Women's Basketball Preps for two in Sin City

Women's Basketball at Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic
Date	Sunday, Dec. 20; Monday, Dec. 21 \| 2:30 p.m. PT; 12 p.m. PT
Venue	Las Vegas, Nev. \| South Point Arena
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	L ive Stream
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is set to open the holiday week with two games as part of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, Dec. 20 and 21, at South Point Arena in Sin City. Eastern will draw 25th-ranked Gonzaga Sunday, Dec. 20, before matching up with Tarelton State Monday, Dec. 21. The games are set for 2:30 p.m. PT and 12 p.m. PT, respectively.
   Fans can watch the games via the links provided. Each game requires a $10 payment in order to stream the action. Statistics for each game can be followed for free via EMUEagles.com/livestats. EMU's social media will also provide live updates during the games.
   Fans are encouraged to continue to follow @EMUWBB on social media and visit EMUEagles.com for the most up-to-date information on all things EMU women's basketball.

600 WINS: With its win over Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6, Eastern Michigan notched its 600th victory in program history. EMU first fielded a team in the 1976-77 season. In its 45th season, the program has achieved impressive success, racking up eight 20+ win seasons, eight postseason appearances since 2003-04, including two NCAA Tournament appearances (2004, 2012), and four MAC Divisional titles.
   Overall, EMU has compiled a 600-641 record in its 44+ seasons of play. The program has produced seven First Team All-MAC honorees, three All-Americans, an Academic All-American, and numerous other individual award winners.

NOT-SO HOLLY JOLLY HOOPSKETBALL: The holiday season has not been kind to Eastern Michigan in its 45-year program history. Eastern is just 19-23 in its final game leading up to Christmas since the 1977-78 campaign, including a 9-10 mark since the turn of the century. Santa has been better to the Green and White over the last decade however, as EMU is 7-3 in its final game before Christmas since 2010.

DEATH, TAXES, DOUBLE-DIGITS: In a year as unpredictable as ever, one constant has remained; redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs will score in double-digits.
   The Oklahoma City native is a perfect 29-for-29 since debuting for the team part way through its 2019-20 campaign. She has scored 10+ points in each of EMU's first five games this season, and leads the team with a 20.6 points per game average. Combs has already recorded three games with 20+ points, one double-double, and has led the team in scoring in four of Eastern's five games this season.

GROWTH IN HER GAME: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs quickly established herself as one of the best players in the MAC last season, but has elevated her game even more this season. Combs has improved her averages in multiple categories, including points per game (20.6/19.4), rebounds per game (7.0/6.4), assists per game (3.0/2.3), steals (4.0/2.25), field goal percentage (41.0/40.4), three-point percentage (35.0/28.9), three-pointers per game (2.6/0.5), as well as other categories.
   Combs' most significant improvement has come from behind the arc. Just five games into the season, she has already matched her total three-point field goal makes from a season ago (13), has recorded three-or-more three-point makes in three contests, and has led the team in three-point makes in four of five games. She led the Eagles in three-point makes just twice last year, and never hit three-or-more in a game.

CE'NARA RECORDS ANOTHER: Redshirt sophomore forward Ce'Nara Skanes has exploded onto the scene in 2020, her first on court for the Green and White. Skanes' 11-point, 10-rebound performance against Bowling Green, Dec. 11, was her second double-double of the season, which leads both the league and Mid-American Conference (multiple players tied).

HOW ABOUT HUDSON: Senior center Autumn Hudson reminded everyone of her playing ability in Eastern's game at Bowling Green, Dec. 11, in the form of an eight-point, nine-rebound effort. Those numbers are Hudson's best of the season, and helped double her season scoring average to 2.6 through five games.
   One of the most experienced role players in the country, Hudson has 52 starts under her belt as an Eagle.

PLAY ALL DAY: Junior guard Jenna Annecchiarico is one of the most relied upon players in all of Division I basketball. No player in the MAC has logged more minutes than Annecchiarico this season, who checks in at 191:40 through five games. Her 38.3 minutes per game average is second-best in the conference, and ranks 24th nationally.

