Women's Basketball Set for Saturday Showdown with Central Michigan

Women's Basketball vs. Central Michigan
Date	Saturday, Jan. 8 \| 1 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| George Gervin GameAbove Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU 89.1 FM
Twitter	@EMU_WBB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team will see its first home action in nearly one month when it takes on Central Michigan University inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center Saturday, Jan. 8. The game is set to tip off at 1 p.m. and will serve as the first leg of a women's/men's doubleheader event on campus. The EMU men's team will host Ball State at 3:30 p.m.
   The Eagles (3-5, 0-1 MAC) come into the contest in search of their first Mid-American Conference victory after falling in their most recent game to the University of Toledo, 64-48, Jan. 5. Meanwhile, the defending MAC Tournament Champion-Chippewas are in need of a win as well. CMU (3-9, 1-2 MAC) is 3-9 on the season, including a 1-2 mark in league play. They fell to Western Michigan, 58-44, Jan. 6.
   The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3, where Ryan Wooley and Dannie Rogers will patrol the action. Fans can hear the contest on WEMU 89.1 FM or worldwide on the Varsity Network app where play-by-play man Tom Helmer will have the call alongside Alex Jewell. Additionally, the team's official Twitter account, @EMUWBB, will provide live updates throughout the contest.

1,000 WATCH: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs is 47 points away from the 1,000 mark at Eastern Michigan (currently has 953). She is averaging a team best 16.6 points per game this season and is set to become to 24th member of the 1,000-point club at EMU.
   Senior Courtnie Lewis hit the mark during the 2019-20 campaign.

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 and Oliva Fouty.

CLOSING IN ON WEBB: 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 1,098 career points, good for 20th in program history. She sits just behind former Eagle Phillis Webb, who produced 1,125 points between 2013-17. EMU great Tavelyn James (2008-2012) owns the top spot in program history, having accumulated 2,470 career points.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: The Eagles have opened up the 2021-22 season with a home record of 3-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Youngstown State, 70-67, Nov. 9. For Eastern Michigan, this is the best start to a season since the 2018-19 team started 5-0 inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. Meanwhile, the team is currently 0-3 in away contests and 0-1 in neutral site games.

THE FIST 20 MATTERS: Eastern Michigan's first-half play has been largely illustrative of the team's win-loss record this season. All three of Eastern's wins have seen the Eagles take a lead into the intermission, while each of the squad's five setbacks have included a halftime deficit.
   EMU is 39-15 in games in which it held a halftime lead since the onset of the 2016-17 season, and just 17-74 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 country in the early portion of the 2021-22 season. The Eagles lead the MAC and rank 15th in the country in fewest fouls (141). Additionally, EMU ranks second in the league and 15th nationally in fewest turnovers (135).

HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS: Eastern has been one of the best shooting teams in the nation this season. The Eagles have hit 44 percent (209-of-475) of their shots from the field this season, good for second in the league and 60th 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.
   Even better from three-point land, EMU is 35th in the country with a 35.8 percent (54-151) clip from beyond the arc this season.

LIKE BONNIE AND CLYDE: Eastern Michigan's defense has been full of thievery this season. The Green and White are sixth in the league, averaging 9.3 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.

JUICE IN JANUARY: January has been a month-of-moving for EMU under Head Coach Fred Castro. The Eagles have picked up 19 wins during the New Year month since 2017, the most in any month for the team during that span. EMU has finished with a winning record (5-3) three times during that stretch (2018, 2020, 2021).
   Additionally, the month has been the best for the program as a whole. EMU has 166 total wins in the month of January, more than any other month. Eastern Michigan is 7-5 all-time, including a 4-2 ledger at home, in games played on Jan. 5.

A CHANCE FOR TWO: A win over Central Michigan would give EMU consecutive victories over the Chippewas for the first time since the 2014-15 season when the Eagles swept the season series. Prior to last season's 70-67 victory, Jan. 20, Eastern had dropped 13 straight in the series.

DEATH, TAXES, DOUBLE DIGITS: If one thing is as certain as can be, it's that Areanna Combs will score 10+ points. Including her eight performances of the nature this season, Combs has now recorded double-digit scoring efforts in 50 of her 52 career games with the Green and White (96.1%). That number is the highest percentage in the Mid-American Conference.

BIG TIME BUCKETS: Eastern Michigan is averaging 72.5 points per game through its first eight contests. That number is good for fifth in the MAC.

COOKIES: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs ranks fourth in the MAC in total steals (25) and steals per game (3.12) this season. Her steals per game average is the 12th-best mark in the nation. 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).

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 26-of-54 (48.1%) from downtown and has hit at least three shots from beyond-the-arc in six contests.
   The Washington, D.C. native's three-point percentage is No. 2 in the MAC and ninth in the nation. Rainey is tied for first in the league in treys made per game (3.3), good for 10th in the country.

SHARING IS CARING: Redshirt senior Areanna Combs has tallied 33 assists (4.1 per game) this season. Her assists per game average is 10th in the MAC.
   Eleven of Combs' 26 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).
As a team, the Green and White have recorded 14-or-more assists in three games this season. Eastern only achieved 14-or-more assists in a game twice last year

BLOCK PART(E): EMU is second in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game (4.13).
   Freshman Treasure Thompson leads the team and is second in the MAC with a 1.5 blocks per game average.
   The Eagles have recorded at least five blocks in three contests, rejecting six shots against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 13, Grace Christian, Nov. 18, and FIU, Nov. 27. 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.

CHIP DIP: Saturday's contest marks the 91st meeting between the Chippewas and Eagles, who first met during the 1976-77 season. CMU leads the overall series, 54-36. EMU has won 23 of the last 44 meetings dating back to the 2000-01 campaign, but Central enters the clash as winners in 13 of the last 14.

LAST SEASON AGAINST CMU: Eastern was led by the trio of Areanna Combs, former standout Corrione Cardwell, and Ce'Nara Skanes as they put up 23, 20, and 19 points respectively en route to an impressive, 70-67 win over the Chippewas, Jan. 20, 2021.
   The victory put an end to a 13-game win streak for Central Michigan, which had previously bested Eastern in every matchup between the two schools since 2016-17.

CHASING 200: The Eastern Michigan women's basketball program has racked up 196 total wins inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center (renamed Dec. 11, 2021) 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.

AT LAST: Eastern Michigan broke a 26-day hiatus when it took on Toledo, Jan. 5, in the Glass City. That stretch (Dec. 10 through Jan. 4) was the largest in-season break between games in program history.

BACK IN #MACTION: The Green and White's 2021-22 campaign marks the 41st season Eastern Michigan will compete as a member of the Mid-American Conference. Playing a league schedule since the 1981-82 campaign, EMU has compiled a 295-373 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).

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will remain at home for a midweek matchup with Ball State, Wednesday, Jan. 12. Tipoff in Ypsilanti is set for 7 p.m.

Women's Basketball Set for Saturday Showdown with Central Michigan

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Players Mentioned

Areanna Combs

Courtnie Lewis

Danielle Rainey

Ce'Nara Skanes

Treasure Thompson

Eastern Michigan Athletics