Balanced Scoring Powers EMU Past Western Michigan, 83-77

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball snapped a two-game losing skid with an 83-77 victory over in-state rival Western Michigan University in a Mid-American Conference battle at the Convocation Center Wednesday night, Jan. 15. The victory brings the Eagles back to .500 in conference play with a 2-2 mark and a 12-3 record overall. Meanwhile, the Broncos fall to 6-9, including a 2-2 tally MAC contests.

Five Eagles reached double figures, led by 20 points from freshman Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers). Fellow Toledo native Olivia Fouty (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Northview) followed with 14 points, while Desyree Thomas (Waterford, Mich.-Mott) and Janay Morton (Brooklyn, Minn.-Osseo) each contributed 11. In addition to Thomas' 11 points, she added six first-half steals, and Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) recorded a double-double with 10 points and a team-best 13 rebounds. As a team, the Green and White shot 45.1 percent from the floor (32-of-71), making seven three-pointers that included a 6-of-10 clip from long range in the second half. The Eagles sank 12-of-20 from the free throw line and controlled the rebounds, 45-42. Eastern also forced 17 turnovers, leading to 21 points.

Western Michigan also had balanced scoring throughout the night, led by Miracle Woods' 14 points as the forward converted 10-of-10 from the stripe. Marquisha Harris collected 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while A.J. Johnson and Alex Morton scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. The Broncos made 27 of their 70 field goals (38.6 percent), while they struggled from beyond the arc (5-of-17), they found success at the line by sinking 18-of-20. Nearly half of WMU's points came from inside the paint, mustering 38 from inside the area.

Fouty began the scoring by taking advantage of her own offensive rebound. The redshirt junior drove baseline, sinking the bucket while drawing a foul. The old-fashioned three point play was successful, and Thomas added a jumper on the next possession to give EMU the early, 5-0, lead. However, the Broncos finally got on the board two minutes into the game, taking advantage of a steal to cut the margin to three. Going into the first media timeout with a 9-6 lead, Eastern made twice as many shots as WMU, shooting 4-of-6 while the Broncos made just 2-of-6.

The EMU defense caused problems for Western early on in the contest, forcing six turnovers in the first eight minutes and holding the opposition to 3-of-11 from the floor. Making back-to-back baskets along with a pair of free throws, the Broncos caught up to the Eagles to even the game at 16 apiece. Both teams seemed to only be able to score in four-point stretches as four were notched EMU then answered by Western. The Eagles regained the lead with back-to-back scores to increase the advantage to four; nonetheless, WMU broke the trend with a 7-0 run for its first and only lead of the game, 27-24, prompting EMU Head Coach Tory Verdi to call timeout with 6:12 remaining in the opening half.

The timeout paid off as the Eagles captured the lead with eight straight points in two minutes, giving them their biggest lead at that point and causing WMU Head Coach and former EMU assistant Shane Clipfell to ask for a break in the action. Unlike Coach Verdi's timeout, the Broncos could not score on their next possession to break the momentum. Watkins increased the run to 10-0 with her third field goal in-a-row, but Western ended the streak with a three-point play on the other end of the floor. Nonetheless, Watkins continued to have the hot hand, adding a jumper to keep the difference at seven points. The Broncos close the gap going into the half, as EMU held a soft cushion, 39-36.

Balanced scoring in the opening 20 minutes proved to be a key factor in the Eagles' success. Fouty led the way with nine points while Sweeney, Thomas and Watkins all chipped in with eight points each. Thomas not only provided offensive output, but she also led the EMU defensive effort with six of the team's nine steals in the first half. As a team, EMU shot 17-of-37 from the floor for a 45.9 percent clip. While Eastern made 4-of-5 from the charity stripe, they struggled from beyond the arc, sinking just one of their 12 attempts.

Western Michigan shot 43.3 percent in the first half on 13-of-30 shooting. Woods tallied eight points to lead the visiting team, including 6-of-6 from the foul line. As a team, the Broncos made all eight of their free throw attempts, while shooting just 2-of-8 from three-point land. WMU also coughed up the basketball 13 times throughout the first half.

The Eagles crashed the offensive boards coming out of the locker room, corralling six in the first four minutes of the second half to help increase their lead to six. Sweeney scored to get herself into double digits making it an eight point game, 48-40. After each team making a deuce, a Jamaica Bucknor (New Haven, Conn.-Weaver (ASA College)) free throw and a Fouty three brought the lead to double figures for the first time at a dozen, 54-42. Western answered with a three of its own to bring it back to single digits, with 11:48 left in the game.

Western continued to try and cut the margin, but with every basket the Broncos scored, the Eagles answered with a three. First, Bucknor nailed a long range jumper from the corner, and then Morton added a trey of her own to keep the difference at 12 points. The freshman continued her hot shooting, scoring the Eastern's next five points to increase the lead, 69-54, with six minutes remaining.

Western used an 8-2 run to get back within nine, but once again Morton responded for her team with a three. However, another 8-2 streak by the Broncos brought the game to a five-point difference, 76-71, with under one minute to go. With WMU forced to foul, Thomas sank both free throws to push the lead to seven. However, a technical foul on Fouty gave the Broncos a chance to make two free throws and score a bucket, which they did, making the contest just a three point difference, 78-75 with 42 seconds left. Despite WMU threatening, the Eagles sank 5-of-8 in the final seconds while forcing tough shots on the other end of the floor, taking the conference victory, 83-77.

Coach Verdi's Eagles will return to the mighty MAC road for a pair of cross-divisional showdowns. EMU will venture east to upstate New York to match up against the University at Buffalo, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. Five days later, the Eagles flock south to battle the Falcons of Bowling Green State University, Jan. 23.

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Team Stats

Cha Sweeney

Olivia Fouty

Desyree Thomas

Janay Morton

Eastern Michigan Athletics