Women's Basketball Returns to Action Saturday Against Detroit Mercy

Women's Basketball vs. Detroit Mercy
Date	Saturday, Nov. 13 \| 7 p.m. ET
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Digital Game Program
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMU_WBB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 13 when the Eagles welcome the University of Detroit Mercy to town for a weekend showdown with the Titans. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
   Both teams head into the contest in search of their first win. EMU started its season with a three-point, 70-67, setback against Youngstown State, Nov. 9. Meanwhile, Detroit fell, 60-43, at Loyola-Chicago on the same day.
   The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 where Ryan Wooley will have the play-by-play. Lexi Ayala will serve as the analyst. WEMU 89.1 FM will also air the contest, with Tom Helmer bringing fans the action from the Convocation Center. Additionally, the team's official Twitter account, @EMUWBB, will provide live updates throughout the contest.

THREE INK NLI'S: Wednesday, Nov. 10, was National Signing Day, the day on which high school seniors can official sign their National Letter of Intent to play for the college of their choice.
   Eastern added three players in this year's class in Dara Capaldi, Sophia Nittinger and Olivia Smith.
   Capaldi, a Madison Heights, Mich. native, averaged 18 ppg, eight rpg, and five apg last season with La Lumiere (Ind.).
   Nittinger, a 6-2 center, hails from Webster Groves, Mo. and recorded a school-record 57 blocks in her most recent season of play.
   Smith, from the basketball hot-zone, Fort Wayne, Ind. was an Indiana Junior All-Star last season, averaging 18.7 ppg for Southside High.
   Head Coach Fred Castro will welcome the trio for the 2022-23 campaign.

KY-LEE FOR THREE: The Eagles got a major boost off the bench from redshirt junior Kylee O'Hara in their season-opening game against Youngstown State, Nov. 9. The second-year Eagle sank 3-of-5 from deep in 15 minutes of play. Her first three-pointer of the contest, which came in the first quarter, was her first in nearly 11 months, when she went 1-for-3 from deep against Gonzaga, Dec. 20, 2020. Additionally, this was the redshirt junior's second game in the Green and White with multiple makes from beyond-the-arc, the other being at Southeast Missouri State, Dec. 6, 2020, when she went 4-for-6. The forward wrapped up last year's season shooting 6-for-28 from downtown (21%).

THIRD QUARTER COMBS: Redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs paced all scorers versus Youngstown State with 19 points, Nov. 9. Combs was most lethal in the third quarter where she produced 11 points via six free throws, one three-point basket, and one layup. The scoring frenzy helped the Eagles take a 42-39 lead halfway through the period after enduring a five-point halftime deficit. Eastern put up 23 points in the third quarter, the most by any team in one quarter during the contest. Combs was responsible for 48 percent of those points.

DEATH, TAXES, DOUBLE DIGITS: If one thing is as certain as can be, it's that Areanna Combs will score 10+ points. Combs opened the 2021-22 slate with 19 against Youngstown State, Nov. 9. She has now recorded double-digit scoring efforts in 43 of her 45 career games with the Green and White (96%).

MISS ASSIST: Not only did Areanna Combs lead the way in team scoring against YSU, Nov. 9, but she was also the best facilitator on court. The Oklahoma City, Okla. native dished out seven assists to lead all Eagles. That number matches her career-high, which was previously set Dec. 21, 2019, in a game at Detroit Mercy.

ANOTHER GAME, ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Redshirt sophomore forward Ce'Nara Skanes continued her double-double ways with an 11-point, 14-rebound effort against Youngstown State, Nov. 9. Now with 13 double-double performances in her career, Skanes is now tied for ninth in all-time program history in career double-doubles. Academic All-American Sarah VanMetre (2003-07) sits atop the list with 17. The statistic has been kept since 1998-99.

FIRST FIVE FOR RAYJON: Redshirt junior forward RayJon Harris is poised to make her biggest on-court impact of her career this season. The Euclid, Ohio native, dubbed as one of the most improved players on the team by members of the coaching staff, earned the start in EMU's season-opener, Nov. 9. That start was just the second of her career (51 total games), and her first since Feb. 8, 2020 at Western Michigan.

RELIABLE RAY: RayJon Harris was tactful against the Penguins, hitting 3-of-4 from the floor and sinking two free throws for a total of eight points in just 15 minutes. Additionally, her point production against YSU was better than all of her scoring performances in the 2020-21 season. The forward also added three boards in the 70-67 loss.

