to 31-14 all-time in season-openers, which includes victories in nine of the team's last 10 lid lifters.
Eastern (1-0; 0-0 MAC) was fueled by redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Oklahoma State)), who scored 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting. The game marks Combs' 25th-consecutive double-digit scoring performance dating back to the 2019-20 campaign. The effort also marked her 13th with 20+ points, and her 16th as the team's scoring leader. Third-year veteran Jenna Annecchiarico (Baldwin, N.Y.-Baldwin) was equally as impressive in her season debut, as she scored 16 points in 39 minutes of play. Newcomer Ce'Nara Skanes (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Florida International)), a redshirt sophomore, was better than advertised in her debut performance for the Green and White. Combs' fellow Oklahoma City native dropped a modest 11-point, nine-rebound performance in her first collegiate game in more than a calendar year. Her rebounding performance tied that of junior Natalia Pineda (Miami, Fla.-John A. Ferguson), who also grabbed nine boards and contributed five points for EMU.
Dubbed a "defensive minded" team by fifth-year head coach Fred Castro, Eastern certainly lived up to that mantra in the game as well. EMU recorded 11 steals en route to forcing 18 total Southern Illinois (0-1; 0-0 MVC) turnovers in the contest. Combs led the efforts with five steals, which ties her career-best mark. SIU's defensive pressure was weathered more successfully by Eastern's offense, who gave it away just 11 times in the contest, including just four times in the second half of play.
The game's single-most altering run came near the four minute mark of the third quarter. Down two, 35-33, the Eagles scored on three consecutive drives to take the lead and deflate the Saluki sideline. The scores, which featured two triples and a layup and put EMU ahead, 41-36, came courtesy of Combs, Annecchiarico, and redshirt junior RayJon Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid). The five-point cushion proved to be more than enough for the Green and White, as it never trailed following that sequence in the contest.
Although the first quarter was a low-scoring affair by Eastern Michigan standards, there were plenty of fireworks from the paint. Skanes led the way in her debut outing with the Green and White as she quickly grabbed an offensive board and finished her put-back attempt to put EMU up, 8-4, with 3:56 left in the quarter. Redshirt junior guard Juanita Agosto (Seattle, Wash.-Garfield) made an impact on the defensive end just seconds later when she notched her first steal of the season. Skanes completed the conversion on the other end to extend the Eastern lead to six, 10-4.
The defensive battled continued throughout the rest of the quarter. SIU was eventually able to pull within one, 13-12, where the score stayed as the clock expired.
EMU grabbed early momentum at the beginning of the second quarter as Annecchiarico drove through the lane for her first score of the season. That bucket put the Eagles up three, 15-12, but the Salukis used the next 60 ticks to tie the game at 15-apiece.
EMU's powerful paint performance continued into the second quarter, as Harris made her presence felt on both ends of the floor. The fourth-year Eagle grabbed two offensive boards in the first half and scored four points in just six minutes of play. Her biggest bucket of the half came with 7:11 left in the half when she scored to bring the Eagles level with the Salukis at 19-all.
Southern Illinois was able to seize momentum to finish out the half as it outscored EMU, 10-4, over the last five minutes and took a six-point, 29-23, advantage into the intermission.
Down six, 29-23, the game changed in favor of the Eagles in the third quarter, who used a quick bucket from Combs to get their second-half run underway just 52 seconds into the frame. Two more jumpers by Combs and Annecchiarico brought the game within two, 31-29, with six minutes left in the quarter before the run with four minutes remaining put EMU ahead for good. Of all the impressive third-quarter adjustments from EMU, perhaps the best was its improved shooting, especially from deep. After starting the game 1-for-9 from behind the arc, Eastern shot 3-for-3 from deep in the third. Those points proved pivotal in the comeback effort.
Although Southern Illinois continued to show fight and resolve in the fourth quarter, it was clear that the Eagles were flying at an altitude much too high for any hopes of a Saluki comeback. EMU finished the game with a 13-point lead, its largest of the contest, and was able to secure the victory, 65-62.
EMU will enjoy a short holiday break before returning to action on Sunday, Nov. 29. EMU will welcome the University of Illinois-Chicago to Ypsilanti for what will be the first home game of the 2020-21 season for the team. The game is set to tipoff at 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
For the most up-to-date information on all-things EMU women's basketball, continue to visit EMUEagles.com and follow @EMUWBB on social media.
The win moves EMU to 31-14 all-time in season-openers, which includes victories in nine of the team's last 10 lid lifters.
