Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-0
Marygrove
3-3
Women's Hoops Goes to 2-0 With Win Over Marygrove
11/14/2011 10:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Senior Tavelyn James continues to score, dropping 32 on the night
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball ran its early-season record to 2-0 with a convincing 110-31 non-conference win over a visiting Marygrove College team here Monday night, Nov. 14, in the Convocation Center. All 12 Eagles combined for the most points ever scored in a single game during the program's 36-year history, as Green and White led by as many as 82 points in the second half.
The win gives the Eagles a 2-0 record while Marygrove falls to 3-3.
Senior guard Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) led the Eagles with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, while senior center Paige Redditt (Kansas City, Mo.-Belton) added 15. Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) and Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) each set career-highs for points with 12 and 13 points, respectively. Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) had a game-high nine rebounds for EMU. The Mustangs high-scorers were Keara Marks and Kaila Corrothers with six points each.
The Eagles shot 50.6 percent from the field, hitting 42-of-83 shots while holding the Mustangs to just 25 percent on 11-of-44. Eastern also held a huge advantage on the boards, 57-29. The Eagles forced 36 turnovers and collected 26 steals which was good for third in the EMU single-game record book.
The Eagles raced out to an early 41-0 lead, as the Mustangs were unable to score a basket until 8:55 left in the opening half. The Green and White scored 72 points in the first half, which broke the Convocation Center record for points scored in a half. The previous record was set Feb. 16, 1999, when the Eagles scored 58 points in the second half of a game with Akron.
EMU also held Marygrove to just seven points in the opening half which is the second-fewest ever scored on the Green and White in a half, as Madonna was only able to score six in the first half on the Eagles in their Nov. 22, 2008, meeting.
James led the Eagles in the first half with all of her 32 points while Thomas added 10. Marks paced the Mustangs with four points.
EMU took a commanding 27-12 edge on the boards in the first half while making 29-of-49 shots from the field for 59.2 percent and holding Marygrove to just 3-of-17 for 17.6 percent.
Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert's Eagles started the second half just like they finished the first, on a hot streak, building their lead to as much as 82 points and cruising to the 79-point victory.
The Eagles will take their 2-0 record on the road with a five-game road swing through the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and New York before coming back to Michigan. Eastern will battle nationally-ranked Green Bay in Green Bay, Wisc., Friday, Nov. 18, before moving on to Chicago, Ill. to face Loyola-Chicago, Nov. 20.
