Women's Hoops Advances in WBI with 78-65 Victory over Evansville

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The top-seeded Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team used a 15-2 run to break a tie in the final 4:42, winning 78-65 over the University of Evansville in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational, March 20, at the Convocation Center. With the victory, the Eagles improve to 18-13 on the season and advance to the second round of the WBI, hosting the University of Illinois-Chicago Monday, March 24, at 7 p.m.

All five starters for the Green and White reached double figures as they scored 77 of the team's 78 points. Shannise Heady (Hazel Crest, Ill.-Hillcrest (Seton Hall)) recorded a career-high for the third straight game with 19 points. Mid-American Conference Freshman Player of the Year Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) added 19 as well, while Brooklyn Park, Minn. natives Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) and Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) each chipped in with 14 points apiece. Webb pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double, and Jamaica Bucknor notched the first of her career with 11 points and a personal-best 13 rebounds, also a team high.

After shooting just 37.5 percent in the first half, EMU made 56.3 percent (18-of-32) of its attempts from the floor in the second half to lead to a 33-of-72 performance (45.8 percent) for the entire contest. The Eagles dominated the boards, 51-34, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds that turned into 19 points. Eastern forced 16 turnovers on defense, adding eight steals and five blocks.

The Purple Aces (15-16) were paced by Mallory Ladd, who posted team highs in points (21) and rebounds (nine). Sara Dickey and Kat Taylro also reached double figures in scoring with 11 and 10, respectively. While Evansville sank 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, the visiting club was limited to just a 35.7 field goal percentage (25-of-70). UE threw up 30 attempts from long range, converting eight.

The Eagles struggled shooting the ball to start, making just two of their first 12 shots. Meanwhile, Evansville scored seven of the game's first nine points. The Purple Aces drained 4-of-7 from the floor to begin, increasing their lead to six. However, EMU responded with back-to-back buckets to cut the margin to two, 10-8, with 15:13 remaining in the first half.

Trailing by five, the EMU defense stepped up to hold UE scoreless for more than five minutes. On the other side of the floor, the Green and White scored seven straight, including a Sweeney jumper that gave the Eagles their first lead of the game. The run grew to nine before Evansville ended the streak, but Heady answered with another basket to double the advantage to four, 26-22, at the 3:43 mark of the opening half. Eastern continued its surge with four more points as the lead grew to eight. With the help of a pair of threes by the Purple Aces, the lead shrunk in half, 32-28, going into the break.

Heady tallied a team-best nine first half points as the five starters scored all 32 points in the opening 20 minutes. The Green and White shot 37.5 percent from the floor (15-of-40) while sinking just one three and one from the charity stripe. Eastern crashed the boards for 12 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points, compared to just two for the Purple Aces. The EMU defense also forced 10 turnovers that were converted into 10 points.

Ladd led her team with 10 points for 4-of-5 shooting; however, that hot shooting could not be said for her teammates as UE made just 30.6 percent (11-of-36) of their shots. Most of the Purple Aces' success came from three-point land with five from the perimeter in the first half.

Unlike the first half, Eastern came out hot to start the final 20 minutes of the game. Webb drilled a jumper before a full-court press led to a Morton steal. The sequence of plays was capped off by a layup from Sweeney, making it 36-28 in favor of the Green and White and forcing a timeout by Evansville. After the EMU lead escalated to double digits, the Purple Aces rattled off a 12-4 run that brought the game within two, 42-40, causing a timeout from EMU Head Coach Tory Verdi at the 14:38 mark of the second half.

Out of the break in the action, UE roared all the way back to tie the contest at 42. However, the tie did not last long as the Eagles countered with a free throw by KaBria Walker (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and a smooth drive by Morton. The advantage increased to nine with six straight points, including four from Heady. Nonetheless, the deficit did not phase Evansville as the Purple Aces responded with 11 straight to take a 59-58 lead with 6:04 remaining. Much like the tie earlier in the second half, the UE lead did not last long as a Sweeney three on the ensuing possession put the Eagles up two.

With the game tied at 63, Eastern put the game out of reach with a 15-2 run in the final 4:42 of the game. The streak was in large part due to the balanced scoring as all five Eagles on the floor chipped in with points. As the horn sounded, the top-seeded Eagles stood as the victors on the scoreboard, 78-65.

Women's Hoops Advances in WBI with 78-65 Victory over Evansville

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Team Stats

Cha Sweeney

Shannise Heady

Janay Morton

Phillis Webb

Eastern Michigan Athletics