Eagles Surge Past Loyola to Improve to 5-0

Postgame Audio.

CHICAGO, Ill (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team took down Loyola University, 82-64, to pick up its second road victory and fifth win of the season. EMU improves to 5-0 overall on the season for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign, while Loyola falls to 2-6 overall.

The Eagles used a 39.3 shooting percentage, including a 47.2 field goal percentage in the second half to give the Green and White the victory as Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) had her 11th career double-double and her third of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds to lead EMU. Senior Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) had her first double-double of the season as she had 15 points and dished out 11 assists on the night, while Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) had a team-high 17 points and Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) contributed 15 for EMU.

Eastern saw five players score in double-digits as Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) contributed 12 points, while Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds in the second half for the Green and White.

Eastern finished the night scoring 38 points in the paint and 39 fast break points as the Green and White forced 23 turnovers and had 15 steals. Thomas led the defensive effort for the Eagles as she nabbed seven steals, while Fouty had three and Sweeney grabbed two.

Katie Faught paced the Loyola offense as she went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc to net a team-high 18 points, while Troy Hambric had 17 points for the Ramblers and grabbed nine rebounds.

The quick-paced Eagle offense came out strong against the Ramblers as they got out to a fast 14-point lead using an 11-point run. Three-straight three-pointers from Eastern gave EMU the 15-5 lead as Haley Moore (Milford, Neb.-Milford), Morton and Sweeney knocked down one apiece. The Eagles scored the next four points before Loyola started to change the pace of the contest.

The Ramblers found their rhythm as Faught checked into the game and drained back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to bring Loyola within 10 of Eastern. The scoring continued to go back-and-forth as Eastern maintained a nine-point lead before Faught dropped in back-to-back threes for the second time to bring the Ramblers within eight of EMU.

Loyola continued to come from behind as it came within three of the Eagles with 4:50 left in the first half off an open jump shot from Becca Smith. The Green and White suffered a dry spell in scoring, as it couldn't find a basket in the last four minutes of the half.

The Ramblers closed out the half on an 8-0 run to knot the score at 38-38 heading into the locker room. After shooting just 14 percent in the first seven minutes, Loyola turned it around to close out the half with a 38.9 shooting percentage, led by Faught who went five-for-six from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Eagles ended the first 20 minutes of play with a 33.3 shooting percentage as Morton led the charge with 10 points, while Fouty added eight points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds, including six offensive boards.

Eastern brought the momentum back to the court when it came out of the locker room and went on a 15-4 run in the first five minutes of play, scoring six points on Rambler miscues to take the 55-42 lead.

Loyola came out of the first media timeout going on a 7-0 run to come within eight of the Eagles, but EMU did not allow the Ramblers to come back into the game as they went on a 13-0 run with Thomas scoring seven-straight.

The Green and White forced Loyola to call a timeout as a fast break layup from Thomas to Watkins gave the Eagles a 72-52 lead with just six minutes left in the contest.

EMU continued to build on its lead going up as many as 22 three different times in the final five minutes of play with Watkins scoring six of the Eagles final eight points to help Eastern to an 82-64 victory over Loyola.

Eastern's 82 points in the contest marks the fifth time in as many games that the Eagles have notched over 80 points in a game as the Green and White currently average 93 points per game.

The Eagles will host UMKC, Saturday, Dec. 7, but instead of the game taking place at the Convocation Center it will be played at the 1,000-seat Activities Center on the campus of Madonna University. Tip off is slated for noon in Livonia, Mich.

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Team Stats

Cha Sweeney

Janay Morton

Desyree Thomas

Olivia Fouty

Eastern Michigan Athletics