Eastern (1-0; 0-0 MAC) was fueled by redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Oklahoma State)), who scored 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting. The game marks Combs' 25th-consecutive double-digit scoring performance dating back to the 2019-20 campaign. The effort also marked her 13th with 20+ points, and her 16th as the team's scoring leader. Third-year veteran Jenna Annecchiarico (Baldwin, N.Y.-Baldwin) was equally as impressive in her season debut, as she scored 16 points in 39 minutes of play. Newcomer Ce'Nara Skanes (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Florida International)), a redshirt sophomore, was better than advertised in her debut performance for the Green and White. Combs' fellow Oklahoma City native dropped a modest 11-point, nine-rebound performance in her first collegiate game in more than a calendar year. Her rebounding performance tied that of junior Natalia Pineda (Miami, Fla.-John A. Ferguson), who also grabbed nine boards and contributed five points for EMU.
Dubbed a "defensive minded" team by fifth-year head coach Fred Castro, Eastern certainly lived up to that mantra in the game as well. EMU recorded 11 steals en route to forcing 18 total Southern Illinois (0-1; 0-0 MVC) turnovers in the contest. Combs led the efforts with five steals, which ties her career-best mark. SIU's defensive pressure was weathered more successfully by Eastern's offense, who gave it away just 11 times in the contest, including just four times in the second half of play.
The game's single-most altering run came near the four minute mark of the third quarter. Down two, 35-33, the Eagles scored on three consecutive drives to take the lead and deflate the Saluki sideline. The scores, which featured two triples and a layup and put EMU ahead, 41-36, came courtesy of Combs, Annecchiarico, and redshirt junior RayJon Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid). The five-point cushion proved to be more than enough for the Green and White, as it never trailed following that sequence in the contest.
Although the first quarter was a low-scoring affair by Eastern Michigan standards, there were plenty of fireworks from the paint. Skanes led the way in her debut outing with the Green and White as she quickly grabbed an offensive board and finished her put-back attempt to put EMU up, 8-4, with 3:56 left in the quarter. Redshirt junior guard Juanita Agosto (Seattle, Wash.-Garfield) made an impact on the defensive end just seconds later when she notched her first steal of the season. Skanes completed the conversion on the other end to extend the Eastern lead to six, 10-4.
The defensive battled continued throughout the rest of the quarter. SIU was eventually able to pull within one, 13-12, where the score stayed as the clock expired.
EMU grabbed early momentum at the beginning of the second quarter as Annecchiarico drove through the lane for her first score of the season. That bucket put the Eagles up three, 15-12, but the Salukis used the next 60 ticks to tie the game at 15-apiece.
EMU's powerful paint performance continued into the second quarter, as Harris made her presence felt on both ends of the floor. The fourth-year Eagle grabbed two offensive boards in the first half and scored four points in just six minutes of play. Her biggest bucket of the half came with 7:11 left in the half when she scored to bring the Eagles level with the Salukis at 19-all.
Southern Illinois was able to seize momentum to finish out the half as it outscored EMU, 10-4, over the last five minutes and took a six-point, 29-23, advantage into the intermission.
Down six, 29-23, the game changed in favor of the Eagles in the third quarter, who used a quick bucket from Combs to get their second-half run underway just 52 seconds into the frame. Two more jumpers by Combs and Annecchiarico brought the game within two, 31-29, with six minutes left in the quarter before the run with four minutes remaining put EMU ahead for good. Of all the impressive third-quarter adjustments from EMU, perhaps the best was its improved shooting, especially from deep. After starting the game 1-for-9 from behind the arc, Eastern shot 3-for-3 from deep in the third. Those points proved pivotal in the comeback effort.
Although Southern Illinois continued to show fight and resolve in the fourth quarter, it was clear that the Eagles were flying at an altitude much too high for any hopes of a Saluki comeback. EMU finished the game with a 13-point lead, its largest of the contest, and was able to secure the victory, 65-62.
EMU will enjoy a short holiday break before returning to action on Sunday, Nov. 29. EMU will welcome the University of Illinois-Chicago to Ypsilanti for what will be the first home game of the 2020-21 season for the team. The game is set to tipoff at 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
For the most up-to-date information on all-things EMU women's basketball, continue to visit EMUEagles.com and follow @EMUWBB on social media.
Team Stats
EMU
SIU
FG%
.400
.295
3FG%
.308
.250
FT%
.529
.714
RB
47
44
TO
11
18
STL
11
2
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
11
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
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