Women's Basketball Wins Battle for First in the MAC West

Re-Watch the Game.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team won the battle for the Mid-American Conference West Division lead with a 73-60 victory over a visiting Central Michigan University team here Thursday, Jan. 19, in the Convocation Center.

The Eagles, now in sole possession of the MAC West lead with a 4-1 record, 12-6 overall, jumped out to a big early lead in the game and never trailed on the way to the win.

Senior guard Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) was one of four Eagles in double-figure scoring with 23. Sophomore forward Natacha Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) added 19 points while senior forward Paige Redditt (Kansas City, Mo.-Belton) and sophomore guard Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) added 11 each. Redditt also had 11 rebounds for a double-double.

Central Michigan, now 3-2 in the MAC and 11-8 overall, had three players in double figures, led by Jas'Mine Bracey with 16, Taylor Johnson 15and Jessica Green with 12.

Eastern would shoot 41.9 percent from the floor, making 26-of-62 shots while Central made just 23-of-61 for 37.7 percent. Eastern turned the Chippewas over a whopping 25 times.

The Eagles started the game with a flurry, racing to a 32-12 lead in the game's first 12 minutes.

After that offensive onslaught by the Eagles, the Chippewas settled down and out-scored EMU, 16-11, the remainder of the first half to cut Eastern's lead to 15, 43-28, at intermission.

James was on fire in the first half, scoring 19 points. The Eagles shot 42.9 percent from the floor, hitting 15-of-35 shots while holding CMU to just 27.3 percent on 9-of-33. Eastern also turned over the visitors 16 times over the first 20 minutes.

The two teams traded buckets though the early stages of the second half with Eastern slipping away to an 18-point lead, 51-33, with 16:37 left.

Central would then go on a 12-2 run to trim the deficit to eight, 53-45, with 12:55 left on a basket by Bracey.

Eastern would boost its lead back to double digits, at 61-50 on a Watkins layup, but Central would come right back to cut it to seven, 61-54, with 6:33 left.

That would be as close as the visitors would get, however, as the Eagles stayed tough defensively to gain the 13-point win.

Eastern will hit the road for Bowling Green, Ohio Sunday, Jan. 21, for a 2 p.m. battle with the Bowling Green State University Falcons in a SportsTime Ohio television game. The contest will be held in BGSU's new Stroh Center.

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Team Stats

Tavelyn James

Natachia Watkins

Desyree Thomas

Paige Redditt

Eastern Michigan Athletics