Eagles Clip Hawks in Seawolves Holiday Classic Finale

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team capped off the Seawolves Holiday Classic Presented by Hilton Garden Inn with a 64-53 win over Monmouth University, Saturday, Dec. 22. The Green and White struggled from the field, shooting a mere 19-for-72 for 26.4 percent, however, the squad mustered a season-high 91.3 percent from the charity stripe, sinking 21-of-23 free throws. The team also came away with 16 steals and passed out 12 total assists.

With the win, the Eagles jump to a record of 9-1, while the Hawks fall to 1-10. The Eagles have already surpassed their entire win total from the 2012-13 season after their first 10 games, as the squad from the previous campaign had an 8-22 record.

The Eagles had a balanced scoring attack as it boasted five players in double-digit scoring figures. Freshman Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) notched 13 points backed by a game-high three triples. Junior Jamaica Bucknor (New Haven, Conn.-Weaver (ASA College)) recorded 12 points in the victory, thanks in large part to a flawless 8-of-8 performance from the free throw line. Senior Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) dropped in 11 points and dished out six assists for the Green and White, and redshirt-junior Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) recorded her fifth double-double of the 2013-14 season as she went 10 and 10 on the afternoon.

The Hawks were more efficient from the floor, shooting 40.4 percent for the game, but they were not allowed as many scoring opportunities as they shot 21-of-52. The Hawks also came out aggressively on rebounding, grabbing 52 boards. Monmouth was led by Chevannah Paalvast, who contributed 14 points and handed out seven dimes before fouling out in the final minutes of play.

Eastern got out to an early lead thanks to a quick-release jumper from Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush). Though Monmouth moved the ball around quickly on offense, the Green and White was spry enough to pressure a series of forced shots from the Hawks. Monmouth was able to find a few opportunities to convert, but the matchup remained a low-scoring affair, standing 4-4 after the opening seven minutes of play.

Monmouth's Sara English was able to end the five-minute scoring drought on both sides with a free throw and a layup off a steal, putting the Hawks up 7-4 with 12:34 remaining in the half. The Green and White put up a multitude of shots before a triple from Morton was able to notch the Eagles' first points in nearly six minutes and tie the contest at 7-7. An inside shot from Fouty would give the Eagles the edge over the Hawks.

Following a layup from Thomas, the Eagles were finally able to get in a groove and extend their run up to 9-0 after Morton found Sara Stone (Plymouth, Mich.-Salem) open on the right baseline for a glass shot to put the Green and White up 13-7.

The Hawks went away from their usual inside scoring game and looked to Paalvast from mid-range to drop in the next couple of points, but the Eagles continued to find opportunities to score as Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) found a clear lane through the paint to Fouty for an easy double. A technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct put Sweeney at the line to hit two free throws and give the Eagles a 21-13 edge.

Eastern was able to shake off the rust from the first ten minutes and finish out the half with an 11-4 run thanks to the trio of Morton, Watkins, and Thomas. As the clock ticked down, Thomas pulled back to sink a jumper and give the Eagles a 32-17 lead.

Morton and Watkins led the Eagle attack for the first half, each contributing eight points. Fouty pulled down the most rebounds of any player with six, and Watkins and Thomas each came away with four steals against the Hawks.

As a team, the Eagles shot 11-of-39 for a low 28.2 percent clip in the first half, but they showed more success from behind the charity stripe, going 88.9 percent off 8-of-9 shots. The Green and White recorded 12 steals while only having its pocket picked on two occasions, and they kept the Hawks shooting under 30 percent in the opening period. The Hawks had the upper hand in rebounding, grabbing 27 off the glass while the Eagles pulled down 21 boards.

The second half opened with a look to Bucknor for a quick layup off the glass. Having ignited its usual high-scoring firepower, the Green and White sank three triples in three minutes as Thomas, Morton, and Fouty each nailed one from behind the arc to give the squad a commanding 47-21 advantage.

After putting in a taller lineup, boasting two 6'4" players on the court at the same time, Monmouth went off on an 11-4 run, relying heavily on the larger post players to make moves to the basket as well as draw the defense to open up opportunities for the guards to drive. Within seven minutes, the Hawks had cut their deficit yet still trailed by 18 points at 51-33.

Fouty was able to put a stop to a scoreless four minutes of play with a baseline drive to the hoop and a shot over a Hawk defender, after which Stone found her way to the center of the key to claim a putback to put the eagles up 55-40 with 3:30 left to play.

The Hawks cut the scoring gap to nine points after a pair of plays in the low post and two free throws. As the clock ran down, Monmouth forced fouls in an attempt to extend play, but the Green and White showed immense strength from behind the charity stripe as Watkins, Bucknor, Thomas, and Fouty went a combined 9-of-10 to end the contest. Despite a valiant effort by Monmouth in the final minutes of the half, the Eagles finished with the advantage, winning the matchup 64-53.

The Eagles return to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center for a New Year's Eve matinee when they will take on Lawrence Tech Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Eagle All-Access.

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Team Stats

Janay Morton

Jamaica Bucknor

Desyree Thomas

Olivia Fouty

Eastern Michigan Athletics