Women’s Basketball Comes Up Short at Weber State, 61-49

Box score.

OGDEN, Utah – In a game that was expected to be a defensive battle, proved to be just that Thursday evening in non-conference action here at the Dee Events Center. Eastern Michigan University entered the game leading the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense (44.6) and defensive three-point percentage (.328), while Weber State University was leading the Big Sky Conference in scoring defense (58.2) and defensive three-point percentage (.239).

In the end it was Weber State walking away with the hard-fought 61-49 victory over EMU.

Three pointers proved to be the main difference on the night, as the ‘Cats hit for 52.6 percent (10-for-19) from long range. On the other side the court, Eastern which was averaging nearly eight threes a game, managed just one triple on 15 attempts.

For the game EMU shot 34 percent (21-of-61) from the field while holding WSU to 41 percent (21-of-51) shooting. Also, on the glass the Eagles grabbed eight more caroms (41 to 33) than the Wildcats.

Sophomore forward Kelly Watts paced the Eastern Michigan attack with the team’s first double-double of the year, adding 16 points and 10 rebounds for the game. Sophomore Alyssa Pittman notched 12 points and junior Amber Land posted a career-best 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Junior Canea Williams scored seven points, senior Brittany Tyson had two and junior Amanda Compton added a pair.

Twenty points by Sara Tuomi led Weber State to go along with Ali Thorderson’s 12 points all from beyond the arc.

The action was fast and furious over the opening minutes as the Eastern held an early 8-6 advantage. Pittman scored six of the team’s points in the opening 5:30, but the three point field goal barrage would begin for Weber State. The 'Cats would connect on five consecutive treys to balloon the margin to 17-8, and would grow to as many as 12 points, 24-12, as Tonya Schbibbe would lay one off the glass with 5:38 left in the period.

But as they have shown all year the Eagles would not go quietly, as the defense held WSU to just three points for the remainder of the period. Eastern would post eight points of their own over that span as the squad headed into the locker room down seven, 27-20.

Pittman finished the stanza with eight points and five rebounds while Watts poured in six. EMU out-rebounded WSU by seven (23 to 15) and grabbed more steals (5 to 4), with the only difference coming long range as Weber hit six treys to none for Eastern.

In the second 20 minutes of action the defensive intensity would continue for the Green and White, holding the home team scoreless for the first 2:40 and cutting the deficit to just four, 30-26, on a Williams layup with 16:26 showing on the clock.

Once again consecutive threes by Thorderson pushed the margin back to 10, 36-26. However, stops by Eastern along with an 8-2 run by the Green and White cut the lead to just four, 38-34, with 9:05 left in the contest. But that would be as close as the Eagles would get the rest of the night, Weber State would close the contest on a 23-15 run to capture the 61-49 victory.

After 15 days away from the friendly confines of the Convocation Center, Eastern Michigan returns to Ypsilanti Sunday, Dec. 2, for a 2 p.m. tilt with Illinois State University. To follow the action, log on to EMUEagles.com and click on live statistics.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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