Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, February 15
Akron, Ohio
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Akron
Back In Action: Women's Hoops Travels to Akron, Ohio
2/13/2023 12:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Eagles are set to face the Zips Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
| Women's Basketball at Akron | |
| Date | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 7 p.m. |
| Venue | Akron, Ohio | James A. Rhodes Arena |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) | Media Guide (PDF) |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats | Media Stats |
| Watch | ESPN+ | Michael Reghi (pxp), Jeff Phelps (analyst) |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) | The Varsity Network App | Eastern Insider Podcast |
| @EMUWBB | @EMUAthletics | |
AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team travels to the rubber city Wednesday, Feb. 15, to face the University of Akron for a second time this season. The Eagles will take the stage with the Zips inside the James A. Rhodes Arena (JAR) for a 7 p.m. tip.
EMU (13-10, 5-7 MAC) is coming off a 68-58 series sweep over the Broncos of Western Michigan University, Feb. 11. The home victory was the teams eighth inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center this season. The Eagles will face an Akron (14-9, 5-7 MAC) team that is on a four-game losing streak, and recently fell to Ball State University, 61-56, Feb. 11. The Green and White look to tie the season series against the Zips after falling at home, 60-43, Jan. 11.
Wednesday's game will broadcast on ESPN+, where Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Jeff Phelps (analyst) will have the call. Fans can also tune in via WEMU (89.1 FM) or the Varsity Network app, where Tom Helmer and Alex Jewell will provide the commentary.
RECORD BOOK WATCH: Ce'Nara Skanes is on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau in 2023 with 961 points. Already a 1,000-point collegiate scorer (1,211, including 250 at Florida International in 2018-19), Skanes would become EMU'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).
TIED FOR FIFTH: The Eagles are currently in a three-way tie for the No. 5 spot in the Mid-American Conference standings with both Akron and Western Michigan. All three schools sport a 5-7 MAC record heading into Wednesday's set of games.
BUILT DIFFERENT: Tayra Eke added three blocks against WMU, Feb. 11, to bring her season total to 45 in 23 games, a team best. The three stops were shy one of her career-high, previously set against Southern Indiana, Dec. 10. The sophomore sits in first place within the Mid-American Conference in total blocks and in blocks per game in the conference, averaging 2.0 blocks per game on the season.
BARRICADING HER OPPONENTS: Tayra Eke tallied three blocks against the Broncos offense, Feb. 11. The performance marked the 20th contest in which she has recorded at least one block and the 15th time this season that the Spaniard has had multiple blocks in a game. Additionally, Eke has posted eight games with three or more blocks, the most of any current Eagle. Last season, Ce'Nara Skanes led the team in blocks, recording one or more in 17 outings. Additionally, Skanes registered three or more stops in three games, a team season-high (2021-22).
KEEP EM' COMING CHELLE: Lachelle Austin contributed 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.
CA-(BAE)-LLO IS TURNING HEADS: In just her 16th game appearance, Elena Cabello made the most of her playing time against WMU, Feb. 11, connecting on three shots from the field, a career-high. The rookie also set career-highs in minutes played (21), total rebounds (4), and total points (7). Additionally, with her one make from beyond the arc against the Broncos, the Spaniard has collected a made triple in consecutive games for the first time and in four contests overall.
PERFECTION ON THE STRIPE (ALMOST): EMU shot 12-for-13 from the free throw line in the victory over WMU, Feb. 11, totaling a 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 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.
UNDER 30 IN 20: Eastern Michigan 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 FROM beyond THE ARC: Ce'Nara Skanes has added the three-point shot to her repertoire this season and continues to do so as the junior connected on three shots from beyond the arc in the game against WMU, Feb. 11. The three buckets ranks as her second contest with three or more triples in a single game after dropping her career-high four against Hillsdale College, Dec. 28, 2022.
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.
EARNING A TWO-PIECE OVER WMU: With the 68-58 win over WMU, Feb. 11, 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.
TURNING 20: With her 26 points against Western, Feb. 11, Ce'Nara Skanes has recorded 12 career games with 20 or more points. Four of the 12 have been registered in the 2022-23 season with the 26 points ranking as the junior's season high, topping the 23 tallies she has previously recorded in two separate occasions, versus Toledo, Jan. 28, and Hillsdale, Dec. 28, 2022.
