Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Buffalo
Tavelyn James Goes for 40 Points in EMU's 78-65 Victory at Buffalo
2/3/2010 9:33:23 PM | Women's Basketball
Sophomore guard becomes the first EMU student-athlete to post 40 points since Earl Boykins in 1997-98
Box score.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – Stellar guard play and tenacious defense propelled the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team to a 78-65 Mid-American Conference cross-divisional win over the University at Buffalo at Alumni Arena Wednesday night, Feb. 3. With the win, the Eagles move to 16-5 overall, 6-3 in MAC play.
Sophomore Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) set the single-game standard for points with 40, converting the back end of a one-and-one with 23 seconds remaining in the game to capture the mark. The Detroit native had set the record with 39 points earlier this season in the team's 108-24 victory over Rochester College, Dec. 9, 2009, at the Convocation Center. With the prolific total, James becomes the first EMU women's basketball player to score 40 points in a game and just the seventh EMU student-athlete to do so. The last EMU player to eclipse the 40-point plateau was Earl Boykins with 45 against Western Michigan University, Feb. 21, 1998, at Bowen Field House.
Not to be out done, junior Sydney Huntley (Cincinnati, Ohio-Purcell Marian) added 22 points off the bench and the defense forced Buffalo into 21 turnovers resulting in 31 points.
In a span of two minutes midway through the second half, James scored 10 straight Eagle points, connecting on three consecutive baskets and going 3-of-3 from the free throw line. She had 32 points with more than 11 minutes remaining in the game and finished the contest 13-of-22 from the field, including 5-of-11 from long distance and 9-of-11 from the line to give her 40 points, tying her for the 11th-highest single game point total in the nation this season.
At the 7:57 mark in the second half, Cassie Schrock (Wadsworth, Ohio-Wadsworth) finally scored her first field goal of the game, converting a three-point play in the process and giving the Eagles their largest lead of 17 points. It would be the last field goal for the Eagles in the game, but an impressive display from the line was enough to distance them to the victory. The Eagles went 21-of-25 from the charity stripe in the win.
Buffalo drew the Eagles into foul trouble early in the second half, earning the double bonus with 8:49 remaining in the game. Buffalo's Kourtney Brown brought the Bulls (6-16, 2-7 MAC) to within four points as late as the 2:06 mark in the second half, but the Eagles sealed the deal at the free throw line, connecting on 9-of-10 at the line down the stretch.
After a quick 6-0 run by the Bulls to start the game, James came out firing, hitting her first three shots, all of which were from downtown, to tie the game at nine apiece and force Buffalo into calling a timeout.
Eagles took a 27-21 lead at the 5:47 mark following a Huntley three-pointer, but the Bulls responded with a six-point run of their own to tie it up. James then answered that with a three-point play to give the Eagles back the lead with a little more than three minutes left in the first half. Huntley closed out the period with a layup as time expired
The Eagles took a 37-29 lead into the break thanks to James and Huntley who each recorded double figures with 17 and 12, respectively. As a team, EMU converted 18 points off of 12 first half turnovers by Buffalo and got 18 points off the bench.
The Eagles will return home, where they are 8-1 this season, to play Kent State University Saturday, Feb. 6, in the first leg of a doubleheader with the men basketball team. It will be “Green Goes Red” day at the Convocation Center as EMU teams up with the American Heart Association. All fans wearing red shirts will be admitted free to the women's game which begins at 2 p.m. The men's game is slated for 4:30 p.m.
