Eagles Cruise Past Huskies, 77-57; Clinch Top-Four Seed

DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) — Thanks to a 77-57 road victory over Northern Illinois University Saturday, Feb. 18, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team preserved its share of the Mid-American Conference West Division and extended its current winning streak to seven straight.

The Eagles (19-7, 11-2 MAC) are now tied for the fifth-longest unbeaten stretch in school history. The Green and White also clinched at least a top-four finish in the MAC and a bye through the first two rounds of the 2012 First Energy MAC Tournament. Meanwhile, the Huskies fell to 12-13 overall and 6-7 in the MAC.

EMU shot 44.8 percent in the contest behind a 26-of-58 effort from the floor and held the Huskies to a 34.8 clip (16-of-46). The Eagles also forced 20 NIU turnovers and edged the home team on the boards, 36-34.

Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) led all scorers and registered her 17th 20-plus point performance of the season. The senior guard tallied 29 points this afternoon behind a 10-of-23 shooting effort and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) netted 18 points and snagged 12 boards in her fourth double-double of the year, while Paige Redditt (Kansas City, Mo.-Belton) rejected two shots in the contest and added 10 points for the Eagles.

NIU's Kim Davis drained 14-of-15 free throw attempts in part of her team high, 26 point effort this afternoon.

The opening moments of the first half proved to be a true tug-of-war battle, with the score sitting deadlocked at two separate occasions and the lead changing sides six times in the first twenty minutes.

EMU would be the first to strike when Watkins found Redditt on the block for two points, but the Huskies would jump ahead with an Amanda Corral triple at the other end of the floor.

From there, both teams battled for its share of the lead. James drained her first bucket of the contest at 17:19 and put the Eagles ahead, 6-5.

The Huskies would pull ahead, 16-15, with 11:39 on the clock, but again James helped her squad climb back on top, 18-16, on a step-back jumper from long-range.

EMU would maintain its lead and string together an offensive surge that outscored the Huskies 18-8 in the last seven minutes of the half.

The Eagles headed into the second half with a 42-28 lead—one the Green and White would never relinquish as EMU outscored its host, 35-29 in the final 20 minutes.

The Eagles will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in an important meeting with the University of Toledo at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. The battle for sole possession of the West Division is slated for a 7 p.m. start.

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Team Stats

Tavelyn James

Natachia Watkins

Paige Redditt

Desyree Thomas

Eastern Michigan Athletics