Eagles Snap Losing Streak Against Falcons with First Conference Win

Highlights

Postgame Audio

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team snapped a 13-game losing skid against Bowling Green University dating back to the 2004-05 campaign, downing the Falcons 64-52 at the Convocation Center Saturday, Jan. 17.

The Eagles (8-7, 1-3 MAC) earned their first Mid-American Conference victory of the season behind 40 points from the EMU bench, while three players tabbed double-digit scoring for the Green and White despite shooting just 38.1 percent from the floor. Eastern was led by Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers), who scored 15 points, including going 3-for-4 from three point range, as well as doling out six assists. Sophomore Janay Morton (Osseo, Minn.-Osseo) and senior Brianna Puni (St. Charles, Mo.-Incarnate Word (Illinois State)) each added 10 points for the Eagles, while junior Shannise Heady (Hazel Crest, Ill.-Hillcrest (Seton Hall)) notched a career day with five steals.

Eastern outrebounded the Falcons 39-29 and forced BGSU into 21 turnovers compared to eight from the Eagles. The eight turnovers tied a season-low as EMU committed just eight miscues against Madonna, Dec. 9. The Green and White also held the advantage in second-chance points with 16 as well as scoring six points off of fastbreak opportunities.

Bowling Green saw three players notch double-digit scoring with Deborah Hoekstra tallying a team-best 14 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Miriam Justinger and Rachel Myers were the final Falcons with 12 and 10 points, respectively. BGSU shot 40 percent from the floor (16-of-40) and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc, making 11 three-pointers on the afternoon.

Neither team could get an edge on the other with the two opponents exchanging baskets throughout the first 10 minutes of the contest. A free throw from Heady knotted the score at 19-19 with 10:34 remaining in the first half. The score remained deadlocked for the next 2:36 before Jamaica Bucknor (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Weaver (ASA College)) dropped an easy jumper from the top of the key and Kabria Walker (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) made a jumper off the block, following an EMU backcourt steal, to give Eastern the four-point lead.

The Green and White continued to force the Falcons into unwanted shots, while the BGSU drought entered an eighth minute. Myers made both of her shots from the charity stripe to notched the Falcons' first points since the 12-minute mark, but the Eagles responded on their next trip down the floor with a jumper in the paint from Puni to maintain a six-point advantage.

Despite the Falcons notching the final points of the half with a three from Justinger, the Eagles were able to take a 32-28 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Eastern shot 38.2 percent from the floor, 13-for-34, Morton knocked down a team-best seven points. Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and Sweeney added five points to the EMU scoring effort to go along with four rebounds and four points from Puni. The Eastern defense forced BGSU into 16 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of action, while the Eagles swiped 12 balls out of the hands of the Falcons. The Eagles committed just six turnovers in the first half and outrebounded Bowling Green, 17-15. Furthermore, the Green and White bench outscored the BGSU bench 17-2 in the first 20 minutes of play.

The Falcons shot 52.9 percent from the floor in the first half of action, while Justinger went three-for-three with two three-pointers. Myers added seven points for the Falcons, sinking four shots from the charity stripe and one three-point shot, while Hoekstra grabbed a team-best four boards.

Much like the first half, the Eagles and the Falcons exchanged baskets to start the half before back-to-back threes from BGSU allowed Bowling Green to take its first lead since the opening half. However, the lead was short-lived as EMU scored on its next two possessions to take a 41-39 advantage with 11:43 remaining.

Eastern increased its lead to seven, 52-45, when Heady swiped her fifth steal of the contest and Sweeney converted on the fastbreak layup at the opposite end of the court with 4:12 left to play. Following a timeout called by BGSU Head Coach Jennifer Roos, Hoeskstra dropped a corner three to cut the EMU lead to four.

Back-to-back makes inside the paint allowed the Eagles to take an eight-point lead, while two free throws from Sweeney gave the Green and White its largest lead of the contest. EMU was clutch from the charity stripe in the final minutes, going 5-for-6 six before Sweeney knocked down one final three to give Eastern the 64-52 victory and its first conference win of the 2014-15 season.

The Eagles will close out their three-game homestand Wednesday, Jan. 21, when they take on Miami University in a cross-divisional conference contest. Tip off from the Convocation Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Eagles Snap Losing Streak Against Falcons with First Conference Win

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Team Stats

Cha Sweeney

Janay Morton

Brianna Puni

Shannise Heady

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Janay Morton

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Janay Morton

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Eastern Michigan Athletics