Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 2
Convocation Center
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4-4,1-2MAC
61
vs
67
Kent State
4-2,3-0MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Kent St.
18
16
18
15
67
Eastern Mich.
20
9
16
16
61
Impressive Individual Efforts Not Enough as Women's Basketball Falls to Kent State, 67-61
1/2/2021 3:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EMU saw season-high scoring from two players; Skanes completes fourth double-double
Postgame Press Conference. | Photo Gallery. | Postgame Recap Video.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Although basketball was the sport being played, the atmosphere inside Eastern Michigan University's Convocation Center felt more like a heavyweight bout as EMU's women's basketball team sparred with Kent State University in Mid-American Conference action today, Jan. 2. Despite impressive individual efforts across the board, it was the Golden Flashes who came out on top, 67-61, in Ypsilanti.
With the setback, Eastern (4-4, 1-2 MAC) moves to 4-4 on the season and drops to one game under the .500 ledger in conference play. For Kent State (4-2, 3-0 MAC), the victory moves them to an impressive 3-0 mark in league play, and moves it to 7-1 over EMU in the last eight matchups between the squads.
EMU was led by impressive play from a number of individuals, but none was better than redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Oklahoma State)), who finished the game with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-25 shooting. She also knocked in 11-of-13 free throws while recording seven boards and four steals. Combs was joined in her efforts by junior guard Natalia Pineda (Miami, Fla. – John. A Ferguson), who also turned in a season-best point total (10). The Miami native was dialed-in for the entirety of the game as she hit 3-of-4 shots, including a 2-for-2 mark from downtown. Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Florida International)) was outstanding as well. Her 14-point, 11-rebound performance is her conference-leading fourth double-double of the season.
The EMU defense was strong out of the gate as it forced Kent State into a shot with just two seconds on the shot clock and immediately thereafter forced a three-in-the-key call. Kent did get on the board first via two shots from the charity stripe, but Combs quickly answered with a superb up-and-under move of her own to knot the game at 2-2. The two teams played with an inside-out approach at the onset of the game, as the contest's first 11 points came inside the paint or from the free throw line.
The game's first momentum swing came prior to the first media timeout. Although it started 1-for-3 from the floor, EMU fell victim to just 1-for-5 shooting over its next six attempts. Kent subsequently hit 4-of-5 shots, which enabled it to take a 12-7 lead with 4:30 remaining. Resilient yet, the Eastern defense forced a shot clock violation in the first possession after the breather. Down, 14-9, Skanes finished a challenging shot through contact, and finished the three-point play with a free-throw make. That play happened with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter. Pineda got in on the action just seconds later when she stole a Kent State in-bound attempt and went the length of the floor to score an and-one. That bucket put the Eagles ahead, 15-14. With Eastern again down, 18-15, a few moments later, it was Pineda who came through again. She nailed a three to tie the game at 18-all with under one minute remaining in the quarter.
Neither team could find the bottom of the net as play began in the second. Eastern cracked the 1:56 scoring drought first when Combs hit three at the line. Those shots gave Eastern its largest lead of the game, five points, 23-18. Combs was the impact player of the half. She finished with 15 points, the best total of any player in a half this season, to keep Eastern within five, 34-29, at the break.
Whereas the game began with stellar defense, the beginning of the third quarter featured at-will scoring. The Eagles and Golden Flashes traded 16 points, eight-apiece, in just four minutes out of the intermission. After falling behind by nine, 42-33, with seven minutes remaining in the third, the Eagles put together a short run of their own to pull within three, 42-39. Undeterred, Kent State regained traction and took a double-digit lead, 50-39, with three minutes left. Unwilling to quit, Eastern was able to score five of the final seven points to cut the margin to five, 52-47.
The first two minutes of the fourth quarter were pivotal as Eastern was able to sustain the momentum it had built at the tail end of the third. Leading the charge was none other than Combs, who scored five-straight points to pull the Green and White within one, 52-51, with eight minutes left to play. Kent State quickly added a layup, a free throw, and a deep three to go ahead by five, 58-53. Although there was still plenty of time left to complete the comeback, the triple make with 5:50 on the clock switched the momentum back in favor of the Golden Flashes, which it never gave back. Kent went on to build the lead back to seven before closing the game out with a six-point margin of victory, 67-61.
