Women's Hoops Readies for Battle at Bowling Green State

Women's Basketball at Bowling Green State University
Date	Friday, Dec. 11 \| 6 p.m.
Venue	Bowling Green, Ohio \| Stroh Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team looks to improve to 4-1 as it travels to the Buckeye State for a Mid-American Conference bout with Bowling Green State University Friday, Dec. 11. Tipoff from the Stroh Center is set for 6 p.m.
Although fans will not be allowed to attend, there is an opportunity to catch the game on ESPN+. The game will also be aired on WEMU 89.1 FM where Tom Helmer will have the call.
   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.

BACK IN #MACTION: Eastern Michigan opened its 40th season as a member of the Mid-American Conference with a win over Ball State, 77-58, Dec. 2, in Muncie, Ind. to improve to 19-21 all-time in conference openers and 289-367 all-time against MAC opponents. With the win, EMU has won 13 of its last 19 MAC lid lifters dating back to the 2002-03 season, including two straight (vs. Bowling Green, Jan. 4, 2020).
LATE START, EARLY #MACTION: The EMU women's basketball team completed an oxymoron of sorts when it opened Mid-American Conference play at Ball State, Dec. 2. The game was the earliest conference matchup for the Green and White since the 1981-82 campaign when it traveled to Northern Illinois on Nov. 24. On the flip side of the equation, EMU's season-opening game against Southern Illinois, Nov. 25, was the latest start since opening the 1995-96 season against Marist, Nov. 25, 1995.

COMBS NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs was selected as the Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 6, the league office announced Tuesday, Dec. 8. She is the first Eagle to earn the honor since the 2018-19 season when Danielle Minott won it on Jan. 15, 2019.
   Combs averaged a team-high 24.5 points and nine rebounds in two wins over Ball State, Dec. 2, and Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6.
   Eastern opened the week with its third consecutive win over the Cardinals to move to 1-0 in conference play. The 19-point win, 77-58, is the largest margin of victory over Ball State for EMU since 2012. Additionally, the three-game win streak over BSU is the first for EMU since it won four-in-a-row between the 2010-11 seasons. Combs led the way as she scored a season-high 26 points on 11-of-24 shooting and paced the team with three makes from downtown. She added a career-best six steals in the contest and notched a team-high 11 rebounds. The game marked her 27th consecutive contest with 10+ points, her fifth-career double-double, and her 14th game with better than 20 points.
   The Oklahoma City native followed that effort up with another fantastic outing against Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6, again scoring in double-figures (23 points) to keep her scoring streak intact (28 games with 10+ points). Even more dangerous from three against the Redhawks, Combs nailed a career-high five from deep in the game. She also tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, which marks her ninth-career game leading EMU in that category.
   Through four games, Combs ranks first in the conference and second nationally in steals (16), first in the MAC in points (86), first in the MAC in field goals attempted (81) and made (36), is tied for first in the MAC in double-doubles (1), and is third in the league in assists (12). EMU's win over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday, Dec. 6, was also historic in nature, as it was the 600th victory in program history.

OKAY, KYLEE: Junior transfer Kylee O'Hara made quite the impact in her first game with the Green and White, Dec. 6. O'Hara scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from downtown against Southeast Missouri and finished as one of three Eagles in double-figures. A transfer from Florida International, O'Hara played in 29 games for the Panthers as a freshman, where she averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. She missed her sophomore year due to injury, and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA just last week.

7-UP: EMU's depth of talent was on full display against Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6. In addition to having three players reach double-figures in points, the team was also led in rebounding by three individuals, as redshirt senior Areanna Combs, redshirt junior Juanita Agosto, and junior Natalia Pineda all brought down seven boards in the contest. EMU has seen three-or-more players grab at least seven rebounds twice this season (at Southern Illinois, Nov. 25).

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. The Baldwin, N.Y. 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 17 assists rank second in the MAC while her 4.2 assists per game in 2020-21 ranks fourth in the league.

