Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 16
Convocation Center
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Akron
Women's Basketball Returns Home to Host Akron, Jan. 16
1/14/2021 11:48:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Eagles and Zips will tip at 12:04 p.m.
| Women's Basketball vs. Akron | |
| Date | Saturday, Jan. 16 |
| Venue | Ypsilanti, Mich. | Convocation Center |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Watch | ESPN3 |
| Virtual Game Program | Virtual Game Program |
| @EMUWBB | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is back at home for a Mid-American Conference matchup with the University of Akron Saturday, Jan. 16. Tipoff from the Convocation Center is slated for 12:04 p.m.
Eastern (6-5, 3-3 MAC) is looking to cement its first win streak of the season after beating Western Michigan, Jan. 10, and Miami, Jan. 13, in back-to-back contests. It will face an Akron (4-4, 1-4 MAC) team that is in search of consecutive MAC victories.
Fans can watch the game on ESPN3 where Ryan Wooley will have the call. Dannie Rogers will serve as the analyst, while Kristy King will make her broadcast debut as the game's sideline reporter. King has served as an in-house member of Eastern's ESPN production crew for the past two seasons.
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.
APPROACHING 1,000: When combining her 119 career points at Oklahoma State and her 684 points at EMU thus far, redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs is approaching the 1,000-career point mark (803 total). Although she still has 197 points to go, her 19.9 points per game average should help her to hit the mark this season. Combs is on pace to score 1,000 points in her EMU career alone as well.
NEARING 100: Seniors Autumn Hudson and Corrione Cardwell are both nearing 100 career games. Hudson has 97 games of experience, while Cardwell has 95. Phillis Webb is Eastern's all-time games leader with 134. Hudson and Cardwell could both break into the top-15 if they are able to reach the 113 mark.
TIME FOR ONE AT HOME: Eastern has six wins on the season, but is still searching for its first inside the Convocation Center (0-3 in 2020-21). Eastern's last home win came Monday, March 9, 2020 as the team bested NIU, 76-69, in the first round of the 2020 MAC Tournament.
EMU has 190 wins all-time in the Convo. The team is 28-27 in Ypsilanti under Fred Castro.
RECORD SETTER: Junior guard Jenna Annecchiarico recorded a career-high and modern statistical era-record nine steals at Miami, Jan. 13 (MSE is 1998-present). That number is one better than her previous best of eight, which she notched against UIC, Nov. 29 (T-3 all-time). The nine-steal performance is tied for the best of any player in the MAC this season. Her eight-steal game is second-best in that category. Annecchiarico is second on the team with 31 steals this season. She is fourth in the league with a 2.8 SPG average.
DOMINANT DEFENSE: Eastern's defense was superb in its 61-41 victory over Miami, Jan. 13. EMU's 41 points allowed is the fewest by the team this season. Eastern previously held Southeast Missouri State to just 49 points on Dec. 6, 2020. The performance is Eastern's best in the points allowed category since 2019, when it held Purdue-Fort Wayne to just 40 points in a 64-40 decision, Dec. 10. Eastern has held opponents under 50 points 14 times during the Fred Castro era (2016-Pres.). The Eagles are 13-1 in those efforts.
LEAGUE LOW (IN A GOOD WAY!): Miami's 41 points against Eastern Michigan, Jan. 13, is the lowest total in any game by a member of the Mid-American Conference this season.
BACK ON TOP: Following its 61-41 dismantling of Miami, Jan. 13, EMU is back atop the Mid-American Conference leaderboard in scoring defense. The Eagles allow just 61.4 points per game, nearly three points better than Bowling Green, which allows 64.0 ppg and is second in the conference in the category. EMU's field goal percentage defense is also first, as opponents shoot just 37.6 percent against the Green and White.
TONS OF TURNOVERS: The EMU defense forced Miami into 30 turnovers, Jan. 13. That number, which is the most by the RedHawks this season, is the second-best effort for EMU in that category. The Green and White forced 31 UIC turnovers in its 66-62 loss to the Flames, Nov. 29.
