Career-Highs by Thomas and Hite Lead Eagles Past Huskies, 54-45

DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team won back-to-back games for the first time this season, as the Eagles defeated Northern Illinois University, 54-45, Thursday night, Feb. 28, at NIU's Convocation Center.

With the win, the Eagles move to 8-19 on the 2012-13 campaign, including 6-8 in Mid-American Conference play. The victory improves the Eagles' chances of hosting a first round game in the MAC Tournament, March 9, at 2:30 p.m. against a team to be determined. EMU is now one game up and holds the tie-breaker on Western Michigan for the eighth-seed with two games remaining in the regular-season.

Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.–Mott) scored a career-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds to lead the Green and White. Chelsea Hite (Ligonier, Ind.–West Noble) also grabbed five boards while recording her career-high of 13 points.

The Eagles outscored the Huskies, 26-12, in the paint en route to 22-of-57 shooting from the floor for a 38.6 percentage.EMU also scored 16 points off 16 turnovers along with outscoring NIU, 8-0, on fastbreak points.

While Northern Illinois controlled the boards, 43-35, the Huskies managed to shoot just 31.6 percent from the field, sinking 18-of-57, four buckets less than the Eagles. Amanda Corral led NIU with 14 points and eight rebounds while teammate Natecia Augusta added 12 points and eight caroms.

NIU struck first with a corner three, but the Eagles answered on the next position with an offensive put-back from India Hairston (Flint, Mich.–Hamady). Each team added a deuce as both teams started 2-of-5 shooting, and the Huskies led, 5-4, just over four minutes into the game.

The lead and the shooting did not change in the next four minutes as both teams shot 4-of-11 from the floor, with NIU holding a 9-8 advantage with 11:29 remaining in the opening half.

With the deficit at four, Taylor Bird (Lawrence, Kan.–Lawrence) ended a nearly four-minute scoring drought for EMU with a jumper from long range. The Eagles would then take its first lead of the game with a three from Thomas, making it 14-12. Hite would add a layup on a superb look from Bird to increase the lead to four, causing NIU to call timeout with 6:29 to go in the first half.

The EMU zone would continue to create problems for NIU, contesting every shot and forcing turnovers. The 11-0 EMU run would end as the Huskies got into the bonus at the 3:03 mark of the first half. After two converted free throws, the Eagles would answer and Hite put in another bucket from the block. Three more points would increase the lead to double digits, 24-14. NIU would end a nine-minute drought without a field goal with a three, and the Eagles headed into the locker room up, 24-17, following a 16-5 run to end the half.

Hite and Thomas led the way for Eastern with seven points each and Denaya Brazzle (Portland, Ore.–Jefferson) tied her career-high in assists with three in the opening 20 minutes. The Eagles tallied 12 points in the paint and outrebounded Northern Illinois, 22-16. EMU made 10-of-27 from the field for a 37.0 percent clip, including 2-of-7 from three-point range.

The Green and White put together a strong first half defensively, holding NIU to 24.0 percent shooting as the Huskies made 6-of-25 buckets. EMU did a fantastic job of crashing the boards and limiting the Cardinal and Black to one shot, giving up only one offensive rebound in the opening half.

NIU would cut the lead to one, 28-27, as the Eagles were unable to sink any of their four attempts from the charity stripe to start the second half. Hairston would end the four-minute scoring drought for Eastern, increasing the advantage to three. However, Corral would hit a three from the top of the key to tie the game, 30-30, with 11:44 left in the game.

The Huskies would take the lead, but Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio–Brush) would counter with a baseline jumper to knot the game up once again. The Green and White would regain the lead on a fastbreak layup by Thomas, but NIU would tie it up with a jumper and call timeout at the 9:36 mark of the second half with the game a standstill at 34.

Thomas would give her team the lead with a jumper as time ran down on the shot clock, but Jenna Thorp knotted the game up for NIU. Watkins would answer with a pair of free throws to make it, 38-36. Once again, the Huskies tied it, but Bird nailed a three from the wing to give EMU a three point lead with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

Bird continued to be an offensive threat, finding Hite down low for an easy bunny before knocking down a jumper off an inbounds play. With 3:54 to go, the Eagles found themselves on top, 45-38.

Eastern held the Huskies scoreless for four minutes, but Corral ended the 9-0 EMU run to cut the lead to seven, 47-40, with 1:27 left. Following a couple of NIU fouls, Bird threw a perfect pass down the court to Sara Stone (Plymouth, Mich.–Salem) who put the layup, drawing a foul. Stone converted the old-fashioned three-point play to get the lead into double digits, 50-40. Just like in the first half, the Eagles would end the half on a run, outscoring the Huskies 16-7 to end the game as EMU took a 54-45 victory back to Ypsilanti.

EMU will complete its two-game road trip at the University of Toledo Sunday, March 3. Tip off from John F. Savage Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m. with Chad Bush and Greg Steiner on the call on WEMU (89.1 FM).

Career-Highs by Thomas and Hite Lead Eagles Past Huskies, 54-45

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Team Stats

Desyree Thomas

Chelsea Hite

Taylor Bird

Natachia Watkins

Eastern Michigan Athletics