Castro and Company Set For Wednesday Night Battle at Akron

Women's Basketball at Akron
Date	Wednesday, Jan. 26 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Akron, Ohio \| James A. Rhodes Arena
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Twitter	.@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

AKRON, Ohio- (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is back on the road, this time to face the University of Akron in a midweek, Mid-American Conference showdown Wednesday, Jan. 26. Tipoff from Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena is set for 7 p.m.
   The Eagles (4-10, 1-6 MAC) are looking to get back on track after losing their fifth consecutive contest, 71-60, against Bowling Green, Jan. 24. Meanwhile, Akron (7-6, 4-3 MAC) is looking to right its own ship after    falling to Northern Illinois, 79-67, on the same day.
   The game will be televised on ESPN+. Fans can hear the game on WEMU 89.1 FM or on the Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer providing the play-by-play and Alex Jewell serving as the analyst. Additionally, the team's official Twitter account, @EMUWBB, will provide live updates throughout the contest.

BIG TIME BLOCKS: The Eagles were active in affecting shots on the defensive end of the floor against Bowling Green, Jan. 24, recording four blocks as a team. EMU has out-blocked its opposition 13-0 over its last four contests. The stretch is highlighted by a season-best (tied) six swats against Northern Illinois, Jan. 22. EMU has bested its league-foes in blocks recording 21 swats while only being denied six times this season in league play.

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: EMU won the turnover battle against BGSU, Jan. 22, forcing 18 giveaways while recording 14 of its own. The game marks the seventh time this season that EMU has led the turnover battle and the fourth time the Eagles have won that battle in MAC play.

ON THE BOARDS: EMU has left a mark on the offensive side of the glass this season. A total of 43.3 percent (13-of-30) of Eastern's total rebounds against Bowling Green came on the offensive glass. That came after a performance against NIU, Jan. 22, that saw EMU haul in 52% (13-of-25) of its total rebounds on the offensive side of the ball. EMU has gotten 30 percent-or-more of its rebounding production from the offensive end of the floor nine times during the 2021-22 campaign. The Green and White rank sixth in the MAC with an 11.7 ORPG average.

GOOD FOR 20: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs led the Eagles' offense against Bowling Green, Jan. 24, scoring 21 points on 6-of-22 shooting. It is the second consecutive game of the sort for Combs, and the fourth time this season season she has scored at least 20 points. Additionally, the effort was the 23rd of her career (58 career games - 40%).

SKANES' SWATS: Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes has elevated her game near the basket in her last three outings with six blocks in the span. Most recently, the center recorded two swats against Bowling Green, Jan. 24. Additionally, the Oklahoma City native tied her season-best with three rejections versus Northern Illinois, Jan. 22.
   Skanes currently ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game (1.3) and fifth in total blocks (18).

TOYOSI, AT LAST: Redshirt junior guard Toyosi Abiola played her first minutes of basketball as an Eastern Michigan Eagle Monday versus Bowling Green. Abiola was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in the 2017-18 season at Iona College, and has since torn her ACL three different times, battling back to full health for the first time this season.

EIGHT FOR THE EIGHTH: Eight different players scored points in the game for Eastern Michigan against BGSU, Jan. 24. It was the eighth time this season Eastern has had eight-or-more players score in a game.

SHE'S BACK: After shooting 1-of-12 from three-point range against WMU, Jan. 19, redshirt senior Danielle Rainey has bounced back hitting 7-of-16 (43.75%) from deep over the last two games, highlighted by knocking down five deep balls against Northern Illinois, Jan. 22.        With two makes versus Bowling Green, she now has hit multiple threes in 12 of her 14 games this season.

BIG TIME BUCKETS: EMU averages 70.3 points per game, the sixth-best average in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles have scored 70+ points in six contests this season. Last season, EMU eclipsed 70 points just twice.

STRIPE LIFE: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs has been solid from the charity stripe this season, sinking 69-of-86 (.802) of her attempts. Her percentage from the line rounds out the top-10 in the conference while her 69 makes is the third-most in the league. Combs went 9-for-10 (.900) at the free throw line against BGSU, Jan. 24, the second-most makes and attempts she's had in a game this season, behind her performance at Oklahoma (10-of-14), Dec. 7. Additionally, Combs has converted 18 times on 21 attempts over the past four games, giving her an 85.7 free throw percentage in the span, the best mark of any player with more than two attempts from the line.

