Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
13-10,5-7MAC
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
10-13,5-7MAC
Skanes Records 30th Double-Double as Eagles Best Broncos
2/11/2023 7:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Three players finished in double-digits to help EMU secure the season sweep over it's rival
Press Conference | Photo Gallery | Video Highlights
YPSILANTI, Mich.(EMUEagles.com)-- Junior Ce'Nara Skanes (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West) secured her 30th career double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds to help the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team take down the Western Michigan University Broncos, 68-58, at home Saturday, Feb. 11.
The Eagles (13-10, 5-7 MAC) had three players score in double figures, led by Skanes' 26 points. Sophomore Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain.-IES Ortega Y Gasset) tacked on 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu (London, England.-City of London Acadmey) chipped in as well with 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks off of the bench.
Eastern Michigan shared the ball well in Saturday's game, racking up 16 assists on 25 made field goals. Individually, freshman Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Southside) dished out the most for the Eagles with six assists.
The Green and White also did a great job disrupting Western Michigan shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Eke's three rejections led the way individually for the Eagles.
How It Happened
The Eagles struggled out of the gate, falling behind 17-9 at the end of the first quarter. Eastern Michigan then cut the Broncos lead to 23-19 before going on a 12-0 run to take a 31-23 lead, a score that would hold until halftime. The Green and White was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 22 points.
EMU continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Skanes, to expand its lead further to 46-34 with 2:16 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Broncos had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Eagles still entered the fourth quarter with a 46-40 edge. Eastern Michigan played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint. Eastern Michigan kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Skanes' three, to grow the lead to 62-54 with 2:26 to go in the contest. The Eagles kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 68-58 win. Eastern Michigan took advantage of five Western Michigan turnovers in the quarter, scoring six points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» Austin recorded two triples in the game, Feb. 11. It marked the fifth consecutive contest in which the sophomore has registered a made three-pointer and the 15th this season. Last year, Austin recorded a made three in just 14 outings.
» EMU held the Broncos to just 23 points in the first half of the game, Feb. 11. It marked the 15th time this season Eastern has held a team under 30 in the first half, and the fourth consecutive game accomplishing the feat previously holding Ball State (Feb. 8), Central Michigan (Feb. 4), and Ohio (Feb. 1) each to just 27 points. The team held opponents to 27 points or fewer in the first half of play in just six contests last season.
» Skanes has added the three-point shot to her repertoire this season and continues to do so as the junior connected with three from beyond the arc in the game against WMU, Feb. 11. The Oklahoma City native has knocked down 19 three-pointers in the 2022-23 season after hitting just one in her previous campaigns. It marked the sixth time this season in which Skanes has led the team in triples and her 10th contest with a single make.
» With her 26 points in the game, Feb. 11, Skanes has recorded 12 career games with 20 or more points. Four of the 12 have been registered in the 2022-23 season with tonight's 26 points ranking as the junior's season high, topping the 23 tallies she has previously recorded in two separate occasions.
» Eke had three blocks in the game for Eastern Michigan. The performance marks the 15th time this season that the Spaniard has recorded multiple blocks in a game, and the 20th time in 23 games played this season she has had at least one block. Additionally, Eke has posted eight games with three or more blocks.
» In addition to her three blocks, Eke also recorded 14 points. The game is the sixth time this season the center has recorded multiple blocks and double-digit points in the same game. The 14 points are one off her season-high that has been done on three different occasions.
» Ozzy-Momodu had a solid game of her own, scoring 11 points on six rebounds for Eastern. It is Momodu's seventh game of the season in which the senior has gone over the double-digit mark in-terms of scoring.
» EMU held the Broncos to just 58 points Saturday, Feb. 11. Tied for the fourth-lowest opponent output (54) this season, it marked the eighth time this season that the Green and White has kept its opponent under 60 points. EMU is 8-0 in those games. Additionally, Eastern has now held its opposition under 60 points 50 times since the start of the 2016-17 season, and boasts a 43-7 record in such contests (86% winning clip).
» As a team, Eastern Michigan had five blocks in the win over Western Michigan. The five blocks are the 13th time this season the Green and White have recorded five or more stops in a single game.
» EMU shot 12-for-13 from the free throw line in the victory over WMU, Feb. 11, totaling an 92.3 free-throw percentage. The effort was the second-best percentage the Eagles have shot from the free throw line this season. Previously, the team shot 100 percent (9-for-9) against Northern Illinois, Jan. 21, 90.9 percent (10-of-11) at Western Michigan, Jan. 25, and most recently 88.9 percent ( 8-for-9) against Ball State, Feb. 8. Last season, the Eagles shot 90 percent or better from the charity stripe in only one game, Feb. 23, 2022 at NIU. In that game, EMU went 9-for-10 from the line.
Historical Notes
» Tonight's matchup marked the 94th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. With tonight's 68-58 win, EMU leads the all-time series, 53-41, and picked up its second consecutive win over the Broncos after a thrilling 63-51 victory at WMU, Jan. 25. Additionally, the back-to-back wins marked the 10th time the Eagles have defeated the Broncos in consecutive contests. The last time the Green and White won back-to-back games against Western in a single season was in the 2015-16 campaign when EMU took two straight, once at home in double overtime, Feb. 6, 2016, and again on the road, March 2, 2016.
» After posting 26 points and 15 rebounds against WMU, Feb. 11, Skanes has recorded double-doubles in 30 of her 69 career games at EMU (43%), the best percentage of anyone on the 2022-23 roster. Prior to the most recent season, former Eagles Sarah VanMetre and Olivia Fouty tied for the most double-doubles in EMU history with 17.
» Additionally, Skanes is on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau in 2023. Already a 1,000-point collegiate scorer (1,211, 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 (39 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).
Up Next
Following tonight's game, the Eagles will take the court with the University of Akron Zips Wednesday, Feb. 15, inside the James A. Rhodes Arena located in Akron, Ohio. The contest is slated for 7 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN+.
