Back in Action: Women's Basketball Set for Season-Opener against Lindenwood

Women's Basketball vs. Lindenwood
Date	Monday, Nov. 7 \| 5 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanit, Mich. \| George Gervin GameAbove Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF)
EMU Media Guide	Media Guide (PDF)
Broadcast Information	ESPN3 \| WEMU 89.1 FM
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Twitter	.@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is set to begin the 2022-23 season when it hosts Lindenwood University inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center Monday, Nov. 7. The matchup, which will officially lift the lid on the 47th season of play for the Green and White, will begin at 5 p.m. and will serve as the front end of a men's-women's doubleheader. The EMU men's team will host Wayne State University approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the women's contest. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 where Ryan Wooley (play-by-play) and Reggie Butler (analyst) will carry the action. The game will also be aired locally on WEMU (89.1 FM) with Tom Helmer (play-play-by), and Alex Jewell (analyst) calling the game.
    Fans can follow the action via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats. Additionally, the team's official Twitter account, @EMUWBB, will provide score updates throughout the contest.

THE SEASON PREMIERE: Monday's doubleheader with the EMU is being dubbed 'The Season Premiere' and fans will not want to miss out on making their own entrance ahead of the games. When gates open at 4 p.m. ahead of the women's game, fans can walk the green carpet into the George Gervin GameAbove Center where a photographer will be waiting to take pictures. The same will take place ahead of the men's contest with Wayne State. Fans in attendance for the premiere will receive a free T-shirt, a popcorn box with a voucher for one free box of popcorn at the game, and several posters, including The Season Premiere poster and both teams' season schedule poster.

PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING: On Dec. 11, 2021, the home facility for Eastern Michigan basketball was changed from the Convocation Center to the George Gervin GameAbove Center. We ask that you utilize the full name of the facility when referencing Eastern's home court and not shorten the name. Thank you in advance for your assistance on this matter.

SEASON OPENERS: In 46 seasons, the Green and White have compiled a 31-15 record in season openers. Additionally, the Eagles have won eight of their last 10 lid lifters, including eight in-a-row between 2008-09 and 2018-19. The most recent Eastern victory in a season-opening game was in the shortened 2020-21 season when the Eagles began their season with a 65-52 road win over Southern Illinois, Nov. 25, 2020.

STARTING AT HOME: Monday's opener marks the seventh time in the last 10 years that EMU has started the season on its home court. The Eagles are 6-1 in those games with the only loss coming last season against Youngstown State University, which defeated the Green and White, 67-70, Nov. 9.

ALL-TIME IN HOME OPENERS: Eastern Michigan enters Monday's contest against Lindenwood with a 35-11 all-time record in home-opening contests. Prior to EMU's home-opening setback to Youngstown State (2021) and the University of Illinois-Chicago (2020), EMU had won 20 consecutive home openers (each season since 2000-20).

CHASING 200: The Eastern Michigan women's basketball program has racked up 198 total wins inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center since it opened for play in the 1998-1999 season. EMU can get to 200 all-time with just two home wins this season, starting Monday, Nov. 7.

NEW COACHING ADDITION: Eastern's coaching staff includes one new member for the 2022-23 season. Ke'Sha Blanton joins the women's staff after a three-year stint as the Associate Head Coach at Oakland University. She also spent time as the Golden Grizzlies' acting head coach on multiple occasions. Prior to the 2021-22 season, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for Jeff Tungate, who took a medical leave of absence. Her second stint in that role, Blanton led the Golden Grizzlies to a 15-15 overall record and 11-9 mark in Horizon League play. Blanton and the Golden Grizzlies finished just one Horizon League win shy of the program record, 12, which the team matched during the 2020-21 season.
    During the 2022 Horizon League Women's Basketball Championships, Blanton led No. 7-seeded Oakland on a historic tournament run in which it defeated No. 10-seed Wright State at home. The victory marked just the second conference tournament win in Rochester in program history. Blanton then guided Oakland to a 63-52 upset win at No. 2 seed Youngstown State, propelling the Golden Grizzlies into the semifinals in Indianapolis, Ind. for the first time in program history.

