Women's Basketball Clinches Narrow Victory over Cal State Fullerton

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team secured its first win of the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic and first win over a NCAA Division I opponent in the 2014-15 season when it defeated Cal State Fullerton, 78-74, Nov. 28.

The Eagles improve to 3-2 overall on the young season, while the Titans fall to 1-4 overall.

Sophomore Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) powered the EMU offense, scoring 21 points on 5-for-10 shooting from three-point land and 6-for-10 shooting from the floor. The Toledo, Ohio native also drained four free throws, grabbed a team-best seven rebounds, and dished out five assists, while Jamaica Bucknor (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Weaver (ASA College)) notched 16 points and pulled down seven boards for the Green and White. As a team, Eastern shot 45.6 percent from the floor and a season-best 47.6 percent from beyond the arc going 10-for-21. The Eagle bench contributed 32 points to the EMU scoring effort, while the Eagles found 20 points in the paint and notched 15 points off of Titan miscues.

Cal State Fullerton had two players notch over 20 points with Kathleen Iwuoha contributing 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds, while Chante Miles used 7-for-16 shooting from the floor and 5-for-11 shooting from three-point range to record 23 points for the Titans. Cal State Fullerton shot 39.7 percent from the floor, going 25-for-63 and sinking eight treys in 31 attempts for a 25.8 shooting percentage. The Titans cashed in on second chance points, collecting 21 points, while adding 22 points in the paint.

Despite scoring the first points of the game off of free throws, Cal State Fullerton was unable to keep the lead as Sweeney drained a three on the Eagles' next trip down the court to take the narrow one-point lead. EMU went on a 13-2 run to extend its lead to 11 before Iwuoha made an easy layup in the paint to end the four-minute Titan scoring drought. The two teams matched basket-for-basket before the Green and White scored 10-straight points to take its largest lead of the half.

Leading Cal State Fullerton 32-14, EMU suffered a two-minute scoring drought of its own but allowed the Titans to score just four points before extending its lead to 35-18 on a Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara College (Odessa)) three-pointer with 3:47 remaining in the first half. The Eagles found four final points to take a 40-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Sweeney led both teams with 13 first half points, while Bucknor had six and both Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) and KaBria Walker (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) added five to the EMU offensive output. The Eagles shot an impressive 55.6 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent from three-point land in the first half, draining eight of their 10 total treys.

The second half of action started much like the first as Cal State Fullerton notched the first basket before Eastern responded with a point of its own on a Rachel Kehoe (St. Clair, Mich.-St. Clair (St. Clair County C.C.)) free throw. The Eagles could not find a basket following a Sweeney three-pointer, allowing CSUF to go on an 8-3 run and cut the EMU lead to eight, 46-38, with 15:16 remaining in the contest.

A missed Green and White layup setup a three for Miles, cutting the its lead to just five with 14:37 left to play. The Eagles answered back with a Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) jumper and three free throws to extend the lead to 10. The Green and White tried to run away with the contest, but CSUF continued to keep pace as Miles drained a three with 7:49 left to bring the Titans within six of the Eagles. A free throw from Tailer Butler brought the score to 61-56 in favor of the Green and White before an easy jump shot from Miles cut the Eagle lead to just three.

EMU answered back with two points of its own on a classic and-one play, but again Miles dropped a trey to bring the Eagle lead to a narrow three points with 6:13 left in the contest. Miles continued to keep the Titans in the contest, making two free throws with under five minutes of action before a layup from Iwuoha brought Cal State Fullerton within one, 66-65. Again, Miles came through in the clutch, knocking down two free throws with 3:27 left in the game to knot the score at 67-67.

The Titans took their first lead of the contest since their opening basket on a three-pointer from Samantha Logan before Sweeney put the game back into EMU's hands, making both of her free throws. Bucknor extended the Green and White lead to three on two shots from the charity stripe with time dwindling on the clock. With the Titans being forced to foul, Shannise Heady (Hazel Crest, Ill-Hillcrest) hit a third set of free throws for Eastern before Iwouha brought CSUF within three with just eight seconds on the clock. Sweeney sank one final free throw to hand Eastern the narrow 78-74 victory over the Titans.

Eastern Michigan will conclude the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic Saturday, Nov. 29 when it takes on Weber State at 11 a.m. MT.

Women's Basketball Clinches Narrow Victory over Cal State Fullerton

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Team Stats

Cha Sweeney

Jamaica Bucknor

Shannise Heady

Janay Morton

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Rachel Kehoe

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

KaBria Walker

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Rachel Kehoe

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

KaBria Walker

Eastern Michigan Athletics