COURTNIE AND COMBS CLIMBING: Senior Courtnie Lewis, a veteran for the Eagles and 1,000-point club member, is moving up the all-time point list at EMU. Lewis boasts 1,143 career points, sitting 19th all-time behind former Eagle Reeshema Wood (1989-93) who tallied 1,158 points.
   Meanwhile, redshirt senior Areanna Combs, who recently joined the 1,000-point club, sits at 20th in the record book, with 1,057 points in her three seasons donning the Green and White. The guard is averaging 16.9 ppg, which puts her on track to crack the top-15 in EMU's scoring laurels by the end of the 2021-22 regular season.
   EMU great Tavelyn James (2008-12) owns the top spot in program history, having accumulated 2,470 career points.

THE FIRST 20 MATTERS: All four of Eastern's wins have seen the Eagles take a lead into the intermission, while each of the squad's 10 setbacks have included a halftime deficit.
   The trend continued as the Green and White fell behind Bowling Green at the half, 35-27, ultimately falling, 71-60, Jan. 24.
EMU is 40-15 in games in which it held a halftime lead since the onset of the 2016-17 season, and 17-79 in games where it has trailed at the break in that same span.

PLAYING DISCIPLINED: Eastern has been one of the most disciplined teams in the conference in the early portion of the 2021-22 season. The Eagles are sixth in the MAC and rank 94th in the country in fewest fouls (251). Additionally, EMU has been tremendous at taking care of the basketball, ranking second in the league and 18th nationally in fewest turnovers (209).

LIKE BONNIE AND CLYDE: The Green and White are sixth in the league, averaging 8.6 steals per contest. That number is on track to be the second-best mark under Fred Castro (2016-Pres.). The 2017-18 EMU squad racked up 9.7 steals per contest.

HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS: Eastern has been one of the best shooting teams in the MAC this season. The Eagles have hit 42.6 percent (356-of-835) of their shots from the field this season, good for fourth in the league and 86th nationally. EMU's current best mark under Head Coach Fred Castro came in the 2017-18 campaign when the Green and White shot 40.1 percent from the floor for the season.

DEEP THOUGHTS: EMU boasts a three-point percentage of 33.3 in 14 games this season. In the same stretch last year, the Eagles were hitting just 27.2 percent. The 33.3 percent mark from beyond-the-arc ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference and 82nd in the nation. Meanwhile, the team is 10th in the league in three-pointers made per contest at 6.5.
There were only two games last season where the Green and White shot 35 percent-or-better from deep (at Southeast Missouri State, 40.0%, Dec. 6, 2020; vs. Toledo, 39.3%, Feb. 21). So far this season, Eastern has sunk 35 percent-or-better in the category in seven of 14 games.

JUANITA'S HUSTLE: Redshirt junior Juanita Agosto has done a little bit of everything for the Eagles during MAC play, most notable being her rebounding on the offensive glass. The 5'6" guard has hauled in 17 offensive rebounds against league foes, highlighted by a 10-rebound double-double performance against Western Michigan, Jan. 19. So far in the 2021-22 season, the Seattle, Wash. native has pulled in 59 rebounds, good for third on team. Additionally, 30 of her 59 boards are on the offensive end, the second-most of any Eagle this season.

COURTNIE FOR THREE: Senior guard Courtnie Lewis hit just four three-pointers in her first seven games this season, but has been solid from deep since. The Belton, Mo. native has knocked down 11 trey balls in her last six games for a three-point percentage of 37.0 (11-of-29). Her 11 makes is second on the team during that stretch (Danielle Rainey - 16), while the percentage is the team-best over the last five games.

DEATH, TAXES, DOUBLE DIGITS: If one thing is as certain as can be, it's that Areanna Combs will score 10+ points. Including her 12 performances of the nature this season, Combs has now recorded double-digit scoring efforts in 55 of her 58 career games with the Green and White (94.8%). That number is the highest percentage in the Mid-American Conference.

COOKIES: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs ranks third in the MAC in total steals (37) and fourth in the league in steals per game (2.5). Combs set a career-high with 10 steals against Grace Christian, Nov. 18, to help her achieve her first ever triple-double (12 points, 11 assists, 10 steals). Most recently, Combs swiped three balls versus Bowling Green, her fourth outing this season with three-or-more in a game.

