Women's Hoops Drops Tussle with Falcons, 61-47

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team fell in Mid-American Conference play at home to Bowling Green State University by the final score of 61-47, Jan. 27.

The Eagles (4-15, 2-4 MAC) shot 19-of-46 (41.3 percent) while the visiting Falcons (13-6, 4-2 MAC) shot 17-of-45 (37.8 percent). Bowling Green was able to get to the line quite often, making 21-of-27 free throws while the Green and White converted 7-of-13 from the charity stripe.

Freshman Bianca Cage (Memphis, Tenn. –Southwind) led the Eagles on offense with 15 points, while BGSU's Baily Cairnduff led all scorers with 18 points. Junior Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio –Brush) showed that she can get it done on both sides of the ball scoring 14 points, handing out four assists, and snatching 5 steals.

The Falcons won the battle of the boards getting 42 rebounds including 14 offensive boards compared to the Eagles' 24 total rebounds. BGSU also outscored EMU, 11-2, in second chance points

The Falcons opened the scoring in the first half with a step back three pointer from Miriam Justinger. BGSU started the game on an 8-0 run before India Hairston (Flint, Mich. –Hamady) hit on an open jumper from the elbow to put the Eagles on the board. The Green and White had a hard time holding on to the ball giving up three straight turnovers before Chelsea Hite (Ligonier, Ind. –West Nobel) was able to put in a layup that seemed to get things going for the Eagles.

The Eagles went scoreless for four minuets before point guard Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich. – Mott) made a spectacular no-look feed to Hite who converted to bring Eastern back to within 10 points, 23-13, with four minutes remaining in the opening half. Thomas continued to apply pressure defense, tallying two steals and swatting away numerous passes in the first half. Eastern closed the half with a Watkins bucket to bring the score to, 33-18, in favor of BGSU.

EMU shot 8-of-22 for 36.4 percent in the opening half. Bowling Green went 10-of-27 for 37 percent. Most of Bowling Green's first half offensive production came from the charity stripe. The Falcons went to the line nine where they shot 11-of-12. BGSU's Alexis Rodgers led all scores with nine points, while Hite led the way on offense for the Eagles, scoring six in the first stanza.

The second half began with a Rodgers two pointer. Watkins answered quickly pulling down a defensive rebound on the next BGSU possession and taking it coast-to-coast before she finished over two Falcon defenders. The first three minutes of the second half looked bright for the Green and White as EMU got its scoring on track with a 6-1 run fueled by four points from Watkins and two free throws from Cage.

The Orange and Brown scored on three straight possessions to keep their lead in tact, but Cage started heating up, scoring on three straight possessions for the Eagles, making the score 48-36 with eight minutes remaining in the contest.

Good ball movement and offensive rebounding facilitated multiple open looks for BGSU's Bailey Cairnduff who scored 10 in the second half.

With only two minutes remaining, Thomas kept up her high-energy play, scoring unassisted on back-to-back plays; the first a turn around jumper and the second an aggressive drive down the crowded lane. However, Bowling Green was able to hold on to its lead to end the game 61-47.

Eastern will continue MAC play, returning to the Convocation Center floor to face the Northern Illinois Huskies at 7 p.m., Jan. 31

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Team Stats

Bianca Cage

Natachia Watkins

Chelsea Hite

Desyree Thomas

Eastern Michigan Athletics