Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, December 8
Cambridge, Mass.
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
5-2
85
at
81
Harvard
4-5
1
2
3
4
F
Eastern Michigan
19
17
23
26
85
Harvard
22
19
21
19
81
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Sweeney's Season-High 31-Point Effort Leads Eagles Past Harvard, 85-81
12/8/2015 10:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Every player that played scored for the Eagles in the win
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind a season-high 31 points by junior Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers), the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team came back from a late 10-point deficit to top Harvard University (4-5), 85-81, Dec. 8 in Lavietes Pavillion. The Eagles (5-2) withstood a few late runs while an all-around effort led by Sweeney fueled EMU past the Crimson.
Sweeney shot 12-of-26 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line on her way to eclipsing the 30-point mark for the first time this season. Fellow junior Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) added 18 points while falling one rebound short of a double-double. Junior Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) also reached double figures, scoring 11 points to go along with six rebounds and four steals.
The Eagles clean play throughout the game gave them a +14 turnover margin as the Green and White forced the Crimson into 20 miscues. Eastern made the most of Harvard's turnovers, cashing them in for 22 points.
After Harvard opened with an early lead, Morton evened the score at five with a three-pointer, but the shot from long-range did little to quiet the Crimson as Harvard scored six unanswered points to regain control. With his team trailing 11-6, Head Coach Tory Verdi called a timeout with hopes of cutting Harvard's momentum.
Out of the break, back-to-back three-pointers by senior Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara College) reenergized the Eagles before sophomore Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) scored an easy layup. Webb then intercepted a pass on the ensuing in-bounds. Swiping the pass at midcourt, Webb attacked the defense and laid it in for two, tying the score at 15.
Looking as though Harvard would close the opening period with control, graduate transfer Chanise Baldwin (Pontiac, Mich.-Martin Luther King) stepped and imposed her will in the paint. Corralling an offensive rebound, Baldwin's put back pulled the Eagles within three, 22-19, through one quarter of play.
In the second quarter, foul trouble forced the Eagles to rely heavily on the play of their bench. Dailey, along with fellow sophomores Tori Easley (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and Micah Robinson (Ann Arbor, Mich.-Huron), were up to the task, fueling the Green and White to their first lead of the game. A pull-up jumper by Robinson was followed by an easy bucket by Webb, putting the Eagles in front for the first time, 27-26, with six minutes to play in the half.
For the remainder of the second quarter, the Eagles kept it within one behind balanced scoring. Another triple by Ozelci and a jumper from the elbow by Easley made the score 33-32 in favor of the home team. Over the next three minutes of play however, the Eagles were outscored 8-4, allowing Harvard to take a 41-36 edge into halftime.
Harvard extended their lead to double-digits, 50-40, early in the second half. With his team facing a 10-point deficit early, Verdi burned a timeout to regroup. The break in play proved to be just what the Eagles needed. Fueled by 11 points from Sweeney and four points by Webb, the Eagles went on a 15-0 run to take a 55-50 lead. The Crimson clawed their way back before the end of the quarter, regaining the lead with 20 seconds left in the period.
Trailing 62-59 with 10 minutes to play, the Eagles offense stalled. Back-to-back empty possessions by the Green and White were answered by back-to-back buckets by the Crimson, extending their lead to eight, 67-59. Baskets by Webb, Dailey, Sweeney, and Morton allowed the Eagles to tie the game at 75 with two minutes to play.
After a defensive stand by the Eagles that forced a shot-clock violation by the Crimson, Sweeney drove the lane and hit a floater to give EMU a 77-75 lead. From there, the Crimson pulled within a basket several times, but the Eagles closed it down from the free throw line, hitting 8-of-8 from the line, to secure the 85-81 win for Eastern Michigan.
Eastern will now trek down the east coast to West Long Branch, N.J. for a Thursday night meeting with Monmouth. EMU's game versus the Hawks is set for 7 p.m.
Sweeney shot 12-of-26 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line on her way to eclipsing the 30-point mark for the first time this season. Fellow junior Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) added 18 points while falling one rebound short of a double-double. Junior Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) also reached double figures, scoring 11 points to go along with six rebounds and four steals.
The Eagles clean play throughout the game gave them a +14 turnover margin as the Green and White forced the Crimson into 20 miscues. Eastern made the most of Harvard's turnovers, cashing them in for 22 points.
After Harvard opened with an early lead, Morton evened the score at five with a three-pointer, but the shot from long-range did little to quiet the Crimson as Harvard scored six unanswered points to regain control. With his team trailing 11-6, Head Coach Tory Verdi called a timeout with hopes of cutting Harvard's momentum.
Out of the break, back-to-back three-pointers by senior Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara College) reenergized the Eagles before sophomore Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) scored an easy layup. Webb then intercepted a pass on the ensuing in-bounds. Swiping the pass at midcourt, Webb attacked the defense and laid it in for two, tying the score at 15.
Looking as though Harvard would close the opening period with control, graduate transfer Chanise Baldwin (Pontiac, Mich.-Martin Luther King) stepped and imposed her will in the paint. Corralling an offensive rebound, Baldwin's put back pulled the Eagles within three, 22-19, through one quarter of play.
In the second quarter, foul trouble forced the Eagles to rely heavily on the play of their bench. Dailey, along with fellow sophomores Tori Easley (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and Micah Robinson (Ann Arbor, Mich.-Huron), were up to the task, fueling the Green and White to their first lead of the game. A pull-up jumper by Robinson was followed by an easy bucket by Webb, putting the Eagles in front for the first time, 27-26, with six minutes to play in the half.
For the remainder of the second quarter, the Eagles kept it within one behind balanced scoring. Another triple by Ozelci and a jumper from the elbow by Easley made the score 33-32 in favor of the home team. Over the next three minutes of play however, the Eagles were outscored 8-4, allowing Harvard to take a 41-36 edge into halftime.
Harvard extended their lead to double-digits, 50-40, early in the second half. With his team facing a 10-point deficit early, Verdi burned a timeout to regroup. The break in play proved to be just what the Eagles needed. Fueled by 11 points from Sweeney and four points by Webb, the Eagles went on a 15-0 run to take a 55-50 lead. The Crimson clawed their way back before the end of the quarter, regaining the lead with 20 seconds left in the period.
Trailing 62-59 with 10 minutes to play, the Eagles offense stalled. Back-to-back empty possessions by the Green and White were answered by back-to-back buckets by the Crimson, extending their lead to eight, 67-59. Baskets by Webb, Dailey, Sweeney, and Morton allowed the Eagles to tie the game at 75 with two minutes to play.
After a defensive stand by the Eagles that forced a shot-clock violation by the Crimson, Sweeney drove the lane and hit a floater to give EMU a 77-75 lead. From there, the Crimson pulled within a basket several times, but the Eagles closed it down from the free throw line, hitting 8-of-8 from the line, to secure the 85-81 win for Eastern Michigan.
Eastern will now trek down the east coast to West Long Branch, N.J. for a Thursday night meeting with Monmouth. EMU's game versus the Hawks is set for 7 p.m.
Team Stats
EMU
HARV
FG%
.419
.516
3FG%
.278
.429
FT%
.750
.500
RB
39
39
TO
6
20
STL
13
5
Game Leaders
Pts
31
FGM
12
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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