THIS YEAR'S ROSTER MAKEUP: Eastern returns eight players from last year's squad, and welcomes six new members to the team for the 2022-23 campaign.
    Statistically, the eight EMU returners accounted for 44 percent of the Eagles' total scoring (797-of-1804), 63 percent of their total rebounds (630-of-1008), 51 percent of the team's total minutes (2737-of-5400), and 42 percent of total assists (110-of-265) from the 2021-22 season.
    The six newcomers for the team feature four "true" freshmen and two transfers. The transfers, junior Ashley Hassett (Northeast CC), and sophomore Tayra Eke (Long Island) each come to EMU with experience at different collegiate levels. Hassett brings one year of experience playing in 23 games, starting in all, and averaging 14.5 points per game. Additionally, the sophomore recorded an average 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during her time with the Hawks. Eke, a standout at LIU, spent her freshman year appearing in 27 games with the Sharks. Earning nearly 400 minutes of court time, Eke was by far the best shooter on the team, as she knocked down 54.1 percent (40-of-74) of her total attempts on the season. She was the only Shark to eclipse the 50 percent standard. A steady rebounder as well, Eke hauled in 83 total boards during her inaugural season, including 24 on the offensive end. Additionally, her 3.1 rebounds per contest average ranked inside LIU's top-10 and recorded a whopping 45 blocks on the season, by far the most of any LIU player, and the most by any student-athlete in the Northeast Conference. The "true" freshman class includes guards Olivia Smith, Dara Capaldi, and Elena Cabello while Sophia Nittinger comes in as a center.

HOW NICE TO BE HOME: Eastern will play six non-conference home games during the 2022-23 campaign. That number is the most for the program in a decade, when it played seven non-conference home games during the 2012-13 campaign.
    Eastern Michigan went 3-1 in its non-league home games a season ago.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: EMU was selected ninth overall in the Mid-American Conference's preseason coaches' poll, released Oct. 27. The league's head coaches took part in the poll, with each providing their predicted order of finish and 10 All-MAC player selections to the conference office. The results are then compiled into a point-based system to determine the final rankings.

ALL-MAC HONORS: Despite her season being cut short due to injury, former Eagle Areanna Combs collected Second Team All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season in 2021-22. With the honor, she became just the sixth player in program history to be named to the MAC's first, second, third, or honorable mention teams three times in her career; she is the first to earn honors in three seasons since Cha Sweeny, who collected second team nods each season between 2014-16.
    Combs finished the season ranking fourth in the MAC in steals per game (2.5) and fifth in total steals (60). Combs set a career-high with 10 steals against Grace Christian University, Nov. 18, to help her achieve her first-ever triple-double (12 points, 11 assists, 10 steals), just the fourth in program history. Additionally, the guard recorded at least one steal in 15-straight games to end her career.
    On the offensive end, Combs was once again dominant, finishing sixth in the league in scoring (18.2 points per game), while dropping 10+ points in 22 performances this season.

BOARD GAMES: EMU will return a dominant rebounder in 2022-23. Ce'Nara Skanes paced the Eagles in rebounds with 247 (149 defensive, 98 offensive) in 2021-22. Additionally, the forward registered 13 efforts this season with 10+ rebounds, equaling her output in the category from the season prior. Moreover, she led the team in boards 16 times in the 2021-22 campaign and 32 times overall as an Eagle.
    Skanes' produced double figures in rebounding in seven of Eastern's last eight games of the season in 2021-22. The stretch was highlighted by a season-best outing at Central Michigan where she pulled in 16 caroms in 29 minutes of action, Feb. 19.

ALONE AT THE TOP: In just her second year as an active member of the team in 2021-22, Ce'Nara Skanes became the program's all-time leader in double-doubles with 23 following a 21-point, 10-rebound effort at Miami, Jan. 29.
    Skanes went on to produce double-double outings in five of the team's final nine games, highlighted by scoring 19 points and grabbing 16 rebounds at Central Michigan, Feb. 19. The forward has recorded double-doubles in 23 of her 47 career games at EMU (48.9%), the best percentage of anyone on the 2021-22 roster.
    The redshirt sophomore recorded 11 double-doubles during the 2021-22 campaign to total 23 total in her career. Prior to the most recent season, former Eagles Sarah VanMetre and Olivia Fouty tied for the most double-doubles in EMU history with 17.

