Women's Basketball set for Akron Rematch

Women's Basketball vs Akron
Date	Saturday, Feb. 15 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN +
Twitter	@EMUW BB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is back at home where it will welcome Mid-American Conference East Division opponent the University of Akron for a weekend bout. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m., inside the Convocation Center.
   Eastern (12-11; 7-5 MAC) looks to notch what would be a season-best third-consecutive conference win in its revenge game against the Zips. Akron bested EMU in OT, 88-81, in the first meeting between the squads, Feb. 1. Meanwhile, Akron (10-12; 3-8 MAC) looks to inch closer to the .500 mark on its season.
    The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Ryan Wooley calling the play-by-play and Tom Helmer providing analysis. WEMU 89.1 FM will also air the game with Chad Bush handling the play-by-play duties. Fans can also follow live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats, or get live updates from the team's Twitter, @EMUWBB.

JENNA KEEPS FIRING: Sophomore guard Jenna Annecchiarico has had a three-game stretch to remember. After recording her first-career double-double (17 points, 10 boards) against Ohio, Feb. 5, she erupted for a career-high 31 points at Western Michigan, Feb. 10. Most recently, she recorded a team-best 22 points at Bowling Green, Feb. 12.
   Annecchiarico has now scored in double-digits 10 times this season, including in each of EMU's last five games.                    Additionally, only 12 games featuring MAC teams this year have seen better single-game scoring performances than that of Annecchiarico's 31 points.

16-FOR-16: Redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs has been outstanding for the Eagles in the 16 games she has played this season. The Oklahoma City native has scored in double-figures in each contest. In all, Combs is averaging a team-best 18.4 points per game, an average that only two players in the MAC have outpaced this season.
   Combs scored 20 points and hauled in 13 rebounds in EMU's win over Bowling Green, Feb. 12, good for second-best on the team behind Annecchiarico. The performance was her sixth game with 20+ points this season, and was her third-career double-double.

16 STRAIGHT WITH A STEAL: Sophomore Jenna Annecchiarico has been nearly automatic when it comes to swiping the ball. The Baldwin, N.Y. native has recorded at least one steal in each of the Eagles' last 16 contests, dating back to Dec. 7, at Wichita State. She tallied five steals against Ohio, Feb. 5, which tied a season-best and tied her single-game career-high (twice), before adding a pair at BGSU, Feb. 12. She is first on the team with 46 steals, and her 2.0 SPG average is eighth-best in the conference.

LEWIS STAYS HOT: Junior guard Courtnie Lewis has been good from beyond the arc in EMU's last six games, dating back to the team's matchup with NIU, Jan. 25. The Belton, Mo. native has hit two-or-more threes in each contest, which has tied for or been a team-best in five games, respectively. Lewis has now led EMU in single-game three-point makes 10 times this season, and 35 times during her career. She tied for the team lead with four triple makes at Bowling Green, Feb. 12.

HUDSON IS HARD TO HANDLE: After missing two games due to injury, junior big Autumn Hudson wasted no time reinstating her post dominance at BGSU, Feb. 12. The Richwood, Ohio native pulled down 11 boards en route to her sixth double-digit rebounding performance of the season. She has now led EMU in single-game rebounding 10 times this season, which leads all Eagles.

THANKS FOR ASSISTING: Sophomore guard Jenna Annecchiarico is one of the best in the MAC at dishing the rock. She tallied a team-leading five helpers against Ohio, Feb. 5, which marked the third time this season that she racked up five-plus assists in a game. Her 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio is tied for second in the league, while her 3.4 assists per game ranks 10th. The Baldwin, N.Y. native leads EMU in both categories.

CRASH THE BOARDS: EMU front man Fred Castro preaches the importance of rebounding, and for good reason. The Eagles have out-rebounded opponents nine times during the 2019-20 season. Their record in those games: 8-2. When the opponent out-rebounds EMU, it is just 4-9 on the season, and 10-50 since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
   EMU dominated the glass in its game against BGSU, Feb. 12, where it successfully out-rebounded the Falcons in 49-27 fashion.

GETTING IT DONE ON D: Eastern Michigan's high intensity defense has caused opponents fits this season. The Eagles have forced the opposition into 15+ turnovers 17 times, while picking their pockets 10+ times in seven of their 22 games. EMU's 18.3 forced turnovers per game are the third-most in the MAC.

LINE OR DIE: Free throws are a crucial ingredient for winning basketball games. When Eastern has more free throw attempts than its opponents, it is a perfect 9-0 on the season. When it has less attempts or even attempts, the Eagles are just 3-11.

SETTING NEW STANDARDS: With its win at BGSU, Eastern secured its seventh conference win of the season, which is EMU's best league win total all-time under Fred Castro (four seasons). EMU has finished each of the last two seasons with six conference wins.

RECORD-SETTING NIGHT: EMU's win over BGSU, Feb. 12, was its fifth-consecutive in the border-state battle. The five-game win streak is tied for the longest over Bowling Green in program history (1977-82/2003-05).

BYE BYE BYE: With Eastern's win over Bowling Green, Feb. 12, the team has officially moved into the fourth-overall spot as it pertains to MAC tournament seeding. If EMU is able to maintain that position over its final six games, it would receive a first-round tournament bye for the first time under Fred Castro, and for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST AKRON: Saturday's matchup between the Eagles and the Zips marks the 43rd meeting between the squads all-time. Akron holds the upper hand in the series, 24-19, but Eastern has won three of the last four meetings.

LAST TIME AGAINST AKRON: A free throw make with 0.1 seconds on the clock by redshirt sophomore Juanita Agosto tied the game between the Eastern and Akron at 76 apiece, helping EMU complete a six-point fourth quarter comeback and force overtime.
   Down, 74-72, with 19 seconds left in regulation, the Eagles secured a steal on an Akron out-of-bounds play, leading to a deep triple from junior Courtnie Lewis, which gave EMU the lead, 75-74, with 11 ticks remaining. After a Zips bucket, the Eagles found themselves with a chance to win the game in the closing seconds. Although it couldn't hit a game-winning field goal, Agosto was able to draw a foul with 0.1 seconds on the clock, sending her to the line for a pair of free throws, which she split to send the game to OT.
   The overtime period was controlled by Akron, as they outscored EMU, 12-5, in the five-minute period, eventually winning the contest, 88-81.

BACK IN #MACtion: The Green and White's 2019-20 campaign marks the 39th season Eastern Michigan will compete as a member of the Mid-American Conference. Having been a member of the Cleveland, Ohio-based league since the 1981-82 campaign, EMU has compiled a 268-360 record against conference opponents all-time.

RING CHASING: Eastern enters league play in search of its first conference championship since 2012. That year, the Eagles captured both the MAC West and MAC Tournament titles. Overall, EMU has claimed four division crowns (2004, 2006, 2008, 2012) and two tournament championships (2004, 2012).

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern will enjoy a bye week before returning to action Saturday, Feb. 22, with a game against Ball State University. Tipoff is slated for 12 p.m. inside EMU's Convocation Center.

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Players Mentioned

Juanita Agosto

Jenna Annecchiarico

Areanna Combs

Autumn Hudson

Courtnie Lewis

Eastern Michigan Athletics