Women's Basketball Falls to Western Michigan in Emotional Mid-Week Contest

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Dealing with a heavy heart following the loss of a teammate, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team fell to the Western Michigan University Broncos, 83-56, in a mid-week Mid-American Conference contest Wednesday, Jan. 28, at University Arena.

Eastern (10-8, 3-4 MAC) shot 32.4 percent from the floor, while freshman Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) recorded her second-straight double-digit scoring effort with 15 points, 12 of which came in the second half of action. Sophomore Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) added nine points for the Eagles, while Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) notched nine points for the Green and White. On the boards, Brianna Puni (St. Charles, Mo.-Incarnate Word (Illinois State)) pulled down a team-best six rebounds, while Sweeney grabbed five for EMU.

The Eagles forced Western Michigan into 20 turnovers, stealing 11 balls and committing just 10 miscues in the 40-minute contest. Despite losing the turnover battle, WMU outrebounded Eastern Michigan, 40-32. However, EMU grabbed 17 offensive rebounds compared to the Bronco's six.

Western Michigan saw three players reach double-digts, while Miracle Woods notched a double-double with a team-best 23 points and 12 rebounds. AJ Johnson and Jazmine Windham also nabbed double-digit nights with 16 and 13 points, respectively. As a team, the Broncos shot 57.1 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-points range, dropping nine treys in the contest.

The Eagles found an offensive spark, going on a 5-0 run with four points from Sweeney before the sophomore dished a pass to a breaking Jamaica Bucknor (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Weaver (ASA College)) to put the Green and White up 12-11 over the Broncos. Trailing by four, sharpshooter Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey, TED Ankara College (Odessa)) drilled a three from the right corner off the inbound play before EMU used a 5-2 run to take a 27-26 lead with 7:31 left to play in the first half.

The two teams continued to exchange baskets before Bucknor picked a steal and scored on a fastbreak layup to allow Eastern to take its third one-point advantage of the night. Following a Green and White foul, WMU scored five-straight points to take a slight four-point advantage, 35-31, with just less than four minutes to play in the first half. Western Michigan closed out the half with a 12-2 run to take a 42-33 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles shot 38.9 percent in the first half, going 14-for-36, while Sweeney notched eight points to lead the Green and White's offensive output. Morton added six points for EMU, while Ozelci had five points. The Eastern defense forced WMU into 11 turnovers, while EMU committed just five miscues of its own.

The Bronco's shot an impressive 63 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range as Windham knocked down three treys for Western Michigan for a team-best 11 first half points.

Western continued to build on its lead to start the second half of action, in large part due to eight-straight points, six of which were from the charity stripe, from Woods to take a 20-point advantage, 55-35, into the first media timeout of the final half. The Eagles slowly started to chip away at the WMU lead, scoring six of its first eight points of the second half in a two-minute span, including a fastbreak layup from Dailey.

Early fouls and fastbreak points plagued the Green and White following the short EMU run as the Broncos used 11 free throws and two three-pointers to take a 68-44 lead with just under nine minutes left to play in the contest. Despite the deficit, Dailey was a sparkplug for the Eagle offense, scoring eight-straight points for Eastern, including a second fastbreak layup followed by a Tory Verdi timeout with 6:21 left to play.

The Eagles were unable to generate any further runs in the remaining minutes, falling to the Broncos, 83-56, in the mid-week contest.

The Eagles return home to host the University at Buffalo Saturday, Jan. 31. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The game is the second leg of a doubleheader with the EMU men's basketball team, which tangles with Western Michigan University at 12 p.m. In addition, it will be a 'White Out' at the Convo with everyone encouraged to wear white.

Women's Basketball Falls to Western Michigan in Emotional Mid-Week Contest

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Team Stats

Sasha Dailey

Janay Morton

Cha Sweeney

Tori Easley

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Sasha Dailey

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

Eastern Michigan Athletics