VERSATILE TAYRA: In addition to her three blocks, Eke also recorded 14 points against the Broncos, Feb. 11. The game was 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, previously done on three different occasions.
OZZY'S BOOMIN: Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu scored 11 points on six rebounds against WMU, Feb. 11. It was her seventh game of the season in which she has gone over the double-digit mark in-terms of scoring.
SUCCESS UNDER 60: EMU held the Broncos to just 58 points, Feb. 11. Tied for the fourth-lowest opponent output (54) this season, it marked the eighth time 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).
WE DON'T BACK DOWN: In the game against Western, Feb. 11, the team trailed the Broncos by 10 in the opening quarter. With a 22-point performance in the second stanza, the Eagles regained the lead, holding it till the very end taking a 68-58 win. The early 10-point setback sets as the largest margin the team has overcome to take the victory. Previously, the largest deficit to overcome was eight at Xavier, Dec. 17, 2022.
ALONE AT THE TOP: 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.
ALL-TIME VERSUS AKRON: Wednesday's matchup will mark the 49th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Akron. The Zips lead the all-time series, 28-20. However, EMU has come out victorious in four of the last 10 meetings with its most recent stretch of three wins coming from Jan. 16, 2019 to March 11, 2019. With all three of those games occurring in the same season (2018-19), the Eagles defeated the Zips once a month, for three straight months.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE ZIPS: Ce'Nara Skanes registered her 28th double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but EMU fell to Akron, 60-43, Jan. 11. Sophomore Tayra Eke added seven points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks off of the bench for the Eagles, while ZaNiya Nelson contributed three points and three steals off the bench. Despite their efforts, Akron was able to overcome a 17-10 first-quarter EMU lead to finish off the victory.
BUILDING A BETTER WALL: EMU has registered a total of 111 blocks in the 23 games played (4.8 blocks per game). A season ago, the Green and White earned 88 blocks in 27 games (3.3 blocks per game). Not only did the Eagles surpass the previous season's total in almost half the amount of games, but they are on pace to have the most successful blocking average in program history.
EAGLES IN THE J.A.R.: The Green and White hold a 8-13 record against the Zips when playing in the James A. Rhodes Arena (J.A.R). The last time the Eagles competed inside Akron's home court was Jan. 26, 2022, when EMU outscored Akron, 13-9, in the fourth quarter, and closed a 15-point second-half deficit to just one. However, EMU could not complete the comeback, as it fell to the Zips, 68-64. The team looks to end a two-game losing streak inside the J.A.R.
LOPSIDED: Eastern Michigan has been no stranger to lopsided games this year in terms of scoring margin. In Eastern's 13 wins, the Eagles have upended their competition by an average of 11.3 points per contest. Meanwhile, the team's 10 setbacks have come by an average of 14 .6 points. With the 66-61 win over NIU, Jan. 25, just two games this season have been decided by five or fewer points (vs. Miami, Jan. 4). Last season, four games were decided within that margin.
BOARD GAMES: The addition of sophomore Tayra Eke along with 500-Rebounds Club member Ce'Nara Skanes has made quite the impact on the defensive rebounds count for Eastern Michigan. The pair collected a total of 18 defensive boards in the contest against WMU, Feb. 11, with Skanes coming outwith 12 of them. This season, the team has recorded 624 defensive boards in 23 games (27.1 drpg) with help from Eke (111), and Skanes (137). Last season, the Green and White collected 685 defensive rebounds in 27 games (25.4 rpg). The Eagles are on pace to top the previous season's defensive rebounding average. Additionally, the team's 38.7 rebounds per game ranks second in the MAC.
Moreover, EMU is out-rebounding its opponents 887-817 in the 2022-23 campaign. Last season, the Eagles lost the rebounding battle 1,029-1,008.
EAGLES IN THE MAC: Four Eagles rank in various statistical categories throughout the MAC. Holding the highest ranking for the Green and White is sophomore Tayra Eke, who leads the league in total blocks (45) and blocks per game (2.0). Additionally, Eke's 7.0 rebounds per game is good for ninth in the league. Freshman Olivia Smith ranks 10th in the MAC in three-pointers per game (1.8), while sophomore Lachelle Austin's 2.0 steals per game is good for sixth in the conference. Junior Ce'Nara Skanes' 8.4 rebounds per game ranks her fourth in the league and her 184 total boards ranks her fifth.
