MAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week
Areanna Combs, Eastern Michigan
Guard, Redshirt Senior, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Eastern Michigan redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs was electric for the Eagles in two double-digit wins over Ball State, Dec. 2, and Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6. Eastern opened the week with its third consecutive win over the Cardinals to move to 1-0 in conference play. The 19-point win, 77-58, is the largest margin of victory over Ball State for EMU since 2012. Additionally, the three-game win streak over BSU is the first for EMU since it won four-in-a-row between the 2010-11 seasons. Combs led the way as she scored a season-high 26 points on 11-of-24 shooting and paced the team with three makes from downtown. She added a career-best six steals in the contest and notched a team-high 11 rebounds. The game marked her 27th consecutive contest with 10+ points, her fifth-career double-double, and her 14th game with better than 20 points. The Oklahoma City native followed that effort up with another fantastic outing, again scoring in double-figures (23 points) to keep her scoring streak in-tact (28 games with 10+ points). Even more dangerous from three against the Redhawks, Combs nailed a career-high five from deep in the game. She also tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, which marks her ninth-career game leading EMU in that category. Through four games, Combs ranks first in the conference and fourth nationally in steals (14), first in the MAC in final points (63), first in the MAC in field goals attempted (58), and made (27), is tied for first in the MAC in double-doubles (1), and is second in the league in assists (12). EMU’s win over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday, Dec. 6, was also historic in nature, as it was the 600th victory.
Other Nominees
Jordyn Dawson, Akron
Forward, Sr., Huntington, W.Va.
Akron senior Jordyn Dawson continued her torrid start to the campaign averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in a pair of Zips' victories this season. In an Akron 70-60 triumph past Northern Kentucky, Dawson turned in a team-best 17-point and 8-rebound effort for the Zips, while adding three assists and a career-high three blocks. She followed with a season- and career-high 26-point effort to spark Akron to a 77-74 road victory at Dayton, the defending Atlantic-10 Conference champions. She just missed her second double-double of the year pulling down nine rebounds, while going 9-of-15 from the floor (60 percent) and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. She also added five assists in Akron's first-ever win against Dayton.
Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, Ball State
Forward, Junior, Keflavik, Iceland
Junior forward Thelma Dis Agustsdottir led the Cardinals in scoring in all three of their games last week, averaging 13.0 points per contest. She started the week off with a double-double after scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds. Agustsdottir then registered a 14 points performance at home against Eastern Michigan. She would then close this week's three-game competition for Ball State scoring 15 points while adding eight rebounds in the Cardinals 58-54 road victory at Western Kentucky.
Lexi Fleming, Bowling Green
Guard, Freshman, Cincinnati, Ohio (Mercy McAuley)
Bowling Green freshman guard Lexi Fleming had a team-high 16.5 points per game last week, as the Falcons won two games to improve to 3-0 on the season. Fleming also had 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game as BGSU downed Northern Kentucky on the road and Milwaukee at the Stroh Center. On Thursday at NKU, Fleming scored 11 points and added three steals in the Falcons’ 63-49 victory. Then, on Sunday, she scored more than 20 points for the second time in as many home games, with a game-high 22 points in the win over previously unbeaten Milwaukee. Fleming led the Falcons with six rebounds, tied for the team lead with three assists and added two more steals in Sunday’s win. She had a steal and a layup in the final seconds of the third quarter to give the Falcons a five-point lead. Then, after the Panthers had rallied back to take a five-point lead with just over two minutes to go, Fleming drew an offensive foul on the Panthers, then found Kadie Hempfling for a three-pointer that began a game-ending 7-0 run. Fleming was fouled and hit a pair of free throws with 17.3 seconds remaining to give BGSU a one-point lead. On the year, Fleming has a team-leading 19.0 ppg, and is tied for second on the Falcons with 5.3 rpg. She is second on the team in both assists and steals, with 2.3 of each per game.
Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo
Guard, Sophomore, Rochester, NY (Edison Tech)
Sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair led the Bulls with 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while leading the Bulls to a 2-1 record in the first week of play.
Areanna Combs, Eastern Michigan
Guard, Redshirt Senior, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Eastern Michigan redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs was electric for the Eagles in two double-digit wins over Ball State, Dec. 2, and Southeast Missouri, Dec. 6. Eastern opened the week with its third consecutive win over the Cardinals to move to 1-0 in conference play. The 19-point win, 77-58, is the largest margin of victory over Ball State for EMU since 2012. Additionally, the three-game win streak over BSU is the first for EMU since it won four-in-a-row between the 2010-11 seasons. Combs led the way as she scored a season-high 26 points on 11-of-24 shooting and paced the team with three makes from downtown. She added a career-best six steals in the contest and notched a team-high 11 rebounds. The game marked her 27th consecutive contest with 10+ points, her fifth-career double-double, and her 14th game with better than 20 points. The Oklahoma City native followed that effort up with another fantastic outing, again scoring in double-figures (23 points) to keep her scoring streak in-tact (28 games with 10+ points). Even more dangerous from three against the Redhawks, Combs nailed a career-high five from deep in the game. She also tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, which marks her ninth-career game leading EMU in that category. Through four games, Combs ranks first in the conference and fourth nationally in steals (14), first in the MAC in final points (63), first in the MAC in field goals attempted (58), and made (27), is tied for first in the MAC in double-doubles (1), and is second in the league in assists (12). EMU’s win over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday, Dec. 6, was also historic in nature, as it was the 600th victory in program history. EMU’s 3-1 start is its best since the 2018-19 campaign.
Chelby Koker, NIU
Guard, Sophomore, Racine, Wis. (Shoreland Lutheran)
Chelby Koker averaged 20.5 points per game this weekend in leading NIU to wins over Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois in the Compass Challenge. Koker opened the weekend with 16 points in the Huskies' 82-72 win at Eastern Illinois on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the sophomore guard set career-highs with 25 points and nine rebounds as NIU won 79-67 over Western Illinois. Koker shot 44 percent from the field, made eight of her 14 three-point attempts, and was 11-for-12 at the foul line in NIU's two wins.
Sammi Mikonowicz, Toledo
Forward, Freshman, Rossford, Ohio (Rossford)
Freshman Sammi Mikonowicz finished with a season-high 15 points, a contest-best 13 boards, three assists, one blocked shot and a game-tying high three thefts vs. Detroit Mercy on Saturday to post her first-collegiate double-double. One of three Rockets to score in double figures in each of the first two games this year, the Rossford, Ohio native is shooting a squad-best 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the field. Mikonowicz is also averaging a team-high 10.5 caroms per contest.
Reilly Jacobson, Western Michigan
Forward, Senior, Waukee, Iowa (Waukee)
Senior forward Reilly Jacobson led the Broncos with a career-high 24 points in 33 minutes as WMU began its season with an 80-76 victory over Illinois-Chicago. Jacobson was a stellar 7-of-13 from the field, 2-of-3 from long distance and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Jacobson’s two three-pointers matched her career-high. Jacobson also matched her career-high with seven rebounds against UIC. In her first start as a Bronco, Jacobson played a career-high 33 minutes.