SKILLED SKANES: Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes has been skilled around the basket this season for the Eagles, leading the Mid-American Conference in field goal percentage at 53.7 percent. Her efficiency this year surpasses her work last year, finishing the 2020-2021 season shooting 49.4 percent (119-of-241) from the floor. Skanes has shot 50 percent-or-better from the floor in nine outings so far this season.

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS: EMU has put an emphasis on the three-ball this year, and no one member of the Green and White has been better than redshirt senior Danielle Rainey. Rainey has hit 42-of-103 (40.8%) from downtown and has hit at least three shots from beyond the arc in nine contests.
The Washington, D.C. native's three-point percentage is No. 2 in the MAC and 38th in the nation. Rainey is second in the league in treys made per game (3), good for 10th in the country.

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 0-7 in 2021-22. Moreover, EMU is 8-63 when allowing 70+ points since the start of the 2016-17 season.

SHARING IS CARING: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs has tallied 46 assists (3.3 per game) this season. Eleven of Combs' 46 assists came against Grace Christian University, Nov. 18. The 11 dimes against the Tigers tops her previous best, which she set two games prior against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 9 (7). EMU has recorded 10-or-more assists in six games this season.

ONE AWAY FROM THE TOP: Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes continues to climb EMU's all-time double-double ladder. Skanes has five double-double outings this season and 16 as a member of the Green and White. She is one behind all-time leaders Sarah VanMetre (2003-07) and Oliva Fouty (2010-14).

BLOCK PART(E): EMU is third in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game (3.71). Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes leads the team with 18 rejections and is fourth in the MAC with 1.3 bpg while freshman Treasure Thompson sits fifth in the league with 0.9 blocks per contest (14 total).
The Eagles have recorded at least five blocks in four contests this season. In the 2020-21 campaign, Eastern only recorded five-or-more blocks in a game three times: Seven, at Western Michigan, Jan. 20, 2021; Six versus Ball State, Jan. 23, 2021; Five at Southern Illinois, Nov. 25, 2020.

WELCOME TO THE 1K CLUB: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs made history Saturday, Jan. 15, when she notched 13 points to become Eastern Michigan's 24th 1,000-point scorer. Combs, who has been on court with the Eagles since the 2019-20 season, needed just 55 games to hit the total, an average of more than 18 ppg.
   Combs joins teammate Courtnie Lewis as the only active players to have hit the milestone.

TWO GRAND TEAMMATES: Upperclassmen Courtnie Lewis (1,143) and Areanna Combs (1,057) are the first Eagle teammates to share the court as 1,000-point scorers since the 2016 season, when Cha Sweeney (2013-16) and Janay Morton (2013-16) had both hit the milestone.

BACK IN #MACTION: The Green and White's 2021-22 campaign marks the 41st season EMU will compete as a member of the MAC. Playing a league schedule since the 1981-82 campaign, EMU has compiled a 296-379 record against conference opponents all-time.

RING CHASING: Eastern is in search of its first conference championship since 2012. That year, the Eagles captured both the MAC West and MAC Tournament titles.
   As a program, EMU has claimed four division crowns (2004, 2006, 2008, 2012) and two tournament championships (2004, 2012).

ALL-TIME VERSUS AKRON: Wednesday's contest will mark the 45th meeting between Eastern Michigan and the University of Akron. UA holds the advantage in the all-time series, 25-19. The Eagles have won four of the last six meetings. Prior to the six-game stretch, Eastern had dropped the previous four games.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE ZIPS: The Eagles controlled the game from start to finish, besting Akron at home, 64-46, Jan. 16, 2021. Two Eagles recorded double-doubles in the win as then-redshirt freshman Ce'Nara Skanes dropped 21 points and 10 rebounds, while former Eagle Jenna Annechiarico added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
   Eastern's defense held the Zips just 27.9% (16-of-68) from the floor and 15.0% (3-of-20) from three-point land.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the game against UA, the Green and White will return to the State of Ohio for a contest against Miami, Jan. 29. The first tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside Millett Hall.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Toyosi Abiola

Juanita Agosto

Areanna Combs

Courtnie Lewis

Danielle Rainey

Ce'Nara Skanes

Treasure Thompson

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