Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Basketball 2019-20 Shining Moments
3/26/2020 3:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Covering 10 unbelievable moments from both the men's and women's basketball programs from the 2019-20 campaign
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's and women's basketball programs has had a multitude of unbelievable moments and plays over the course of the 2019-20 season. From program records to surpassing career-highs and crazy plays, the Eagles were a force to be reckon with this past year.
Beginning Wednesday, March 25, the EMU Athletic Media Relations office will be highlighting 10 memorable moments from both the men's and women's basketball season. Over the next 10 days, fans can tune-in to EMUEagles.com, Twitter, and Facebook to celebrate these moments from the 2019-20 basketball season.
Check back each day to see what moment is next!
Friday, April 3
Men's Basketball
Thomas Binelli shot 50 percent (6-of-12) from downtown, scoring a career-high 26 points versus Northern Illinois (Feb. 25). The junior finished tied for ninth in the MAC draining 2.3 three-pointers a game.
Women's Basketball
Eastern notched its third Mid-American Conference win as it put up one of its most productive opening quarters (29 points) of the season en route to an 80-53 final over Miami University, Jan. 15. The win capped an incredible hot streak for the Green and White, who put together a 6-1 record during a stretch in which it won by an average 16 points points per game.
Thursday, April 2
Men's Basketball
Junior Darion Spottsville dished out seven of EMU's 12 assists at Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7. He led the team this season with 77 dimes.
Women's Basketball
A free throw make with 0.1 seconds on the clock by redshirt junior Juanita Agosto tied the game between Eastern and its Mid-American Conference East Division member the University of Akron at 76 apiece, today, Feb. 1. The freebie helped EMU complete a six-point fourth quarter comeback and force overtime.
Wednesday, April 1
Men's Basketball
Men's hoops won the Rose Hall Division of the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic. The Eagles went undefeated in the tournament taking home some hardware for the first time since 2014.
Women's Basketball
A fourth quarter deficit couldn't phase the Eastern as it used one final surge of momentum to stun the No. 2-seeded Ball State Cardinals in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, 64-63, inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, March 11. .Despite the result being an upset on paper, No. 7-seeded Eastern's fourth-year Head Coach Fred Castro sees the outcome in a different light. "We earned this win," said a jubilated Castro postgame. "We fought and made the right plays down the stretch."
Tuesday, March 31
Men's Basketball
Boubacar Toure tallied five blocks (career-high) against Central Michigan, Feb. 29. Toure led the team in blocks 19 times during the 2019-20 campaign and ranks eighth in program history with 86 career blocks.
Women's Basketball
The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team soared back to Michigan with a victory in-hand after grounding its Mid-American Conference West Division rival, the University of Toledo, 77-62,Jan. 29, inside Savage Arena. The win was the team's first over the Rockets on UT's home court since February of 2016, and the largest margin of victory at UT since 2000.
Monday, March 30
Men's Basketball
Eastern's win over Buffalo, Feb. 4, marked the 200th men's basketball victory in the Convocation Center.
Women's Basketball
It was a special night in Ypsilanti as the No. 7-seeded Eagles erased a double-digit deficit to defeat Northern Illinois in the first round of the 2019-20 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The win secured a bid to Cleveland for the quarterfinal round of the tournament, a game EMU won two days later by besting No. 2 Ball State.
Sunday, March 29
Men's Basketball
Noah Morgan's 30-point performance (career-high) against Kent State, March 9. He was the first Eagle to reach the 30-point plateau since Raven Lee scored a program record 50 points at Central Michigan on Feb. 28, 2017.
Women's Basketball
Redshirt junior Areanna Combs was outstanding for the Eagles in her debut season. The Oklahoma City native led EMU is scoring despite missing the season's first seven games. She notched double-digit points in all 24 games she played, including a season-best 32 against Bowling Green, Jan. 4. The 32 points was the most in a game by an Eagle during the 2019-20 campaign.
Saturday, March 28
Men's Basketball
Junior Yeikson Montero scored a career-high 26 points en route to EMU's first MAC victory of the season versus Toledo, Feb. 1. He went 9-of-12 from the field, including five triples against the Rockets.
