EMU Shocks MAC East Leader Ohio

Box score.

ATHENS, Ohio. – The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team used a 19-6 run over the final 4:22 of the game to upset Mid-American Conference East Division leader Ohio University, 62-56, here Saturday afternoon on Think Pink Day at The Convo. The Eagles, who trailed by as many as 16 points, out-scored the Bobcats 41-21 in the second half to capture the program’s sixth-ever win in Athens, Ohio and snap OU’s six-game winning streak.

Senior guard Brittany Tyson (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Huron-WMU) took control down the stretch, scoring all of her eight of her 11 points in the game’s final 3:11 to finish as the team’s leading scorer. Senior center Colleen Russell (Windsor, Ontario-Brennan) and freshman guard Cassie Schrock (Wadsworth,Ohio-Wadsworth) finished with nine points a piece as the Eagles up their record to 12-9 (6-3 MAC).

Ohio, now 13-9 (6-3 MAC), was led by Adrian, Mich., native Lauren Kohn with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Chandra Myers added a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds to go along with 14 points from Jennifer Poff.

For the game the Eagles shot 32.8 percent (22-of-67) and 65 percent (13-of-20) from the charity stripe. Ohio managed a 36.7 percent (22-of-60) shooting clip but were held to just 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from beyond the arc after entering the contest holding the nation’s second-best three-point percentage (41.9) Ohio grabbed 46 rebounds to just 40 for EMU, but also committed 21 turnover to just 12 for the Eagles.

The Bobcats jumped out to an early 11-8 advantage thanks in large part to Kohn, who connected on 3-of-4 from the floor for eight of OU’s points. Ohio’s advantage would grow to 12, 22-10, on another Kohn triple with 11:10 showing on the clock. Eastern was struggling to get shots to fall, going without a field goal for more than four minutes until junior forward Amber Land (Kulm, N.D-Kulm) connected on a jumper in the lane with 9:30 remaining in the period to make it 22-12.

However, the momentum and defensive intensity was starting to turn in favor of Eastern Michigan. The Eagles would go on a 9-4 run over the next seven minutes to cut the deficit to seven, 26-19. A Kohn put-back with 2:43 left in the half ended the EMU streak, as the ‘Cats closed the period on a 9-2 run to head into the locker room up 35-21.

For the frame Eastern shot just 23.3 percent (7-of-30) from the field, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. On the opposite side of the ledger, Ohio managed a 46.7 percent (14-of-30) clip including going 5-of-10 from long range. The Bobcats out-rebounded the Eagles 24-to-16 along with turning the ball over eight times. Kohn led all scorers with 15 points to go along with Poff’s eight. Russell and Watts keyed the Eagles with five points apiece.

Following the intermission Ohio expanded its lead to 15, 41-26, on a Poff jumper just five minutes in. But the Eagles would not go away and began to chip away at the deficit, pulling back within eight, 42-34, on back-to-back scores by sophomore guard Alyssa Pittman (Elkhart, Ind.-Elkhart Memorial) at the 12:07 mark.

Another Pittman score made it 42-36 with 11:08 left and that was promptly followed by a critical three-pointer by Tyson to get the margin to just three. Following an Ohio turnover, Schrock’s put-back made it 42-41 with 9:12 to go.

Then just as quick as the run began, it was gone as the Eagles hit a four minute scoring drought. Over that time Ohio used an 8-0 run to push the advantage back to 50-41 with 6:57 left. But the Eagles regained their form with 5:32 showing on the clock as Russell chipped one in off the glass to begin a 10-2 run that capped by a Tyson steal and fast break layup at the 3:11 mark to knot the game at 52.

Tyson soon gave Eastern its first lead since the opening moments on the game with 2:25 to play and Schrock followed with a runner to make it a four-point game, 56-52. Ohio answered with a pair of free throws by Lauren Hmiel with 1:17 showing got make it a two-possession contest again at 56-52.

Another Tyson jumper combined with a pair of her free-throw tosses pushed it back to six, 60-54, with 33 seconds to go. Myers would pour in a layup to complete the Ohio scoring but Watts would respond with two charity attempts to make it 62-56 and ice the Bobcats’ victory hopes.

The Green and White look to continue the momentum Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Convocation Center versus the University of Akron. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The contest can be seen on Comcast Local Television (cable channel 8 in the Ypsilanti area) with Ben Holden and Cheryl Dozier calling the action.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos