Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Eagles Make it Three in a Row With Win Over NIU
2/21/2009 4:11:19 PM | Women's Basketball
Schrock led the Eagles with 15 points
Box score
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YPSILANTI, Mich.- After allowing a halftime lead to slip away, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team regrouped late in the second half to record a hard-fought 53-49 Mid-American Conference West Division victory over Northern Illinois University, Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Convocation Center. The Eagles have now won three league contests in a row.
With the win, EMU improves to 7-17 (3-9 MAC) on the year, while NIU falls to 13-12 (8-4 MAC). Leading the way for the Green and White was the duo of Cassie Schrock (Wadsworth, Ohio-Wadsworth) and Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) with 15 and 11 points, respectively. Aileen Rossouw netted 13 points for the Huskies. The Eagles forced NIU into 21 miscues, as well as limiting the visitors to 34.5 percent (19-of-55) shooting for the contest.
The Eagles wore pink uniforms and shoelaces during the contest as part of the WBCA Pink Zone initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities.
With an opportunity to tie the contest at 51-all, the Huskies turned the ball over on a shot clock violation with 44 seconds remaining. The Eagles did not disappoint on the next possession, as Sydney Huntley-Rogers (Cincinnati, Ohio-Purcell Marian) hit a turnaround jumper from the left elbow as the shot clock expired to push the Eagle lead to four, 53-49, with 15 seconds remaining.
NIU scored five quick points coming out of the break, cutting the EMU lead to seven, 32-25, forcing an Eagle time out at 18:20. The Huskies continued to cut into the lead as EMU struggled to score to start the second half. The Huskies tied the game at 36-36 off Becky Smith's three-point play at the 12:14 mark before Smith scored again on the ensuing possession to give NIU its first lead, 38-36, since the 17:44 mark of the first half.
A Schrock three-point play at 9:35 knotted the game once again at 41-41, allowing the Eagles to halt the NIU run. The teams then went cold over the next few minutes, with Schrock's free throws putting the Eagles back up by one, 45-44, at the 6:10 mark.
In the first half, EMU used an active zone and pressing defense to keep the Huskies in check offensively. After trading baskets with NIU for most of the first half, the Eagles were able to take an eight-point lead, 26-18, at 2:22 off a pair of Amber Land (Kulm, ND-Kulm) free throws. A lay-up by NIU on the ensuing possession cut the lead back to six before James hit a three from the corner, forcing an NIU time out at 1:54 with the home team up, 29-20.
De'Ja Wills (Anderson, Ind.-Anderson) nailed a three from the top of the key with 15 second remaining to send the Eagles to the break with a 32-20 advantage. James led the way offensively with 11 points while Schrock scored six with Wills chipping in five. The Eagles shot 37.9 percent (11-of-29) compared to 30.8 percent (8-of-26) for Northern Illinois. The Huskies out-rebounded the Eagles 22-15, but committed 12 turnovers to just three for EMU in the first half.
The Eagles have a short turnaround, hosting Ball State University in another MAC West showdown, Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m.