EMU is back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 6, as it welcomes the University at Buffalo to the Convocation Center for a midweek showdown. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU women's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media, at @EMUWBB.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Although basketball was the sport being played, the atmosphere inside Eastern Michigan University's Convocation Center felt more like a heavyweight bout as EMU's women's basketball team sparred with Kent State University in Mid-American Conference action today, Jan. 2. Despite impressive individual efforts across the board, it was the Golden Flashes who came out on top, 67-61, in Ypsilanti.
With the setback, Eastern (4-4, 1-2 MAC) moves to 4-4 on the season and drops to one game under the .500 ledger in conference play. For Kent State (4-2, 3-0 MAC), the victory moves them to an impressive 3-0 mark in league play, and moves it to 7-1 over EMU in the last eight matchups between the squads.
EMU was led by impressive play from a number of individuals, but none was better than redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Oklahoma State)), who finished the game with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-25 shooting. She also knocked in 11-of-13 free throws while recording seven boards and four steals. Combs was joined in her efforts by junior guard Natalia Pineda (Miami, Fla. – John. A Ferguson), who also turned in a season-best point total (10). The Miami native was dialed-in for the entirety of the game as she hit 3-of-4 shots, including a 2-for-2 mark from downtown. Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West (Florida International)) was outstanding as well. Her 14-point, 11-rebound performance is her conference-leading fourth double-double of the season.
The EMU defense was strong out of the gate as it forced Kent State into a shot with just two seconds on the shot clock and immediately thereafter forced a three-in-the-key call. Kent did get on the board first via two shots from the charity stripe, but Combs quickly answered with a superb up-and-under move of her own to knot the game at 2-2. The two teams played with an inside-out approach at the onset of the game, as the contest's first 11 points came inside the paint or from the free throw line.
The game's first momentum swing came prior to the first media timeout. Although it started 1-for-3 from the floor, EMU fell victim to just 1-for-5 shooting over its next six attempts. Kent subsequently hit 4-of-5 shots, which enabled it to take a 12-7 lead with 4:30 remaining. Resilient yet, the Eastern defense forced a shot clock violation in the first possession after the breather. Down, 14-9, Skanes finished a challenging shot through contact, and finished the three-point play with a free-throw make. That play happened with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter. Pineda got in on the action just seconds later when she stole a Kent State in-bound attempt and went the length of the floor to score an and-one. That bucket put the Eagles ahead, 15-14. With Eastern again down, 18-15, a few moments later, it was Pineda who came through again. She nailed a three to tie the game at 18-all with under one minute remaining in the quarter.
Neither team could find the bottom of the net as play began in the second. Eastern cracked the 1:56 scoring drought first when Combs hit three at the line. Those shots gave Eastern its largest lead of the game, five points, 23-18. Combs was the impact player of the half. She finished with 15 points, the best total of any player in a half this season, to keep Eastern within five, 34-29, at the break.
Whereas the game began with stellar defense, the beginning of the third quarter featured at-will scoring. The Eagles and Golden Flashes traded 16 points, eight-apiece, in just four minutes out of the intermission. After falling behind by nine, 42-33, with seven minutes remaining in the third, the Eagles put together a short run of their own to pull within three, 42-39. Undeterred, Kent State regained traction and took a double-digit lead, 50-39, with three minutes left. Unwilling to quit, Eastern was able to score five of the final seven points to cut the margin to five, 52-47.
The first two minutes of the fourth quarter were pivotal as Eastern was able to sustain the momentum it had built at the tail end of the third. Leading the charge was none other than Combs, who scored five-straight points to pull the Green and White within one, 52-51, with eight minutes left to play. Kent State quickly added a layup, a free throw, and a deep three to go ahead by five, 58-53. Although there was still plenty of time left to complete the comeback, the triple make with 5:50 on the clock switched the momentum back in favor of the Golden Flashes, which it never gave back. Kent went on to build the lead back to seven before closing the game out with a six-point margin of victory, 67-61.
EMU is back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 6, as it welcomes the University at Buffalo to the Convocation Center for a midweek showdown. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU women's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media, at @EMUWBB.
Team Stats
KentSt
EMU
FG%
.457
.317
3FG%
.533
.182
FT%
.548
.808
RB
39
37
TO
23
19
STL
7
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
29
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
11
Pts
11
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
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