ALLOWED UNDER FIVE: EMU allowed Miami to convert just four field goal makes in the second half of the game between the two schools, Jan. 13. The last time Eastern held a team to five-or-less field goals in a half was Dec. 30, 2018, when it held Northwood University to just five makes in the second half of its 53-39 win over the Timberwolves.
FOUR CAN SCORE: A season-high four Eagles scored 10+ points in Eastern's 61-41 win over Miami, Jan. 13. Redshirt senior Areanna Combs led the way with 18 points, while redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes had 11. Juniors Jenna Annecchiarico and Natalia Pineda each finished with 10 points.
BALDWIN BADDIE: Junior guard Jenna Annecchiarico is again proving to be one of the best floor generals in the conference this season. In addition to her 10.5 ppg average, which ranks third on the team, she has been incredible at dishing the rock. The Baldwin, N.Y. native ranks third in the conference in assists (47), and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.96). Annecchiarico has led the conference in the latter in each of the previous two seasons.
ELEVATING IN MAC PLAY: As good as Areanna Combs has been, she has been that much better in the games that matter most: conference games. Combs averaged an impressive 16.8 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 2.4 steals per game in Eastern's five non-conference affairs this season. In her six games against MAC opponents, those numbers have all improved. Against league foes, she has put up 22.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per contest, and has averaged 3.8 thefts per game. Those averages rank fourth, ninth, and first, respectively, among all MAC players in conference play this season.
LINE OF IMPROVEMENT: Perhaps the biggest bright spot for the Eagles this season has been their improvement at the charity stripe. The Eagles rank fourth in the league with a 75.0 percent clip from the line in conference play, and rank sixth overall in the conference with a 71.4 percent mark on the season. Those numbers are impressive given that EMU has finished last in the league in free thrown percentage each of the last two seasons, including a best mark of 61.2 percent in 2019-20.
CAN'T LET THEM SCORE 70: Although many factors contribute to the end result of a game, one thing is for certain; 70 is kryptonite for Eastern Michigan. This season, the team is 0-3 when allowing 70 points in a game. Moreover, EMU is 8-31 when allowing 70+ points since the start of the 2016-17 season.
When Eastern scores 70, it is 1-0 this season and 13-7 since the 2016-17 campaign.
KEEP THEM UNDER 60: While a team scoring 70 typically favors EMU's opponent, the Eagles are dominant when holding their competition under 60 points in a game. This season, the team is 4-0 when holding its opponents under the 60-point plateau. Furthermore, Eastern is 20-5 during the Fred Castro era (2016-Pres.) when keeping its competition below 60 points.
FIRST HALF FORTUNES: It is often said that games are won in the second half, but Eastern Michigan's stats disagree. EMU is 4-0 this season when leading at the break, and just 2-5 when attempting a second-half comeback. Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, the Eagles are 32-14 when holding an intermission lead, and just 16-66 when trailing at the half.
SHOOT WELL, AND YOU WILL WIN: The team that has shot the highest percentage from the floor has emerged victorious in nine of EMU's 11 games this season. That trend holds consistent during the last five seasons; the Eagles are 41-14 when outshooting opponents in that stretch, and are just 10-65 when scoring at a lesser clip than its competition.
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 415 through 11 games. Her 37.7 minutes per game average is the best in the conference.
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. Combs and junior Jenna Annecchiarico are first and fourth in the MAC, and third and 10th nationally, with their respective 3.2 and 2.8 steals per game averages. Annecchiarico's nine steals against Miami, Jan. 13 is a personal record and is the best by any player in the MAC this season.
ALL-TIME AGAINST AKRON: Saturday's matchup between the Eagles and the Zips marks the 44th meeting between the squads all-time. Akron holds the upper hand in the series, 25-19, but Eastern has won three of the last five meetings.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE ZIPS: Exactly two weeks after the Eagles fell on the road to the Zips in overtime, 88-81, Akron earned its first road win in Mid-American Conference play of the 2019-20 season , 64-53, over EMU, Feb. 15, 2020.