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS: After going 0-for-15 from three-point land against UIC, Nov. 29, Eastern has completely adjusted. The team has hit new season-bests from the long line in consecutive contests, knocking in six triples at Ball State, Dec. 2, before following that performance up with 10 makes from deep at Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6. EMU now sits at fourth in the MAC with 20 made threes.

CONSISTENTLY GETTING 65: Although different factors affect each individual game, EMU has shown a very steady offensive approach early on this season. The Eagles have taken exactly 65 shots in three of their four games, and 64 shots in the outlier contest. Those numbers have led to consistent scoring as well, as EMU has notched at least 62 points in each contest. By comparison, EMU allows just 53.75 shots per game.

SELFLESS STANDARDS: The season-high that fifth-yead head coach Fred Castro is most pleased with following EMU's win over Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6, is its assists. The Eagles recorded 18 helpers in the game against the Redhawks, the most of any game this season. Junior Jenna Annecchiarico led the way with eight, while fellow upperclassman Natalia Pineda recorded four, which tied her career-high.

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 (8.0), offensive rebounds per game (3.8), blocks (4), and is second on the roster in points per game (19.0). She has already recorded a double-double 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 (Chart available in PDF link).

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 (Char available in PDF link).

EMU ON NATIONAL LEADERBOARDS: EMU is inside the nation's top-40 in multiple team and individual categories this season. Highlighting the numbers is EMU's No. 5 position in steals (42), and its 22nd-best ranking in turnover margin (8.0). Individually, redshirt senior Areanna Combs and junior Jenna Annecchiarico rank third and fourth in the country in swipes, respectively.

DOMINANT DEFENSE: EMU's defensive efforts have been strong through four games this season. The Eagles are the best in the conference in the scoring defense category, allowing just 56.2 points per game, and also lead the MAC in steals (51) and steals per game (12.8). Additionally, Eastern is the league leader in turnover margin (87.0), sixth in the MAC in defensive rebounding (27.3 per game), and is fifth in the league in offensive rebounding (13.8 per game). The Eagles rank fifth in the MAC in blocked shots (2.50 per game).

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 (51) and steals per game (12.8), numbers which sit at No. 5 and No. 18 in the nation, respectively. Combs and junior Jenna Annecchiarico are tied for first in the MAC and second nationally with their respective 4.0 steals per game averages. Annecchiarico's eight steals against UIC, Nov. 29, was a career-high.

ALL-TIME AGAINST BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons have been the dominant team in this battle of the birds, holding a 50-20 lead in the all-time series between EMU and BGSU. The last half-decade has been good to the Green and White, however, as Eastern has claimed victory in six of the last seven matchups, including the last five. Prior to the 2015 season, EMU had lost 12 consecutive games against the Falcons, dating back to 2005.

LAST TIME AGAINST BG: Eastern used a second-half surge to upend BGSU, 70-58, Feb. 12, 2020, inside BGSU's Stroh Center. The win completed a season-sweep for Eastern over Bowling Green and lifted EMU to seven conference wins for the first time under then-fourth-year head coach Fred Castro.
   Eastern was led by the duo of Jenna Annecchiarico and Areanna Combs. Annecchiarico dropped 22 points in her encore performance from a career-high 31-point day at Western Michigan, Feb. 8. Combs was also stellar. The Oklahoma City native registered her third-career double-double with a 20 point, 13 rebound effort.

ON THE HORIZON: EMU will enjoy an extended break before returning to action as part of the 2020 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, Dec. 20-21. EMU is set to face Gonzaga on Sunday, Dec. 20, before taking on Tarleton State on Monday, Dec. 21.

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Players Mentioned

Juanita Agosto

Jenna Annecchiarico

Areanna Combs

Danielle Minott

Kylee O'Hara

Natalia Pineda

Ce'Nara Skanes

Eastern Michigan Athletics