Eagles Fall In First Road Contest, 65-59, at Butler

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team dropped its fifth straight game and first road contest of the 2012-13 campaign, 65-59, at Butler University. The Bulldogs (3-4) used the Eagles' (1-5) foul troubles to cap the victory down stretch, hitting 18-of-23 free throws in the game.

EMU shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) from the field in the game, but hit just 13.3 percent (2-of-15) three-point tries. The Eagles had three players in double-figures with Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) and Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) each pouring in 14 points while Miranda Tate (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Bolingbrook) added 13 of her own. The Green and White outrebounded Butler, 40-34, with Fouty pulling down nine rebounds, while India Hairston (Flint, Mich.-Hamady) and Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) grabbed eight boards apiece.

Fouty opened the scoring with a pair of jumpers inside to give the Eagles an early 4-0 lead within the first three minutes of play. After allowing a three-ball, the Eagles went on a 6-0 run to lead 10-3, EMU's biggest first half lead of the 2012-13 campaign.

After trading buckets, Butler scored seven straight, giving the Bulldogs their first lead, 18-17, with 9:01 remaining in the opening half. Thomas sparked a quick 4-0 run to put Eastern up 21-18, but another Butler three-pointer tied up the game at 21 apiece with just over seven minutes remaining in the half. The Bulldogs outscored the Eagles, 9-6, in the final minutes of the opening half. Eastern went into the break trailing, 30-27.

Fouty led the Eastern offense in the opening half, scoring 10 points, while Watkins notched six and Tate had five. Thomas led EMU with five rebounds while Tate pulled down four and Fouty, Watkins and Hairston each posted three caroms.

After a minute and a half of play in the second half, the Eagles used a pair of free throws from Watkins and another from Tate to tie up the game at 34 points each with 16:23 remaining. Hairston gave the Eagles a lead, 35-34, on another shot from the charity stripe with 15:50 left in regulation.

Eastern was sparked by an 8-4 run, which gave them a five point, 43-38, lead with 11:27 left to play. After Butler scored five-straight, the Eagles and Bulldogs played back and forth basketball, until Hairston put the Eagles back on-top with a pair of free throws, making it 50-48 with just over six minutes left.

Butler proceeded to go on an 8-2 run, including four and a half minute field goal drought for EMU, to get ahead of Eastern 56-50 at the 3:51 mark in the second half. Eastern responded to the run with its first bucket in almost five minutes. After trading buckets, Tate nailed a shot from beyond the arc in the corner to cut the Bulldogs' lead to three, 60-57, with just over a minute left, however Eastern could not mount the comeback necessary, falling 65-59, with EMU hitting five free throws down the final 20 seconds of play.

The Eagles continue their roadshow, Dec. 1, when they travel to Laramie, Wyo. to take on the University of Wyoming. Tipoff between the Eagles and Cowgirls is schedule for 2 p.m. (MT) at Arena-Auditorium.

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Team Stats

Olivia Fouty

Natachia Watkins

Miranda Tate

India Hairston

Eastern Michigan Athletics