BACK IN #MACTION: Eastern'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 304-398 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: EMU will remain on the road as they take the court next with the University of Toledo, Saturday, Feb. 18. The contest is slated for 2 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN+.
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.
EMU (13-10, 5-7 MAC) is coming off a 68-58 series sweep over the Broncos of Western Michigan University, Feb. 11. The home victory was the teams eighth inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center this season. The Eagles will face an Akron (14-9, 5-7 MAC) team that is on a four-game losing streak, and recently fell to Ball State University, 61-56, Feb. 11. The Green and White look to tie the season series against the Zips after falling at home, 60-43, Jan. 11.
Wednesday's game will broadcast on ESPN+, where Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Jeff Phelps (analyst) will have the call. Fans can also tune in via WEMU (89.1 FM) or the Varsity Network app, where Tom Helmer and Alex Jewell will provide the commentary.
RECORD BOOK WATCH: Ce'Nara Skanes is on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau in 2023 with 961 points. Already a 1,000-point collegiate scorer (1,211, including 250 at Florida International in 2018-19), Skanes would become EMU'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).
TIED FOR FIFTH: The Eagles are currently in a three-way tie for the No. 5 spot in the Mid-American Conference standings with both Akron and Western Michigan. All three schools sport a 5-7 MAC record heading into Wednesday's set of games.
BUILT DIFFERENT: Tayra Eke added three blocks against WMU, Feb. 11, to bring her season total to 45 in 23 games, a team best. The three stops were shy one of her career-high, previously set against Southern Indiana, Dec. 10. The sophomore sits in first place within the Mid-American Conference in total blocks and in blocks per game in the conference, averaging 2.0 blocks per game on the season.
BARRICADING HER OPPONENTS: Tayra Eke tallied three blocks against the Broncos offense, Feb. 11. The performance marked the 20th contest in which she has recorded at least one block and the 15th time this season that the Spaniard has had multiple blocks in a game. Additionally, Eke has posted eight games with three or more blocks, the most of any current Eagle. Last season, Ce'Nara Skanes led the team in blocks, recording one or more in 17 outings. Additionally, Skanes registered three or more stops in three games, a team season-high (2021-22).
KEEP EM' COMING CHELLE: Lachelle Austin contributed 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.
CA-(BAE)-LLO IS TURNING HEADS: In just her 16th game appearance, Elena Cabello made the most of her playing time against WMU, Feb. 11, connecting on three shots from the field, a career-high. The rookie also set career-highs in minutes played (21), total rebounds (4), and total points (7). Additionally, with her one make from beyond the arc against the Broncos, the Spaniard has collected a made triple in consecutive games for the first time and in four contests overall.
PERFECTION ON THE STRIPE (ALMOST): EMU shot 12-for-13 from the free throw line in the victory over WMU, Feb. 11, totaling a 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 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.
UNDER 30 IN 20: Eastern Michigan 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 FROM beyond THE ARC: Ce'Nara Skanes has added the three-point shot to her repertoire this season and continues to do so as the junior connected on three shots from beyond the arc in the game against WMU, Feb. 11. The three buckets ranks as her second contest with three or more triples in a single game after dropping her career-high four against Hillsdale College, Dec. 28, 2022.
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.
EARNING A TWO-PIECE OVER WMU: With the 68-58 win over WMU, Feb. 11, 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.
TURNING 20: With her 26 points against Western, Feb. 11, Ce'Nara Skanes has recorded 12 career games with 20 or more points. Four of the 12 have been registered in the 2022-23 season with the 26 points ranking as the junior's season high, topping the 23 tallies she has previously recorded in two separate occasions, versus Toledo, Jan. 28, and Hillsdale, Dec. 28, 2022.
VERSATILE TAYRA: In addition to her three blocks, Eke also recorded 14 points against the Broncos, Feb. 11. The game was 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, previously done on three different occasions.
OZZY'S BOOMIN: Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu scored 11 points on six rebounds against WMU, Feb. 11. It was her seventh game of the season in which she has gone over the double-digit mark in-terms of scoring.
