Back In Action: Women's Hoops Travels to Kent, Ohio to Take on Golden Flashes

Women's Basketball at Kent State
Date	Wednesday, Jan. 18 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Kent, Ohio \| Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+ \| Dave Wilson (play-by-play) and Lori Bodnar (analyst)
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics

KENT, OHIO (EMUEagles.com) -The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team continues Mid-American Conference play Wednesday, Jan. 18, as it faces the Kent State University Golden Flashes for the 72nd time in program history, this time on the road. The contest is scheduled for 7 p.m.
   EMU (9-6, 1-3 MAC) produced a 19-point performance from the bench, but fell, 78-59, to the University at Buffalo (8-5, 3-1 MAC) on the road in its latest contest, Jan. 14. With the win, the Bulls are in a five-way tie for first place in the MAC rankings. Meanwhile, Kent State (10-5, 2-2 MAC) fell to the University of Toledo, 77-68, Jan. 14, for its second consecutive league loss of the season after dropping to Miami University, Jan. 11.
   Wednesday's game will broadcast on ESPN3 with Dave Wilson (play-by-play) and Lori Bodnar (analyst) on the call. It will also be broadcast live on WEMU (89.1FM) and the Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer, the Voice of Eastern Michigan Athletics, and Alex Jewell on the call. 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.

RECORD BOOK WATCH: Forward Ce'Nara Skanes, now in her fourth season with the Eagles, is on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau in 2023. Already a 1,000-point collegiate scorer (1,090, including 250 at Florida International in 2018-19), Skanes would become Eastern Michigan's 25th 1,000-point scorer if she can hit the mark (160 points away). Areanna Combs (2019-22) was the last player to eclipse the milestone, finishing her career in the No. 15 spot for all-time scoring at EMU (1,257).

SKANES' RESUME: Junior Ce'Nara Skanes has had quite an impression on not only the Mid-American Conference but the entire NCAA Division-1. With her 28-career double-doubles, Skanes ranks 24th among all active D-1 women's basketball players. Additionally, she is second among the MAC with NIU's A'Jah Davis ranking 13th with 40 career double-doubles. Taking it one step further, the junior is just one of 12 players from a "Group of Five" institution among the top-25 in the nation.

BUILT DIFFERENT: Sophomore Tayra Eke added another block against Buffalo, Jan. 14, to bring her season total to 29 in 15 games, a team best. The Spaniard sits in first place in total blocks and second in the MAC for blocks per game, averaging 2.0. She is four blocks away from cracking the single-season top-10 in EMU's record book.

SCOUTING KENT STATE: KSU is 10-5 overall and 2-2 in the MAC to begin the 2022-23 campaign. The Golden Flashes are coming off a 77-68 home loss to the University of Toledo, Jan. 14. Prior to the home setback, Kent State sufferred a 84-76 loss in overtime at Miami University, Jan. 11. Leading the Golden Flashes this season is graduate student Lindsey Thall, who averages a team-leading 11.2 points per game with a 32.5 percent three-point shooting average. Not much of a blocking unit, Thall leads the Golden Flashes in blocks per game with 1.0.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE GOLDEN FLASHES: The Eagles saw three players score in double figures in the loss to Kent State, Feb. 5, 2022. The team was led by former Eagle Areanna Combs, who had 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Ce'Nara Skanes added 13 points and seven rebounds while Natalia Pineda helped out with 12 points. Eastern Michigan out-rebounded Kent State 45-30 in the game, led by Combs' nine boards. The Eagles also grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and scored 11 second chance points. Eastern's defense was effective at taking away the basketball, forcing 15 Kent State turnovers while committing 13 of their own. Those takeaways turned into 13 points on the offensive end of the floor. Lachelle Austin led the way individually for the Eagles with two steals.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE GOLDEN FLASHES: Wednesday's matchup will mark the 72nd meeting between Eastern Michigan and Kent State. KSU leads the all-time series, 43-28, with Kent State coming away with the most recent win, Feb. 5, 2022. EMU holds its second-longest win streak against a MAC member with eleven straight against KSU from 2010-16. The programs longest win streak over a league member was when the Green and White defeated its in-state rival Central Michigan University 16 games in a row from 2001-08.

EAGLES IN THE MAC: Four Eagles rank in the top 10 in various statistical categories throughout the MAC. Holding the highest ranking for the Green and White is sophomore Tayra Eke, who has ranked first in the league in total blocks (29) for the entirety of the season. As of recent, the sophomore dropped to second in the league in blocks per game (1.93). Her 7.1 rebounds per game remains good for eighth. Freshman Olivia Smith ranks ninth in the MAC in three-pointers per game (1.87) while sophomore Lachelle Austin's 1.9 steals per game is good for 11th in the conference. Austin's 75.5 free throw percentage ranks eighth and her minutes per game (33.8) are good for sixth. Junior Ce'Nara Skanes' 8.0 rebounds per game ranks her fourth in the league and her 1.07 blocks per game ranks her ninth.