2021-22 RANKING SUMMARY: The 2021-22 squad had the fewest turnovers in the Mid-American Conference with 386 in 27 games. The Eagles' discipline with the ball was good for 24th in the nation. Additionally, Eastern was third in the league in fewest fouls with 457.
The Green and White were strong defensively in the paint as well, recording 3.3 blocks per game, the third-best mark in conference play.
    Individually, Ce'Nara Skanes was third in the MAC in offensive rebounds per game (3.7), and fourth in both total rebounds per game (9.1) and blocked shots per game (1.11).

2021-22 Team Game Highs:
Points: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) -- 133
FG Makes: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) -- 54
FG Attempts: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) -- 81
3PT FG Makes: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) – 15
3PT FG Attempts: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) – 28
FT Makes: at Miami University (Jan. 29) – 29
FT Attempts: at Miami (Jan. 29) – 38
Rebounds: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) – 52
Assists: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) – 31
Steals: vs. Grace Christian (Nov. 18) – 26
Blocks: Six times - six total
Turnovers: at the University of Oklahoma (Dec. 7) – 23
Fouls: vs. the University of Detroit Mercy (Nov. 13) – 24

TURNOVER TOWN: Eastern won the turnover battle 17 times in 27 outings, including 14 times during Mid-American Conference play a season ago. During league action, EMU had an eight-game span where it forced more turnovers than it gave up.
    The Eagles recorded a season-low eight turnovers in an 80-60 win over Central Michigan, Jan. 8. The Green and White defense forced 15-or-more turnovers in 18 games

CAN'T LET THEM SCORE 70: EMU went 1-12 in 2021-22 when allowing 70+ points. Moreover, EMU is 9-68 when allowing 70+ points since the start of the 2016-17 season.

2021-22 SEASON IN REVIEW: Head Coach Fred Castro and the 2021-22 squad finished with a 7-20 overall record, including a 4-16 ledger in Mid-American Conference play. Season highlights included Eastern's series sweep over Central Michigan, 80-60, Jan. 8, and 83-70, Feb. 19. For the Green and White, this was their first series sweep against the Mount Pleasant, Mich. institution since the 2014-15 season and both victories ended in double-digit margins. Prior to last season, the Eagles had not won back-to-back games by double figures over the Maroon and Gold since topping them 85-64, Feb. 14, 2015 and 99-84, March 8, 2014.
    Individually, former Eagle, Areanna Combs was fantastic once again, as she broke the 1,000 career point mark and earned All-MAC second team honors for the second consecutive season. Fellow Oklahoman, Ce'Nara Skanes, quickly established herself as one of the league's most dominant post players. She finished the season averaging 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game en route to a team-best 11 double-double performances. Her 11 coupled with the 12 double-doubles she produced in the 2020-21 season, is good for the all-time record leader position with 23 career double-doubles. The next two Eagles, Sarah VanMetre (2003-07) and Olivia Fouty (2010-14) trail Skanes by six.

SCOUTING LINDENWOOD: Monday's meeting will also be the Lions 2022-23 season opener. Last year, Lindenwood finished with an 11-16 overall record and an 8-11 mark in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Lions appeared in the GLVC tournament, dropping 64-68 in overtime to Rockhurst University. With its 7-6 home record and 4-10 away record last year, the Lions trip up to Ypsilanti, Mich. could be a factor in Monday's outcome.

FIRST TIME AGAINST THE LIONS: The Green and White will face the Black and Gold for the first time in each other's program histories. Monday's contest will start the all-time series record between the two.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles look forward to a seven non-conference home slate but will continue the show on the road, Sunday, Nov. 13 as the team takes on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougars at 1 p.m. inside Vadalabene Center on the campus of SIUE in Edwardsville, Ill.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Back in Action: Women's Basketball Set for Season-Opener against Lindenwood

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