Eagles Corral the Broncos, 69-45

Box score.

YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team was able to contain the nations’ leading scorer and capitalize on a multitude of Western Michigan University turnovers en route to a 69-45 runaway victory here Wednesday night in the Convocation Center in a Mid-American Conference West Division matchup.

Western Michigan’s Carrie Moore entered the game as the nation’s leading scorer (25.5 ppg) but found the Eagles’ defense to be much tougher this time around after dropping 29 points on Eastern last month. A smothering Eastern defense limited Moore to 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting. The Eastern defense also forced 20 Bronco turnovers that led to 20 Eagle points. EMU is 13-11 (8-5 MAC) while WMU is 12-15 (5-8 MAC).

Eastern Michigan (14-11, 9-5 MAC) was able to recover from a poor first-half shooting performance. The Green and White connected on 19-of-34 second half shots to finish the game 29-for-63 (46 percent) from the field. Western could not connect on early shots and never recovered, shooting only 19-for-57 (33.3 percent).

It was Senior Night for EMU players Sarah VanMetre (Noblesville, Ind.-Noblesville) and Annie Malatinsky (Holt, Mich.-Holt) with VanMetre leading the Eagles in scoring with 17 points. Malatinsky scored three off the bench. Emily Hanley (Bloomington, Ind.-Normal Community) and Alyssa Pittman (Elkhart, Ind.-Elkhart Memorial) each scored 13 for the Eagles, and Patrice McKinney led the team with nine rebounds.

Lindsey Brown led the Broncos in scoring and rebounds with 18 points and 13 boards.

Reminiscent of the first meeting back in Kalamazoo in which the Eagles jumped out to 8-2 start, Eastern raced off to a quick 12-2 lead with four minutes gone in the first half. The Broncos were ice cold making just one of their first eight shots, but turnovers were starting to mount for the Eagles with four. A 6-0 Bronco run, combined with six straight missed Eagle shots, cut the lead to four, 12-8, with 11:12 left in the half. Both teams continued their shooting troubles going a combined 2-for-14 over the next four minutes. Neither team was able to settle in to any sort of a rhythm as the Eagles led by eight, 20-12, with 4:46 to play in the half.

Both teams traded baskets down the stretch with the Eagles taking a 25-16 lead into the lockerroom. Both teams suffered from poor shooting in the first half. The Eagles only connected on 10-of-29 shots (34.5 percent) while the Broncos shot 7-for-29 (24 percent) from the field.

Five early second-half points by Pittman put the Eagles up 12, 30-18, and gave Eastern its largest lead since the 10-0 run that started the game. EMU used a 22-9 run over the first eight minutes of the half to take a 24-point lead, 49-25, into the timeout with 11:27 remaining. The teams exchanged layups over the next four minutes as Western was able to cut the lead to 20, 53-33, at the 13:05 mark. The Broncos run was short lived as the Eagles went on a 9-2 run to expand the lead to 25, 62-37 with four minutes remaining.

The Eagles hit the road for the final two games of the regular season, first traveling to Muncie, Ind. Saturday, Feb. 25, for a showdown with MAC West Division leader Ball State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Worthen Arena.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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