LAST TIME OUT: The Eagles saw two players score in double figures in the loss to Buffalo, Jan. 14, led by Ce'Nara Skanes, who had 11 points and seven rebounds. ZaNiya Nelson added 10 points off of the bench and Lachelle Austin added nine points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Eastern Michigan out-rebounded Buffalo, 43-32, led by Austin's nine boards. The Eagles also collected 19 offensive rebounds and scored 18 second-chance points. The matchup marked as the 31st meeting between Eastern Michigan and Buffalo. UB now leads, 16-15, and has won eight straight contests. The Eagles hold the longest win streak between the two programs, winning nine straight in seven years (2003-2010).

SKANES FROM beyond THE ARC: Ce'Nara Skanes led the Eagles in triples with two makes from beyond the arc against Buffalo, Jan. 14. Prior to this season, the junior had only made one three in her career. This season, Skanes has made 13 three-point baskets. She has now led the team in single-game three-point makes four times this season.

TRIPS TO THE STRIPE: With her "and-one" against the Bulls, Jan. 14, sophomore Kyndal Lewis has drawn a foul in seven of the 11 games she has appeared in this season (63%), an improvement from last year. With only two made free throws on six attempts the season before, Lewis has had a major improvement totaling 29 free throw attempts with 14 makes (48%), thus far.

THE OFFENSIVE GLASS: The Eagles collected a season-high 19 offensive rebounds against the Bulls, Jan. 14. It was the 13th game in which the Green and White have given themselves double-digit second chances and the fourth with 15 or more. Additionally, Eastern added 18 second-chance points. EMU has registered 18 or more second chances in six contests this season. Leading the Green and White in offensive rebounds this season is Tayra Eke with 36, who recorded three against Buffalo.

THE BENCH: The Eastern Michigan bench came alive by adding 19 points to its scoring output in the game, Jan. 14. EMU has registered 19 or more points off the bench in six contests this season. In the 2021-22 campaign, the bench recorded 19 or more points in just eight of the 27 games played. Additionally, the team produced a season-high 28 bench points against James Madison University, Dec. 20.

LIV'S HELPING HANDS: Freshman Olivia Smith, who is known for her tremendous three-point shooting, had an "off-day" from the field in the game against Buffalo, Jan. 14. Leading the team in three's with 28, Smith recorded only one bucket from beyond the arc on six attempts. However, the rookie found other ways to contribute recording a team-leading and career-high six assists. The six helpers were the most by an Eagle since senior Natalia Pineda recorded eight against IUPUI, Nov. 23. Additionally, Smith's six at Buffalo sets as the third highest number of assists in a single game that an Eagle has produced this season with sophomore Lachelle Austin recording seven against Lindenwood University, Nov. 7.

NUMBER 2 REJECTS: The Eagles have led the MAC in blocks per game throughout the entirety of the season, until now. Tallying 81 total blocks in the 15 games played so far, the Eagles are 13th in the nation for blocks per game (5.4) and dropped to second in the MAC. After Akron's seven blocks against BGSU, Jan. 14, the Zips have accumulated 5.5 blocks per game, topping the Eagles by 0.1 of a block. However, Eastern Michigan's 5.4 blocks per game is on pace to be a program record. The Eagles' 2009-10 squad currently hold the top spot. That season, the Green and White averaged 4.2 swats per game.

BACK IN #MACTION: The Green and White's 2022-23 campaign marks the 42nd 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 300-394 record against conference opponents all-time.

RING CHASING: Eastern entered league play 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: The Green and White return home in time to host a double-header with the men's basketball team who will also face the Huskies of Northern Illinois University, Saturday, Jan. 21. The women's game starts at 1 p.m. with the men following at 3:30 p.m.

FOLLOW THE ACTION ALL SEASON LONG: Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUWBB and @EMUAthletics on Twitter for all of the latest EMU women's basketball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMUWBB.

Back In Action: Women's Hoops Travels to Kent, Ohio to Take on Golden Flashes

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Players Mentioned

Lachelle Austin

Areanna Combs

Tayra Eke

Kyndal Lewis

ZaNiya Nelson

Natalia Pineda

Ce'Nara Skanes

Olivia Smith

Eastern Michigan Athletics