Women's Basketball
Sophomore star Jenna Annecchiarico scored a career-high 31 points on 10-of-23 shooting to lead EMU over Western Michigan on the road, Feb 8.. The New York native was electric from beyond the arc, where she drained five three-point shots on 10 attempts. She was clutch from the charity stripe as well, going a perfect 6-for-6 to help close out the Broncos.
Friday, March 27
Men's Basketball
Derek Ballard Jr.'s clutch performance to propel the Eagles past Buffalo, 66-62 (Feb. 4). It was EMU's first victory against the Bulls since 2016. The redshirt sophomore grabbed an offensive board, was fouled on the lay-up, and converted the and-one opportunity giving the Eagles a one-point lead before sealing the four-point victory.
Women's Basketball
Redshirt junior Areanna Combs burst onto the scene for EMU women's hoops as she scored 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting in her EMU debut at Binghamton, Dec. 1. Combs went on to score in double-figures in each of her appearances during the 2019-20 season, led the team in scoring, and was an All-MAC Second Team and All-MAC Defensive Team selection.
Women's Basketball
Junior Courtnie Lewis became just the 23rd member of the EMU women's basketball 1,000-point club when she drained a deep triple in the third quarter of EMU's game against Toledo, Feb. 29. She is the first Eagle to reach the milestone since Sasha Dailey did it in 2018 (1,247 career-points). Lewis scored 435 points during her freshman campaign, 348 as a sophomore, and registered 283 points in 2019-20. She is on pace to finish inside the top-15 in program history in total points.
Wednesday, March 25
Men's Basketball
Ty Groce recorded his first career double-double (22 pts., 12 rebs.) at CMU, Feb. 11. Groce scored in double-figures 22 times during the 2019-20 season. The redshirt junior led the Eagles averaging 11.5 points per game and tied for third in the Mid-American Conference with 1.8 steals a game.
Beginning Wednesday, March 25, the EMU Athletic Media Relations office will be highlighting 10 memorable moments from both the men's and women's basketball season. Over the next 10 days, fans can tune-in to EMUEagles.com, Twitter, and Facebook to celebrate these moments from the 2019-20 basketball season.
Check back each day to see what moment is next!
Friday, April 3
Men's Basketball
Thomas Binelli shot 50 percent (6-of-12) from downtown, scoring a career-high 26 points versus Northern Illinois (Feb. 25). The junior finished tied for ninth in the MAC draining 2.3 three-pointers a game.
Women's Basketball
Eastern notched its third Mid-American Conference win as it put up one of its most productive opening quarters (29 points) of the season en route to an 80-53 final over Miami University, Jan. 15. The win capped an incredible hot streak for the Green and White, who put together a 6-1 record during a stretch in which it won by an average 16 points points per game.
Thursday, April 2
Men's Basketball
Junior Darion Spottsville dished out seven of EMU's 12 assists at Detroit Mercy, Dec. 7. He led the team this season with 77 dimes.
Women's Basketball
A free throw make with 0.1 seconds on the clock by redshirt junior Juanita Agosto tied the game between Eastern and its Mid-American Conference East Division member the University of Akron at 76 apiece, today, Feb. 1. The freebie helped EMU complete a six-point fourth quarter comeback and force overtime.
Wednesday, April 1
Men's Basketball
Men's hoops won the Rose Hall Division of the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic. The Eagles went undefeated in the tournament taking home some hardware for the first time since 2014.
Women's Basketball
A fourth quarter deficit couldn't phase the Eastern as it used one final surge of momentum to stun the No. 2-seeded Ball State Cardinals in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, 64-63, inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, March 11. .Despite the result being an upset on paper, No. 7-seeded Eastern's fourth-year Head Coach Fred Castro sees the outcome in a different light. "We earned this win," said a jubilated Castro postgame. "We fought and made the right plays down the stretch."
Tuesday, March 31
Men's Basketball
Boubacar Toure tallied five blocks (career-high) against Central Michigan, Feb. 29. Toure led the team in blocks 19 times during the 2019-20 campaign and ranks eighth in program history with 86 career blocks.