Areanna Combs reached the 20-point mark for the third consecutive game, scoring a team-high 23 points while adding seven rebounds, a pair of steals, and all four of EMU's assists. Meanwhile, Autumn Hudson tallied eight points, a team-high 11 boards, and one steal.
ON THE HORIZON: EMU hits the road for a matchup with Central Michigan Wednesday, Jan. 20. Tipoff from McGuirk Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
Eastern (6-5, 3-3 MAC) is looking to cement its first win streak of the season after beating Western Michigan, Jan. 10, and Miami, Jan. 13, in back-to-back contests. It will face an Akron (4-4, 1-4 MAC) team that is in search of consecutive MAC victories.
Fans can watch the game on ESPN3 where Ryan Wooley will have the call. Dannie Rogers will serve as the analyst, while Kristy King will make her broadcast debut as the game's sideline reporter. King has served as an in-house member of Eastern's ESPN production crew for the past two seasons.
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.
APPROACHING 1,000: When combining her 119 career points at Oklahoma State and her 684 points at EMU thus far, redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs is approaching the 1,000-career point mark (803 total). Although she still has 197 points to go, her 19.9 points per game average should help her to hit the mark this season. Combs is on pace to score 1,000 points in her EMU career alone as well.
NEARING 100: Seniors Autumn Hudson and Corrione Cardwell are both nearing 100 career games. Hudson has 97 games of experience, while Cardwell has 95. Phillis Webb is Eastern's all-time games leader with 134. Hudson and Cardwell could both break into the top-15 if they are able to reach the 113 mark.
TIME FOR ONE AT HOME: Eastern has six wins on the season, but is still searching for its first inside the Convocation Center (0-3 in 2020-21). Eastern's last home win came Monday, March 9, 2020 as the team bested NIU, 76-69, in the first round of the 2020 MAC Tournament.
EMU has 190 wins all-time in the Convo. The team is 28-27 in Ypsilanti under Fred Castro.
RECORD SETTER: Junior guard Jenna Annecchiarico recorded a career-high and modern statistical era-record nine steals at Miami, Jan. 13 (MSE is 1998-present). That number is one better than her previous best of eight, which she notched against UIC, Nov. 29 (T-3 all-time). The nine-steal performance is tied for the best of any player in the MAC this season. Her eight-steal game is second-best in that category. Annecchiarico is second on the team with 31 steals this season. She is fourth in the league with a 2.8 SPG average.
DOMINANT DEFENSE: Eastern's defense was superb in its 61-41 victory over Miami, Jan. 13. EMU's 41 points allowed is the fewest by the team this season. Eastern previously held Southeast Missouri State to just 49 points on Dec. 6, 2020. The performance is Eastern's best in the points allowed category since 2019, when it held Purdue-Fort Wayne to just 40 points in a 64-40 decision, Dec. 10. Eastern has held opponents under 50 points 14 times during the Fred Castro era (2016-Pres.). The Eagles are 13-1 in those efforts.
LEAGUE LOW (IN A GOOD WAY!): Miami's 41 points against Eastern Michigan, Jan. 13, is the lowest total in any game by a member of the Mid-American Conference this season.
BACK ON TOP: Following its 61-41 dismantling of Miami, Jan. 13, EMU is back atop the Mid-American Conference leaderboard in scoring defense. The Eagles allow just 61.4 points per game, nearly three points better than Bowling Green, which allows 64.0 ppg and is second in the conference in the category. EMU's field goal percentage defense is also first, as opponents shoot just 37.6 percent against the Green and White.
TONS OF TURNOVERS: The EMU defense forced Miami into 30 turnovers, Jan. 13. That number, which is the most by the RedHawks this season, is the second-best effort for EMU in that category. The Green and White forced 31 UIC turnovers in its 66-62 loss to the Flames, Nov. 29.
ALLOWED UNDER FIVE: EMU allowed Miami to convert just four field goal makes in the second half of the game between the two schools, Jan. 13. The last time Eastern held a team to five-or-less field goals in a half was Dec. 30, 2018, when it held Northwood University to just five makes in the second half of its 53-39 win over the Timberwolves.
