Women's Hoops Holds Off NIU for 67-62 Victory

Postgame Audio: Coach Verdi. Desyree Thomas.

Postgame Highlights.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team held off a feisty Northern Illinois University squad, 67-62, Thursday evening, Jan. 31, inside the Convocation Center. The Eagles (5-15; 3-4 MAC) surrendered a substantial second-half advantage, but posted several critical defensive stops in the waning moments to hold on for their second Mid-American Conference triumph in the last three contests.

EMU took a nine-point lead into halftime and increased that advantage to 18, but the Huskies (5-15; 0-7 MAC) used a 24-5 second-half run to erase that deficit and take a 57-56 lead with six minutes to play. NIU's comeback would not last, however, as deadly outside shooting from Bianca Cage (Memphis, Tenn. – Southwind) and steady teamwork denied the visiting squad its first conference win of the season.

Thursday's win was a true team effort, as Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich. – Mott) collected a game-high 11 assists to go along with eight points and five steals. Sara Stone (Plymouth, Mich. – Salem) also turned in nine rebounds to tie her career high and Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio – Brush) gathered nine caroms as well.

Cage was efficient all evening long, racking up a team-high 23 points and posting a 7-of-12 effort from the field with a 6-of-10 showing from beyond the arc. Cage's 23-point output Thursday marked the second time this season that the freshman surpassed the 20-point plateau. Also touching double figures in scoring was India Hairston (Flint, Mich. – Hamady), who posted 10 points.

Collectively, the Eagles connected on 26-of-62 shots for a 41.9 percent pace. From three-point range, the Green and White was a blistering 7-of-14 (50.0 percent). EMU also won the turnover battle, making only 11 miscues compared to 18 for the Huskies.
For the Huskies, Satavia Taylor tallied 23 points with an 8-of-18 showing overall and 5-of-10 from long distance. Amanda Corral was the only other NIU player in double figures with 10 points. As a team, Northern Illinois was 23-of-50 (46.0 percent) shooting and 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from three-point land.

Stone and Thomas combined for a pair of jumpers and the first four points of the game. NIU came right back to take a 5-4 lead before Watkins filled the second of two free throws to tie the game, 5-5, just over four minutes in.

The Huskies built up an 11-7 advantage on sharp outside shooting from Taylor, who accounted for a pair of NIU's trio of early treys. After the visitors added another bucket, Chelsea Hite (Ligonier, Ind. – West Noble) broke through for her first score of the game and brought the Green and White back to within four, 13-9.

Hite would account for the Eagles' next two buckets before Hairston found her way to the basket and laid in for the easy score. With the Eagles down by just a pair, 17-15, Corral drained a three-pointer on the NIU's next possession and widened the gap back to five, 20-15.

Solid offensive rebounding benefited the Eagles on their way to regaining the lead at the 2:39 mark, 25-24, when Taylor Bird (Lawrence, Kan. – Lawrence) made a nice shot fake and found an open Hairston underneath, who converted the layup. On the next possession, Bird gathered another offensive board and fed the ball outside to Cage, who recorded the three-pointer.

After trailing by as many as six points earlier in the half, the Eagles went into the locker room with a nine-point lead, 35-26, thanks to a 12-2 run over the final 2:01 of play. Cage led all scorers with 11 points including a 3-of-6 showing from downtown. As a team, the Eagles' offense warmed up toward the end of the half and completed 20 minutes shooting at a 38.9 percent (14-of-36) clip overall and 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from long distance.

The Huskies were 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from the floor, 4-of-9 (44.4 percent) and were paced by Taylor's eight points. NIU's strong shooting percentage was largely offset by 12 turnovers which led to 10 EMU points. In contrast, EMU coughed up the basketball just four times in the first half.

Northern Illinois tried to fight its way back into the game early in the second half, cutting its deficit to five, 38-33. The Eagles had other ideas though and overpowered the Huskies as Cage, Hairston and Watkins teamed up to throw down 13 unanswered points. With 15:07 still showing on the clock, EMU was seemingly in command of the contest, 51-33.

But NIU was not about to go down quietly. Beginning with a Jenna Thorp free throw at 14:15, the Huskies put together a 16-2 run over the next 4:49 to claw back into the game, 53-49. The run consisted of a pair of three-balls from Taylor and another from Amanda Corral along with makes from McKenzie Hoelmenn and Jada Buggs.

Cage broke up the Huskies' onslaught with a three-pointer of her own and put the Eagles back up by seven, 56-49, at the 9:04 mark. NIU quickly made up the difference with a jumper and a pair of free throws to make it a one-possession affair, 56-53, with 8:20 remaining.

Then at 6:39, Taylor finished off the 18-point comeback for NIU with her seventh three-point bucket of the evening. A Natecia Augusta free-throw moments later gave the Huskies their first lead since late in the opening half, 57-56.

By the time the game's final media timeout rolled around, the Eagles had jumped back in front, 60-59 on baskets by Watkins and Thomas. The lead was three for EMU before Taylor registered a fast-break layup and was fouled on the play. She then hit her free throw and tied the score at 60-all.

Cage proved to be up to Taylor's three-pointer challenge as she drilled her sixth long-range basket to give the Eagles a 63-60 lead. Thomas then answered a McKenzie Hoelmenn jumper with a fast break bucket of her own for a 65-62 EMU advantage with 2:50 to play.

Both teams notched defensive stops on the next two possessions and the score remained in favor of EMU. With less than 30 second to play, NIU controlled the ball and was looking for the outside shot from Taylor. Eagles' defenders forced the ball down low and ultimately coaxed a hasty layup from Buggs. Taylor scooped up the rebound, but a pass back to Thorp was mishandled thanks to defensive pressure by Thomas.

NIU was forced to foul Thomas, who went to the line and sank both free throws as EMU secured the five-point win, 67-62.

The Eagles are back on the hardwood Sunday, Feb. 3, when they take on Ball State University at the Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.

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Team Stats

Bianca Cage

India Hairston

Sara Stone

Desyree Thomas

Eastern Michigan Athletics