Women's Basketball
The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team soared back to Michigan with a victory in-hand after grounding its Mid-American Conference West Division rival, the University of Toledo, 77-62,Jan. 29, inside Savage Arena. The win was the team's first over the Rockets on UT's home court since February of 2016, and the largest margin of victory at UT since 2000.
Monday, March 30
Men's Basketball
Eastern's win over Buffalo, Feb. 4, marked the 200th men's basketball victory in the Convocation Center.
Women's Basketball
It was a special night in Ypsilanti as the No. 7-seeded Eagles erased a double-digit deficit to defeat Northern Illinois in the first round of the 2019-20 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The win secured a bid to Cleveland for the quarterfinal round of the tournament, a game EMU won two days later by besting No. 2 Ball State.
Men's Basketball
Noah Morgan's 30-point performance (career-high) against Kent State, March 9. He was the first Eagle to reach the 30-point plateau since Raven Lee scored a program record 50 points at Central Michigan on Feb. 28, 2017.
Women's Basketball
Redshirt junior Areanna Combs was outstanding for the Eagles in her debut season. The Oklahoma City native led EMU is scoring despite missing the season's first seven games. She notched double-digit points in all 24 games she played, including a season-best 32 against Bowling Green, Jan. 4. The 32 points was the most in a game by an Eagle during the 2019-20 campaign.
Saturday, March 28
Men's Basketball
Junior Yeikson Montero scored a career-high 26 points en route to EMU's first MAC victory of the season versus Toledo, Feb. 1. He went 9-of-12 from the field, including five triples against the Rockets.
Women's Basketball
Sophomore star Jenna Annecchiarico scored a career-high 31 points on 10-of-23 shooting to lead EMU over Western Michigan on the road, Feb 8.. The New York native was electric from beyond the arc, where she drained five three-point shots on 10 attempts. She was clutch from the charity stripe as well, going a perfect 6-for-6 to help close out the Broncos.
Friday, March 27
Men's Basketball
Derek Ballard Jr.'s clutch performance to propel the Eagles past Buffalo, 66-62 (Feb. 4). It was EMU's first victory against the Bulls since 2016. The redshirt sophomore grabbed an offensive board, was fouled on the lay-up, and converted the and-one opportunity giving the Eagles a one-point lead before sealing the four-point victory.
Women's Basketball
Redshirt junior Areanna Combs burst onto the scene for EMU women's hoops as she scored 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting in her EMU debut at Binghamton, Dec. 1. Combs went on to score in double-figures in each of her appearances during the 2019-20 season, led the team in scoring, and was an All-MAC Second Team and All-MAC Defensive Team selection.
Thursday, March 26
Men's Basketball
Thomas Binelli drained four three-pointers in his first career game versus Valparaiso (Dec. 3). The junior scored 12 points against the Crusaders and then led the Eagles with 57 three-pointers this season.
Men's Basketball
Thomas Binelli drained four three-pointers in his first career game versus Valparaiso (Dec. 3). The junior scored 12 points against the Crusaders and then led the Eagles with 57 three-pointers this season.
Women's Basketball
Junior Courtnie Lewis became just the 23rd member of the EMU women's basketball 1,000-point club when she drained a deep triple in the third quarter of EMU's game against Toledo, Feb. 29. She is the first Eagle to reach the milestone since Sasha Dailey did it in 2018 (1,247 career-points). Lewis scored 435 points during her freshman campaign, 348 as a sophomore, and registered 283 points in 2019-20. She is on pace to finish inside the top-15 in program history in total points.
Wednesday, March 25
Men's Basketball
Ty Groce recorded his first career double-double (22 pts., 12 rebs.) at CMU, Feb. 11. Groce scored in double-figures 22 times during the 2019-20 season. The redshirt junior led the Eagles averaging 11.5 points per game and tied for third in the Mid-American Conference with 1.8 steals a game.
Women's Basketball
EMU freshman Aaliyah Stanley found Areanna Combs on a sweet behind-the-back dish en route to Eastern's conference opening win over Bowling Green, Jan. 4.
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