Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, December 29
New Orleans, La.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2-9
65
at
71
Tulane
9-2
1
2
F
Eastern Michigan
24
41
65
Tulane
37
34
71
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Eagles Fall in First Game of 2012 DoubleTree Classic, 71-65
12/29/2012 4:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Despite career-highs from Bird and Hairston, Eastern dropped the tournament opener
NEW ORLEANS, La. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team dropped its first game of the 2012 Tulane DoubleTree Classic Saturday, Dec. 29, as it fell 71-65 to Tulane University. Despite, trailing by as many as 25, the Eagles (2-9) clawed back to within six on the Green Wave's (9-2) home floor at Devlin Fieldhouse.
The Eagles had four players in double-figures with India Hairston (Flint, Mich.-Hamady) posting a career-high 18 points, while Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) put up her first double-double of the 2012-13 campaign with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Miranda Tate (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Bolingbrook) notched 14 points and Taylor Bird (Lawrence, Kans.-Lawrence) had a career-best 10 points in the loss. Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) dished out a season-high eight assists for EMU. From the floor, Eastern shot 26-of-68 (38.2 percent), while hitting 4-of-16 (25.0 percent) from the three-point line.
Tulane shot 26-of-51 (51.0 percent ) and 7-of-20 (35.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Whitney Bibbins led the way with a game-high 18 points, while Adesuwa Ebomwonyi and Danielle Blagg each posted nine points. Bibbins also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds for the Green Wave.
After Hairston opened the scoring, the Green Wave went on a quick six-point run to jump ahead 6-2 early in the first half. After trading buckets, Tulane's Blagg connected on a long three-ball to extend its lead to 15-8 with 12:13 left in the opening 20 minutes of play.
After Blagg knocked down another trey, the Eagles went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to just four, 18-14, with under 10 minutes left in the first half. After Eastern came to within two, 20-18, with seven minutes remaining, the Green Wave went on a seven point run to take a 27-18 lead near the six minute mark.
A Bird three-pointer stopped the initial run by the Green Wave, but Tulane responded with seven more points to extend the lead to 13 points, 34-21. Eastern trailed by 13, 37-24, heading into halftime.
Hairston paced the Green and White with eight points in the first half. Chelsea Hite (Ligonier, Ind.-West Noble) and Watkins each pulled down three rebounds in the opening half to lead the Eagles. As a team, Eastern shot 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) from the floor and 1-of-4 (25.0 percent) from three-point land.
The Green Wave shot a blistering 15-of-25 (60.0 percent) from the field, while knocking down 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half. Bibbins led Tulane with eight points while Jamie Kaplan notched seven in the first half.
Out of the break, the Eagles traded buckets through the first five minutes of action, still trailing by 13 points, 43-30, with 15:05 left in the game. Through the next four minutes, there were just seven points scored between both teams and EMU faced a 47-32 deficit with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Green Wave put together a 12-0 run to pull ahead by 25 points, 57-32. Hairston broke an EMU scoring drought of over five minutes with a layup at the 9:06 mark to make it 57-34.
Watkins poured in five points in-a-row to spark a 14-0 Eastern run, bringing the Eagles to within 11, 59-47, with just under four minutes remaining on the clock. Tyria Snow ended the EMU run with a jumper in the lane at the 3:27 mark, which also put an end to a scoring drought that lasted over three minutes for the Green Wave.
Hairston and Watkins combined for seven straight EMU points bringing the Eagles' deficit to nine, 66-57, with 47.1 seconds left on the clock. After Olivia Grayson missed the second half of a 1-and-1, Tate knocked down a three-ball in transition to bring Eastern within seven, 67-60.
Tulane took advantage of their free throws down the stretch to cap the game, 71-65.
The Eagles continue with their second game of the 2012 Tulane DoubleTree Classic when they square off with the University of Mississippi Sunday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. CST.
The Eagles had four players in double-figures with India Hairston (Flint, Mich.-Hamady) posting a career-high 18 points, while Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) put up her first double-double of the 2012-13 campaign with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Miranda Tate (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Bolingbrook) notched 14 points and Taylor Bird (Lawrence, Kans.-Lawrence) had a career-best 10 points in the loss. Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) dished out a season-high eight assists for EMU. From the floor, Eastern shot 26-of-68 (38.2 percent), while hitting 4-of-16 (25.0 percent) from the three-point line.
Tulane shot 26-of-51 (51.0 percent ) and 7-of-20 (35.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Whitney Bibbins led the way with a game-high 18 points, while Adesuwa Ebomwonyi and Danielle Blagg each posted nine points. Bibbins also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds for the Green Wave.
After Hairston opened the scoring, the Green Wave went on a quick six-point run to jump ahead 6-2 early in the first half. After trading buckets, Tulane's Blagg connected on a long three-ball to extend its lead to 15-8 with 12:13 left in the opening 20 minutes of play.
After Blagg knocked down another trey, the Eagles went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to just four, 18-14, with under 10 minutes left in the first half. After Eastern came to within two, 20-18, with seven minutes remaining, the Green Wave went on a seven point run to take a 27-18 lead near the six minute mark.
A Bird three-pointer stopped the initial run by the Green Wave, but Tulane responded with seven more points to extend the lead to 13 points, 34-21. Eastern trailed by 13, 37-24, heading into halftime.
Hairston paced the Green and White with eight points in the first half. Chelsea Hite (Ligonier, Ind.-West Noble) and Watkins each pulled down three rebounds in the opening half to lead the Eagles. As a team, Eastern shot 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) from the floor and 1-of-4 (25.0 percent) from three-point land.
The Green Wave shot a blistering 15-of-25 (60.0 percent) from the field, while knocking down 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half. Bibbins led Tulane with eight points while Jamie Kaplan notched seven in the first half.
Out of the break, the Eagles traded buckets through the first five minutes of action, still trailing by 13 points, 43-30, with 15:05 left in the game. Through the next four minutes, there were just seven points scored between both teams and EMU faced a 47-32 deficit with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Green Wave put together a 12-0 run to pull ahead by 25 points, 57-32. Hairston broke an EMU scoring drought of over five minutes with a layup at the 9:06 mark to make it 57-34.
Watkins poured in five points in-a-row to spark a 14-0 Eastern run, bringing the Eagles to within 11, 59-47, with just under four minutes remaining on the clock. Tyria Snow ended the EMU run with a jumper in the lane at the 3:27 mark, which also put an end to a scoring drought that lasted over three minutes for the Green Wave.
Hairston and Watkins combined for seven straight EMU points bringing the Eagles' deficit to nine, 66-57, with 47.1 seconds left on the clock. After Olivia Grayson missed the second half of a 1-and-1, Tate knocked down a three-ball in transition to bring Eastern within seven, 67-60.
Tulane took advantage of their free throws down the stretch to cap the game, 71-65.
The Eagles continue with their second game of the 2012 Tulane DoubleTree Classic when they square off with the University of Mississippi Sunday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. CST.
Team Stats
EMU
TLN
FG%
.382
.510
3FG%
.250
.350
FT%
.692
.750
RB
34
36
TO
11
18
STL
11
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Women's Basketball Practice Highlights Week of Aug. 4, 2025
Sunday, August 10
Inaugural Bowling with the Eagles Event
Friday, August 08
Women's Basketball Practice Highlights Week of July 28, 2025
Friday, August 08
2025 Women's Basketball Alumni Panel
Wednesday, July 30