Hot Three-Point Shooting Paves the Way for Victory Over the Chippewas

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team picked up its fifth Mid-American Conference victory of the season with a decisive 85-64 win over Central Michigan University Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Convocation Center. The 21-point victory over the rival Chippewas was the largest since the 2003-04 campaign when the Eagles cruised to an 89-68 decision in Mount Pleasant, March 2, 2004.

The Eagles (12-10. 5-6 MAC) topped their season-best from three nights ago, knocking down 13 three-pointers for a 52.0 shooting percentage. Junior Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara (Odessa College)) and sophomore Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) had four apiece for the Green and White, which marked a career-best for Ozelci and was one short of a career-best for Morton. Senior Jamaica Bucknor (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Weaver (ASA College)) led the Eagle offense with 24 points, which was just one point off her career-high 25 points against Madonna, Dec. 9, 2014, while three other EMU players notched double digit-scoring. Sophomore Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) had 17 points for the Green and White and a career-high 10 assists for the second double-double of her career, while Morton added 14 points and Ozelci posted 12.

The 13 three-pointers, combined with the 11 treys from the Eagles' setback to Ball State mark the first time since the 2010-11 season that the Green and White has made 10-or-more three-pointers in consecutive games. The last time the feat was accomplished, EMU sank 10 triples in an 89-34 win over Niagara, Dec. 28, before ringing in 2012 with a 79-63 victory over Ball State that featured 12 three-pointers, Jan. 5.

As a team, the Eagles shot 45.3 percent from the floor, going 29-for-64, while out-scoring CMU 28-18 in the paint. The Green and White forced Central into 17 turnovers, scoring 13 points, while the EMU bench nabbed 34 points compared to the Chippewas 27 bench points.

Central Michigan shot just 33.8 percent from the floor, making 22 shots on 65 attempts, while three CMU players had double-digit scoring efforts. Kerby Tamm led all scorers with 21 points fueled by seven three-pointers and Lorreal Jones was the lone player to nab a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. The Chippewas saw one final double-digit scoring effort from Cassandra Breen, while Jas'Mine Bracey pulled down seven rebounds for Central Michigan. CMU was playing without MAC Player of the Year candidate Crystal Bradford who missed the her second consecutive game due to an injury.

Eastern opened up action with back-to-back threes from Morton and Ozelci to take the early lead. Bucknor lit a spark on the boards for the Green and White defense, grabbing three-straight defensive rebounds, which turned into four EMU points, allowing the Eagles to take a 15-7 lead over CMU with 12:31 left in the first half. Eastern continued to force the Chippewas into unwanted shots as Central fans witnessed a five-minute scoring drought, increasing the EMU lead to 19-7.

Central Michigan attempted to close the gap on the EMU lead, but matching three-point plays allowed the Eagles to sustain an 11-point, 25-14, with 7:50 left in the first half of action. CMU used back-to-back treys from Breen and two free throws to come within eight of the Green and White, but two jumpers from Sweeny and a Bucknor layup brought the EMU lead to 11, 39-28.

A Chippewa turnover with 15 seconds left on the clock proved to be detrimental as Bucknor knocked down a triple from the top of the arc, allowing the Green and White to take a 45-28 lead into the locker room at the half.

EMU shot at a 44.1 percent clip in the first half, going 15-for-34 from the floor, while draining eight three-pointers for a 53.3 shooting percentage in the first 20 minutes of action. Two Eagles notched double-digit scoring efforts in the first half as Morton and Bucknor had 12 points apiece for the Green and White, while Sweeney added seven. All of Morton's 12 points came by way of the trey, while Bucknor led the Eagles on the boards with four rebounds.

Central Michigan was led by Tamm, who notched nine points in the first half, while Jones added seven for the Chips. CMU shots 33.3 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, making 10-of-30 shot attempts. Central Michigan just barely edged out the Eagles on the board, pulling down 22 rebounds compared to EMU's 20, but it was the Green and White who forced the Chippewas into 10 turnovers, which turned into eight points for Eastern.

To open the second half, Ozelci dropped two-straight threes to extend the Eagles' lead to 51-32. Eastern continued to dominate Central Michigan when a triple by Sweeney put the Eagles up 62-39 and forced Head Coach Sue Guevara to call a timeout with 12:05 left to play.

The two teams began to exchange baskets with Eastern holding a comfortable 25-point lead, 73-48, after a Bucknor corner three heading into the final five minutes of action. Despite a slight run by the Chippewas, 18-12, Eastern Michigan closed out the game with a 85-64 victory against the in-state rivals.

EMU will hit the road for its next two contests, first traveling to Oxford, Ohio for a match up with the RedHawks of Miami University Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. Following the game against MU the Eagles will trek to Athens, Ohio to take on the Bobcats of Ohio University Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on Eagle All-Access at emueagles.com/watch.

Hot Three-Point Shooting Paves the Way for Victory Over the Chippewas

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Team Stats

Jamaica Bucknor

Cha Sweeney

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

Players Mentioned

Jamaica Bucknor

Janay Morton

Sera Ozelci

Cha Sweeney

Eastern Michigan Athletics