FOUR CAN SCORE: A season-high four Eagles scored 10+ points in Eastern's 61-41 win over Miami, Jan. 13. Redshirt senior Areanna Combs led the way with 18 points, while redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes had 11. Juniors Jenna Annecchiarico and Natalia Pineda each finished with 10 points.
BALDWIN BADDIE: Junior guard Jenna Annecchiarico is again proving to be one of the best floor generals in the conference this season. In addition to her 10.5 ppg average, which ranks third on the team, she has been incredible at dishing the rock. The Baldwin, N.Y. native ranks third in the conference in assists (47), and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.96). Annecchiarico has led the conference in the latter in each of the previous two seasons.
ELEVATING IN MAC PLAY: As good as Areanna Combs has been, she has been that much better in the games that matter most: conference games. Combs averaged an impressive 16.8 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 2.4 steals per game in Eastern's five non-conference affairs this season. In her six games against MAC opponents, those numbers have all improved. Against league foes, she has put up 22.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per contest, and has averaged 3.8 thefts per game. Those averages rank fourth, ninth, and first, respectively, among all MAC players in conference play this season.
LINE OF IMPROVEMENT: Perhaps the biggest bright spot for the Eagles this season has been their improvement at the charity stripe. The Eagles rank fourth in the league with a 75.0 percent clip from the line in conference play, and rank sixth overall in the conference with a 71.4 percent mark on the season. Those numbers are impressive given that EMU has finished last in the league in free thrown percentage each of the last two seasons, including a best mark of 61.2 percent in 2019-20.
CAN'T LET THEM SCORE 70: Although many factors contribute to the end result of a game, one thing is for certain; 70 is kryptonite for Eastern Michigan. This season, the team is 0-3 when allowing 70 points in a game. Moreover, EMU is 8-31 when allowing 70+ points since the start of the 2016-17 season.
When Eastern scores 70, it is 1-0 this season and 13-7 since the 2016-17 campaign.
KEEP THEM UNDER 60: While a team scoring 70 typically favors EMU's opponent, the Eagles are dominant when holding their competition under 60 points in a game. This season, the team is 4-0 when holding its opponents under the 60-point plateau. Furthermore, Eastern is 20-5 during the Fred Castro era (2016-Pres.) when keeping its competition below 60 points.
FIRST HALF FORTUNES: It is often said that games are won in the second half, but Eastern Michigan's stats disagree. EMU is 4-0 this season when leading at the break, and just 2-5 when attempting a second-half comeback. Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, the Eagles are 32-14 when holding an intermission lead, and just 16-66 when trailing at the half.
SHOOT WELL, AND YOU WILL WIN: The team that has shot the highest percentage from the floor has emerged victorious in nine of EMU's 11 games this season. That trend holds consistent during the last five seasons; the Eagles are 41-14 when outshooting opponents in that stretch, and are just 10-65 when scoring at a lesser clip than its competition.
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 415 through 11 games. Her 37.7 minutes per game average is the best in the conference.
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. Combs and junior Jenna Annecchiarico are first and fourth in the MAC, and third and 10th nationally, with their respective 3.2 and 2.8 steals per game averages. Annecchiarico's nine steals against Miami, Jan. 13 is a personal record and is the best by any player in the MAC this season.
ALL-TIME AGAINST AKRON: Saturday's matchup between the Eagles and the Zips marks the 44th meeting between the squads all-time. Akron holds the upper hand in the series, 25-19, but Eastern has won three of the last five meetings.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE ZIPS: Exactly two weeks after the Eagles fell on the road to the Zips in overtime, 88-81, Akron earned its first road win in Mid-American Conference play of the 2019-20 season , 64-53, over EMU, Feb. 15, 2020.
Areanna Combs reached the 20-point mark for the third consecutive game, scoring a team-high 23 points while adding seven rebounds, a pair of steals, and all four of EMU's assists. Meanwhile, Autumn Hudson tallied eight points, a team-high 11 boards, and one steal.
ON THE HORIZON: EMU hits the road for a matchup with Central Michigan Wednesday, Jan. 20. Tipoff from McGuirk Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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