Eagles Take Down Rockets, 75-61, in Road Contest Victory

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TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team earned its first win over the Rockets of the University of Toledo since the 2011-12 season with a 75-61 road victory Saturday, Jan. 24, inside Savage Arena.

The Eagles shot 45.9 percent from the floor, going 21-for-61, while tying a season-best with 10 three-pointers. In a homecoming affair for Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers), the two were the only Eagles to reach double-figures, combining for 37 EMU points. Sweeney led the EMU offense with a season-high 23 points, while Dailey added 14 for the Green and White. Eastern forced Toledo into 19 turnovers which turned into 27 points for EMU, while turning the ball over just 14 times. Again, the Eagle bench proved to be affective for Eastern as it out-scored the Rocket's bench, 38-11, including 16 points off of second chances.

The Eastern defense kept UT to 37.7 percent shooting from the floor, making 23-of-61 shots it took. Toledo was led by Inma Zanoguera who notched 15 points for the Rockets, while Brenae Harris added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Midnight Blue and Gold.

Toledo took the first edge of the contest, going up as many as six before the EMU defense started to settle in, forcing three-straight turnovers in the backcourt, which lead into offensive output for the Green and White. The Eagles used back-to-back Dailey jump shots from the top of the key and a three-pointer from Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED College (Odessa College)) to take a 17-14 lead heading into the halfway point of the first half.

The contest continued to go back-and-forth between the two squads until the Eagles started to pull away with a UT turnover followed by a Dailey jumper to put the Green and White up 29-23 with 4:53 remaining in the half. Capitalizing on Toledo miscues, EMU closed out the half with a 10-6 run including a last second three-pointer from Sweeney to take a 37-29 advantage into the locker room.

The Eagles shot 45.7 percent from the floor in the first half, making 16 of their 35 shots and five three-pointers, including two from Ozelci. Eastern was led Sweeney who dropped 10 points in the first half, while Dailey added eight to the Green and White scoring effort. EMU's defense forced the Rockets into 13 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of action, which turned into 18 points for the Green and White, while the Eagles turned the ball over just seven times in the half.

Eastern kept Toledo to 45.2 percent shooting from the floor, powered behind 11 points from Inma Zanoguera and six points from Sophie Reecher. The Rockets took the rebounding advantage in the first half with 20 compared to the Eagles 15.

Sweeney came out hot in the second half sinking two-straight three-pointers to extend the EMU lead to 14 before the Rockets found their first points of the half off a Reecher free throw. UT cut the Eagle lead to 10, but EMU responded on its next trip down the court with a trey from Ozelci to maintain a 13-point advantage, 48-35, with 15:25 left in the contest.

Eastern continued to find open shots, scoring on back-to-back possessions, forcing Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop to call a timeout. Following the timeout, the Rockets capitalized on two EMU fouls to score four points, bringing them within 10 of the Green and White. Eastern continued to push the pace of the contest when Shannise Heady (Hazel Crest, Ill.-Hillcrest (Seton Hall)) pulled down a defensive rebound and dished a bounce pass to a breaking Jamaica Bucknor (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Weaver (ASA College)) before Brianna Puni (St. Charles, Mo.-Incarnate Word Academy (Illinois State)) knocked down the Eagles first free throws of the game to extend the Eagle advantage to 59-44 with 6:58 left in to play.
The Green and White's pressure on defense kept the Rockets to just five field goals in the first 16 minutes of action in the second half before Ana Copotosto made a three from the left side of the court with 3:53 in the contest as UT continued to trail Eastern, 68-51.

The Eagles closed out the contest with seven free throws to earn a 75-61 victory over the Toledo Rockets.

The Eagles remain on the road for a mid-week contest when they travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. to take on the Western Michigan University Broncos. Tip off from University Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Team Stats

Cha Sweeney

Sasha Dailey

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Shannise Heady

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Eastern Michigan Athletics