DOMINANT DEFENSE: EMU's defensive efforts have been strong through five games this season. The Eagles are the best in the conference in the scoring defense category, allowing just 59.2 points per game, and also lead the MAC in steals (59) and steals per game (11.8). Additionally, Eastern is second in the MAC rebounding (42.2 per game), and the Eagles rank fifth in the MAC in blocked shots (12).

STEAL THE DEAL: Last season, the Eagles were fantastic at stealing the rock, finishing fourth in the Mid-American Conference with 8.57 steals per game. Redshirt senior Areanna Combs was first on the team and fourth in the MAC with a 2.2 SPG average in 2019-20.
   The Eagles appear to be off to a great start on the defensive end of the floor once again in 2020-21. EMU racked up an incredible 11 steals en route to turning Southern Illinois over 18 times on Nov. 25, before nabbing 18 steals against UIC, Nov. 29, and 13 at Ball State, Dec. 2. The 18-steal game is just one behind EMU's top mark in the 2019-20 campaign (19 at UIC, Dec. 18). EMU leads the MAC in both steals (59) and steals per game (11.8), numbers which sit at No. 23 and No. 27 in the nation, respectively. Combs and junior Jenna Annecchiarico are first and third in the MAC, and seventh and 18th nationally with their respective 4.0 and 3.2 steals per game averages. Annecchiarico's eight steals against UIC, Nov. 29, was a career-high.

SHARING THE GLASS: In addition to having multiple scoring threats, EMU has shown a unique ability to board with the best. EMU has seen three-or-more players grab at least seven rebounds three times this season. In its most recent contest, at Bowling Green, Dec. 11, EMU saw three players grab at least nine rebounds.

DOING THE DISHES: Junior floor general Jenna Annecchiarico is no stranger to good assist numbers. In fact, she has led the MAC in assist-to-turnover ratio in each of the previous two seasons (1.8). The he Baldwin, N.Y. native displayed those talents against SEMO, Dec. 6, as she recorded a team-high eight helpers in the contest. That number, which ties a career-high for Annecchiarico, is the most by an Eagle this season. Annecchiarico's 19 assists rank third in the MAC while her 3.8 assists per game in 2020-21 ranks seventh in the league.

SKANES DRAINS: Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes has been one of the best newcomers in the MAC this season. The Oklahoma City native is first on the team in rebounds per game (8.4), offensive rebounds per game (3.6), blocks (5), and is second on the roster in points per game (17.4). She has already recorded two double-doubles, and has the single-game season-high point performance (30 vs. UIC, Nov. 29). Skanes' numbers rack up well among MAC competitors and nationally, as depicted by the chart below (available in PDF).

COMBS KEEPS CLIMBING: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs continues to excel for EMU in 2020-21. The Oklahoma City native recorded her fifth career double-double in EMU's MAC season debut at Ball State, Dec. 2, leading all players in the contest with a season-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. She added another 20+ point day at SEMO, Dec. 6, to notch her 28th consecutive game with 10+ points and 15th scoring 20+. Like her Sooner State Sister, Ce'Nara Skanes, Combs is among the MAC and national leaderboards in numerous categories (Full chart in PDF).

AGAINST THE WCC: Eastern's game against Gonzaga, Dec. 20, will mark just its fourth-ever matchup with a member of the West Coast Conference. EMU beat Saint Mary's in its only WCC win, the opening round of the 2016 WNIT. The Green and White has come up short in two games against Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara, respectively.

AGAINST THE WESTERN: While EMU is set to meet Tarleton State for the first time on the hardwood, Dec. 21, it is no stranger to competition from the Western Athletic Conference. EMU is 16-3 all-time against WAC foes, including a perfect record over Chicago State (10-0).

ON THE HORIZON: Following its trip to Nevada, EMU will enjoy its holiday break before returning to Mid-American Conference play, Jan. 2, against Kent State. That game will serve as the front end of a women's/men's doubleheader inside Eastern Michigan's Convocation Center.

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Players Mentioned

Jenna Annecchiarico

Areanna Combs

Autumn Hudson

Ce'Nara Skanes

Eastern Michigan Athletics