Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, December 5
USAF Academy, Colo.
2 p.m. MT
Eastern Michigan University
4-2
59
vs
83
Abilene Christian
6-2
1
2
3
4
F
Eastern Michigan
15
14
11
19
59
Abilene Christian
21
16
21
25
83
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
14 3-pointers By Abilene Christian Too Much To Overcome for EMU
12/5/2015 5:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Sera Ozelci hit four 3-pointers for the Eagles to finish with 12 points but was only able to put up six attempts.
USAF Academy, Colo. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team closed out the Air Force Classic, Dec. 5, with a 1-1 record after an 83-59 setback at the hands of Abilene Christian University. A season-high 18 turnovers paired with shooting struggles plagued the Eagles in the loss.
Shooting 28.6 percent from the floor, the Eagles could not keep pace by Abilene Christian's 43.3 field-goal percentage. The Wildcats shot 40.0 percent from deep, connecting on 14-of-35 attempts from distance while the Green and White converted just 8-of-21 shots from beyond the arc.
Junior Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) led the Eagles with 15 points while senior Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara College) added 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range. Senior Rachel Kehoe (St. Clair, Mich.-St. Clair) grabbed a season-high nine rebounds while junior Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) matched her with nine caroms of her own. For her efforts during the weekend, Chanise Baldwin (Pontiac, Mich.-Martin Luther King-Providence College) was selected to the all-tournament team after averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 points in the two games.
Alexis Mason led all scorers with a career-high 29 points, besting her previous record of 28, which was set last season vs. George Mason. She also broke her single-game three-pointers made and attempted records vs. Lamar last season, hitting 7-of-16 shots as the Wildcats set season highs with 14 treys and 3-point field goal percentage (.400).
It was a battle from beyond the arc to start as Abilene Christian converted their first two shots from distance to take an early lead. Ozelci answered the Wildcats challenge, knocking down a three ball from the wing before Webb's layup pulled the Eagles within one, 6-5.
While the Eagles tried to gain their first lead of the contest, the Wildcats fed off of the energy of Mason's hot start from beyond the arc. At the first media timeout, the Eagles found themselves trailing by five, 15-10.
Over the next five minutes, the Eagles played the Wildcats nearly even but could not close the gap. After the opening period of play the Eagles found themselves trailing by six, 21-15.
The Green and White created countless opportunities for themselves around the rim but could not convert, resulting in a three minute long scoreless drought to open the second quarter. Baldwin ended the drought from the charity stripe, converting a pair of free throws. Feeding off the energy of Baldwin's hustle play, the Eagles defense forced an ACU turnover and capitalized via a three-pointer by Ozelci.
Pulling within two on Ozelci's triple, a plethora of miscues and untimely fouls allowed the Wildcats to extend their lead to nine. Despite the deficit, the Eagles did not back down, rallying behind a momentum shifting play by Morton. Driving to the basket, Morton earned the hoop and the harm for an old fashioned three-point play. On the Eagles' next possession, Kehoe corralled an offensive rebound and put it in for two before Webb hit a layup to pull the Eagles within four, 31-27, with 2:15 to play in the quarter.
Unfortunately for the Green and White, Abilene Christian knocked down 5-of-7 shots to close out the half, giving the Wildcats a 37-29 lead at the break.
Back-to-back three-pointers by the Wildcats extended the Eagles' deficit to 14 and forced Head Coach Tory Verdi to call a timeout less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Abilene extended their lead to as many as 17 before the Green and White pieced together an 8-0 run over a four minute span. Shrinking the deficit to nine, the Eagles could not combat ACU's hot-handed three-point shooting. Converting 7-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc in the quarter, ACU held a 58-40 lead through three quarters of play.
The Eagles chipped away in the fourth quarter but ultimately could not overcome their own miscues, falling by a final score of 83-59.
Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Cambridge, Mass. for a Tuesday night tilt with Harvard, Dec. 8. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
All-Tournament Team
Chanise Baldwin – EMU
Sierra Allen – ACU
Courtney Hayes - GCU
Cheyenne Hedrington – GCU
Alexis Mason – ACU
MVP – Alexis Mason ACU
Shooting 28.6 percent from the floor, the Eagles could not keep pace by Abilene Christian's 43.3 field-goal percentage. The Wildcats shot 40.0 percent from deep, connecting on 14-of-35 attempts from distance while the Green and White converted just 8-of-21 shots from beyond the arc.
Junior Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) led the Eagles with 15 points while senior Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara College) added 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range. Senior Rachel Kehoe (St. Clair, Mich.-St. Clair) grabbed a season-high nine rebounds while junior Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) matched her with nine caroms of her own. For her efforts during the weekend, Chanise Baldwin (Pontiac, Mich.-Martin Luther King-Providence College) was selected to the all-tournament team after averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 points in the two games.
Alexis Mason led all scorers with a career-high 29 points, besting her previous record of 28, which was set last season vs. George Mason. She also broke her single-game three-pointers made and attempted records vs. Lamar last season, hitting 7-of-16 shots as the Wildcats set season highs with 14 treys and 3-point field goal percentage (.400).
It was a battle from beyond the arc to start as Abilene Christian converted their first two shots from distance to take an early lead. Ozelci answered the Wildcats challenge, knocking down a three ball from the wing before Webb's layup pulled the Eagles within one, 6-5.
While the Eagles tried to gain their first lead of the contest, the Wildcats fed off of the energy of Mason's hot start from beyond the arc. At the first media timeout, the Eagles found themselves trailing by five, 15-10.
Over the next five minutes, the Eagles played the Wildcats nearly even but could not close the gap. After the opening period of play the Eagles found themselves trailing by six, 21-15.
The Green and White created countless opportunities for themselves around the rim but could not convert, resulting in a three minute long scoreless drought to open the second quarter. Baldwin ended the drought from the charity stripe, converting a pair of free throws. Feeding off the energy of Baldwin's hustle play, the Eagles defense forced an ACU turnover and capitalized via a three-pointer by Ozelci.
Pulling within two on Ozelci's triple, a plethora of miscues and untimely fouls allowed the Wildcats to extend their lead to nine. Despite the deficit, the Eagles did not back down, rallying behind a momentum shifting play by Morton. Driving to the basket, Morton earned the hoop and the harm for an old fashioned three-point play. On the Eagles' next possession, Kehoe corralled an offensive rebound and put it in for two before Webb hit a layup to pull the Eagles within four, 31-27, with 2:15 to play in the quarter.
Unfortunately for the Green and White, Abilene Christian knocked down 5-of-7 shots to close out the half, giving the Wildcats a 37-29 lead at the break.
Back-to-back three-pointers by the Wildcats extended the Eagles' deficit to 14 and forced Head Coach Tory Verdi to call a timeout less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Abilene extended their lead to as many as 17 before the Green and White pieced together an 8-0 run over a four minute span. Shrinking the deficit to nine, the Eagles could not combat ACU's hot-handed three-point shooting. Converting 7-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc in the quarter, ACU held a 58-40 lead through three quarters of play.
The Eagles chipped away in the fourth quarter but ultimately could not overcome their own miscues, falling by a final score of 83-59.
Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Cambridge, Mass. for a Tuesday night tilt with Harvard, Dec. 8. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
All-Tournament Team
Chanise Baldwin – EMU
Sierra Allen – ACU
Courtney Hayes - GCU
Cheyenne Hedrington – GCU
Alexis Mason – ACU
MVP – Alexis Mason ACU
Team Stats
EMU
ACU
FG%
.286
.433
3FG%
.381
.400
FT%
.733
.688
RB
50
43
TO
18
13
STL
9
10
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
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