Women's Hoops Set to Battle Ball State in Annual 'Play For Kay' Game

Women's Basketball vs Ball State
Date	Saturday, Feb. 22 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN 3
Twitter	@EMUW BB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After a bye week, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is back on the court where it will welcome Mid-American Conference West Division foe, Ball State University, for a weekend bout. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
   Eastern (12-12; 7-6 MAC) looks to get back in the win column after a 64-53 setback at the hands of Akron, Feb. 15. Meanwhile, Ball State (18-7; 10-3 MAC) aims to inch closer towards a first round MAC tournament bye.
    The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with Ryan Wooley calling the play-by-play and Tom Helmer providing analysis. Fans can also follow live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats, or get live updates from the team's Twitter, @EMUWBB.

17-FOR-17: Redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs has been outstanding for the Eagles in the 17 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 23 points and hauled in seven rebounds in EMU's game against Akron, Feb. 15. The performance was her seventh game with 20+ points this season. She has scored 20+ in three consecutive contests and in four of her last five outings.

PLAY FOR KAY: Saturday's game will honor famed basketball coach Kay Yow and will honor the fight against breast cancer. Fans are encouraged to wear pink as a show of unity and support for all whom have been affected by the disease.
1,000 WATCH: Junior Courtnie Lewis is just 30 points shy of reaching 1,000 for her career. The Belton, Mo. native is averaging 7.8 ppg this season.

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 tied for sixth-best in the conference.

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, and versus Akron, Feb. 15. The Richwood, Ohio native pulled down 11 boards in each contest en route to her sixth and seventh double-digit rebounding performances of the season. She has now led EMU in single-game rebounding 11 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 third 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: 8-3. 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 18 times, while picking their pockets 10+ times in seven of their 24 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 9-1 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.

BYE BYE BYE: With a 7-6 conference record, EMU is currently in the fourth overall position in terms of MAC tournament seeding. If the Eagles are 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 BALL STATE: The Eagles will meet Mid-American Conference West-Division rival Ball State on the hardwood for the 82nd time in program history Saturday, Feb. 22.
   Holding a 42-39 lead in the all-time series, the Eagles swept the Cardinals during the 2018-19 season after dropping four consecutive matchups prior to last season. EMU dropped the first game this season, 59-54, in Muncie.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE CARDINALS: Despite taking a lead into the halftime break, Eastern was unable to hold off Ball State, Jan. 11. A heartbreaking finish saw the Cardinals take a one point lead, 55-54, with just 1:13 remaining in the game. Although it had attempts to score near the end of regulation, Eastern was unable to tie or reclaim the lead, eventually falling, 59-54.
   The Eagles were led by Areanna Combs, who led the team in both points (18), and rebounds (11). The game marked her first-ever double-double in an EMU uniform. Freshman guard Aaliyah Stanley also chipped in 10 points of her own, her eighth game with 10 points-or-better this season.

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 hits the road for a MAC West showdown with Northern Illinois Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. CT.

Women's Hoops Set to Battle Ball State in Annual 'Play For Kay' Game

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Players Mentioned

Jenna Annecchiarico

Areanna Combs

Autumn Hudson

Courtnie Lewis

Aaliyah Stanley

Eastern Michigan Athletics