SUCCESS UNDER 60: EMU held the Broncos to just 58 points, Feb. 11. Tied for the fourth-lowest opponent output (54) this season, it marked the eighth time 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).
WE DON'T BACK DOWN: In the game against Western, Feb. 11, the team trailed the Broncos by 10 in the opening quarter. With a 22-point performance in the second stanza, the Eagles regained the lead, holding it till the very end taking a 68-58 win. The early 10-point setback sets as the largest margin the team has overcome to take the victory. Previously, the largest deficit to overcome was eight at Xavier, Dec. 17, 2022.
ALONE AT THE TOP: 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.
ALL-TIME VERSUS AKRON: Wednesday's matchup will mark the 49th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Akron. The Zips lead the all-time series, 28-20. However, EMU has come out victorious in four of the last 10 meetings with its most recent stretch of three wins coming from Jan. 16, 2019 to March 11, 2019. With all three of those games occurring in the same season (2018-19), the Eagles defeated the Zips once a month, for three straight months.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE ZIPS: Ce'Nara Skanes registered her 28th double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but EMU fell to Akron, 60-43, Jan. 11. Sophomore Tayra Eke added seven points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks off of the bench for the Eagles, while ZaNiya Nelson contributed three points and three steals off the bench. Despite their efforts, Akron was able to overcome a 17-10 first-quarter EMU lead to finish off the victory.
BUILDING A BETTER WALL: EMU has registered a total of 111 blocks in the 23 games played (4.8 blocks per game). A season ago, the Green and White earned 88 blocks in 27 games (3.3 blocks per game). Not only did the Eagles surpass the previous season's total in almost half the amount of games, but they are on pace to have the most successful blocking average in program history.
EAGLES IN THE J.A.R.: The Green and White hold a 8-13 record against the Zips when playing in the James A. Rhodes Arena (J.A.R). The last time the Eagles competed inside Akron's home court was Jan. 26, 2022, when EMU outscored Akron, 13-9, in the fourth quarter, and closed a 15-point second-half deficit to just one. However, EMU could not complete the comeback, as it fell to the Zips, 68-64. The team looks to end a two-game losing streak inside the J.A.R.
LOPSIDED: Eastern Michigan has been no stranger to lopsided games this year in terms of scoring margin. In Eastern's 13 wins, the Eagles have upended their competition by an average of 11.3 points per contest. Meanwhile, the team's 10 setbacks have come by an average of 14 .6 points. With the 66-61 win over NIU, Jan. 25, just two games this season have been decided by five or fewer points (vs. Miami, Jan. 4). Last season, four games were decided within that margin.
BOARD GAMES: The addition of sophomore Tayra Eke along with 500-Rebounds Club member Ce'Nara Skanes has made quite the impact on the defensive rebounds count for Eastern Michigan. The pair collected a total of 18 defensive boards in the contest against WMU, Feb. 11, with Skanes coming outwith 12 of them. This season, the team has recorded 624 defensive boards in 23 games (27.1 drpg) with help from Eke (111), and Skanes (137). Last season, the Green and White collected 685 defensive rebounds in 27 games (25.4 rpg). The Eagles are on pace to top the previous season's defensive rebounding average. Additionally, the team's 38.7 rebounds per game ranks second in the MAC.
Moreover, EMU is out-rebounding its opponents 887-817 in the 2022-23 campaign. Last season, the Eagles lost the rebounding battle 1,029-1,008.
EAGLES IN THE MAC: Four Eagles rank in various statistical categories throughout the MAC. Holding the highest ranking for the Green and White is sophomore Tayra Eke, who leads the league in total blocks (45) and blocks per game (2.0). Additionally, Eke's 7.0 rebounds per game is good for ninth in the league. Freshman Olivia Smith ranks 10th in the MAC in three-pointers per game (1.8), while sophomore Lachelle Austin's 2.0 steals per game is good for sixth in the conference. Junior Ce'Nara Skanes' 8.4 rebounds per game ranks her fourth in the league and her 184 total boards ranks her fifth.
BACK IN #MACTION: Eastern'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 304-398 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: EMU will remain on the road as they take the court next with the University of Toledo, Saturday, Feb. 18. The contest is slated for 2 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN+.
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.
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