Women's Basketball Drops Road Contest to #23 Green Bay

GREEN BAY, Wis. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team dropped its first contest of the 2011-12 season, falling 84-53 to No. 23-ranked Green Bay Friday, Nov. 18, at the Kress Events Center. The loss drops the Eagles to 2-1 on the year, while the Phoenix improve to 3-0 overall.

Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) led the Green and White offense with 26 points this evening while recording seven steals. Taylor Bird (Lawrence, Kan.-Lawrence (JCCC)) contributed with a career-high six points, while Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) tallied four points with seven rebounds and two blocks for the Eagles. Defensively, senior Paige Redditt (Kansas City, Mo.-Belton) snagged 14 boards and registered three blocks in the contest.

Julie Wojta led the Phoenix with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Adrian Ritchie and Lydia Bauer added 14 and 13 points, respectively.

EMU shot just 25 percent in the contest (17-of-68) while Green Bay connected on 25-of-56 shots (46.4 percent) and hit 52.9 percent from beyond the arc (9-of-17). The Phoenix scored 38 points off of 23 Eagle turnovers and would win the battle of the boards, 46-43.

The Eagles would strike first in the game after Fouty quickly laid one in off the glass after Redditt won the opening tip-off, but poor shooting plagued the Green and White, as they drained only 2-of-13 shots (15.4 percent) in the first eight minutes of play to allow Green Bay to take an early 20-6 lead.

James would sink her first bucket at the 10:23 mark and quickly added a pull-up jumper and another layup on the fast break to cut the home team's lead by 10, but the Phoenix would maintain momentum into the locker room at the half after building a 50-22 lead.

In the second half, the Eagles would cut their deficit to under 30 points, but the Phoenix would maintain control of the contest and roll away with the 84-53 victory.

Eastern Michigan will look to bounce back when it returns to action this Sunday, Nov. 20 when they face the Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.

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Team Stats

Tavelyn James

Taylor Bird

Desyree Thomas

Paige Redditt

Eastern Michigan Athletics