WELCOME BACK, COURTNIE: EMU senior guard Courtnie Lewis touched the floor for the first time since 2020 in EMU's season-opener against Youngstown State, Nov. 9. The Belton, Mo. native had not seen game action since March 11, 2020 after suffering a season-ending injury in the 2020 preseason.

CLOSING IN ON WEBB: Senior Courtnie Lewis, a veteran for the Eagles and 1,000-point club member, produced three points off the bench for EMU in its 70-67 loss against Youngstown State University, Nov. 9. Lewis now boasts 1,069 career points, good for 20th in program history.
   She sits behind former Eagle Phillis Webb who produced 1,125 points between 2013-17. With just 57 points to move into the 19th slot, Lewis must average 2.04 ppg over the final 28 regular-season games. Furthermore, the senior is 179 away from passing former Eagle Sasha Dailey (2014-18), who sits in 15th. EMU great Tavelyn James (2008-2012) owns the top spot in program history, having accumulated 2,470 career points.

TALES FROM DEEP: Eastern Michigan made great strides from the three-point line against Youngstown State, Nov. 9, compared to the 2020-21 season. The Green and White shot 7-for-18 from deep (38.9%) in the 70-67 loss to the Penguins. In the 2020-21 season, the Eagles recorded only two games with a greater team three-point percentage (at Southeast Missouri, 10-of-25 (40%), Dec. 6, 2020; Toledo, 11-for-28 (39.3%), Feb. 21, 2021).

MONDRO'S MERCY: First-year assistant coach Kevin Mondro is no stranger to Detroit Mercy basketball, being an alumnus of the university. Mondro earned his bachelor's degree from UDM in 1997 and stayed in Detroit where he served as the Titan's director of basketball operations until 2001. He continued to move his way up in the program, being named an assistant coach (2001-04), then promoted to associate head coach (2004-07), and served as the interim head coach for the second half of the 2007-08 season.
   During his UDM coaching stint, Mondro was part of the staff that posted four-straight 20-plus win seasons, including qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in both 1997-98 and 1998-99, as well as being selected for two National Invitation Tournament bids, in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

CHASING 200: The Eastern Michigan women's basketball program has racked up 193 total wins inside the Convocation Center since it opened for play in the 1998-1999 season. EMU can get to 200 all-time with seven home wins this season. The Eagles have averaged just over six wins at home each season since 2016-17, but have twice hit nine home wins.

ALL-TIME AGAINST DETROIT: EMU and UDM will meet for the 30th time on Friday, Nov. 13. The Titans hold a 15-14 all-time advantage, but Eastern has won six of the last seven matchups between the schools, including three-straight.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE TITANS: In the most recent matchup between the squads, Eastern handled UDM throughout the game, claiming an 84-70 victory over the Titans, Dec. 21, 2019, inside historic Calihan Hall. Then-redshirt sophomore Areanna Combs led the way for the Green and White with 22 points while then-junior Courtnie Lewis contributed with 15 points off the bench.

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. Last season, the team went 0-4 when allowing 70 points in a game. The team is 0-1 in 2021-22. Moreover, EMU is 8-33 when allowing 70+ points since the start of the 2016-17 season.
   When Eastern scored 70, it was 2-0 in 2020-21 and is 14-7 since the 2016-17 campaign.

AGAINST THE HORIZON: EMU owns a 62-45 record against current Horizon League foes. Home to UIC and eleven other institutions, the Eagles have battled all but two members of the Indianapolis-based conference; IUPUI and Northern Kentucky. However, Eastern will finally face off against the IUPUI Jaguars, Dec. 18, inside the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
Given the proximity, it comes as no surprise that EMU has squared off against Detroit Mercy more than any other Horizon League opponent, with 29 meetings taking place between the two all-time. While Eastern trails in the all-time series, 15-14, against Detroit Mercy, EMU holds the upper hand versus Cleveland State (12-5), UIC (10-5), Purdue Fort Wayne (1-0), Wright State (7-0), and Youngstown State (4-3). The Green and White sit level with Oakland (7-7) and Milwaukee (2-2) all-time, and are winless in the all-time series against Green Bay (0-5). Eastern has not faced Robert Morris while it has been a member of the Horizon League, but owns a 1-0 record over the Colonials with a 65-50 road victory, Nov. 28, 1987.

ON THE HORIZON: Following its matchup with the Titans, Eastern will remain at home as it hosts Grace Christian Thursday, Nov. 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.

Women's Basketball Returns to Action Saturday Against Detroit Mercy

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Players Mentioned

Areanna Combs

RayJon Harris

Courtnie Lewis

Kylee O'Hara

Ce'Nara Skanes

Eastern Michigan Athletics