Eagles Soar Over Northeastern, 83-53

Team	1	2	F
Eastern Michigan	35	48	83
Northeastern	17	36	53

Eastern Michigan

Northeastern

BOSTON, Mass. (EMUEagles.com) — Behind a record-setting, 42-point performance from senior guard Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford), the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team opened up their 2011-12 campaign with an 83-53 road win over Northeastern University today, Nov. 11, at Solomon Court in Boston, Mass. It is the first 30-point victory over an opponent since the Eagles' 85-40 victory over Ohio, Jan. 26, 2011.

The Detroit native had previously set the EMU single-game record with a pair of 40 point efforts in wins over Buffalo (Feb. 3, 2010) and Toledo (March 2, 2010). With the prolific total, James became the first Mid-American Conference women's basketball player ever to score 40-or-more points in their team's first game of a season. Western Michigan University's Carrie Moore (41 vs. Detroit - Nov. 17, 2006) and Casey Rost (40 vs. UMKC - Nov. 26, 2003) each reached the 40-point plateau in their team's third game of the season.

The Detroit, Mich. native hit 16-of-24 shots (66.7 percent) from the floor, tying the third-most field goals made in a single game in program history which she set against Rochester, Dec. 9, 2010. She also hit 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and recorded six steals for the Green and White.

Double-figure scoring by Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) and Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) helped them both to career-high performances. Fouty's 12 points set a new career standard for the sophomore, while Thomas netted a career-high 10 points for the Green and White.

Also having a career day was sophomore Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush), whose nine-point game is the highest of her young career.

Jewel Tunstull and Deanna Kerkhof each led the Huskies with 14 points apiece in the contest.

EMU shot 55.2 percent from the field on 32-of-58 attempts while Northeastern made just 36.7 percent of its shots, connecting on 18-of-49. The Eagles out-rebounded the visitors, 37 to 25, and also made 5-of-14 from beyond the arc for 35.7 percent and would never surrender the lead throughout the entire contest.

The Green and White jumped out to a 35-17 advantage after the first half of play, with the Eagles shooting 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from the floor and 50 percent (4-8) beyond the arc while holding the Huskies to just 23.1 percent (6-of-26). James supplied a majority of EMU's offense with 27 first-half points, draining 11-of-13 shots for an incredible 84.6 percent shooting percentage.

Neither team were able to find the bottom of the net in the first two minutes of play, but the Eagles would finally strike first 2:10 into the contest on a James jumper from Thomas.

The Green and White followed with a 19-2 run through the next eight minutes of play, with James accounting for 16 of EMU's 19 points.

Eastern held the home team under 10 points for a majority of the half until NU's Dani Iervolino connected on a triple to cut the Eagles' lead to 17 with 6:30 remaining on the clock.

EMU would close out the remainder of the half by outscoring the Huskies 8-7 and head into the locker room with an 18-point lead.

The Eagles would never look back in the second half, outscoring NU 48-36 and maintaining a lead of at least 17 points throughout the remainder of the contest.

The EMU women's basketball team will return to action this Monday, Nov. 14 in their home opener against Marygrove at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. Tip-off is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.

Next Event

Team Stats

James Tavelyn

Fouty Olivia

Thomas Desyree

Watkins Natachia

Eastern Michigan Athletics