Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, December 31
DeKalb, Ill.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
5-8 (0-1MAC)
73
at
85
Northern Illinois
8-4 (1-0MAC)
1
2
3
4
F
Eastern Michigan
15
11
20
27
73
Northern Illinois
18
23
24
20
85
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
EMU's Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short at NIU
12/31/2016 4:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Senior Phillis Webb poured in a career-high 30 points in the loss
DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team opened Mid-American Conference play on the road Saturday afternoon, Dec. 31, against the Huskies of Northern Illinois University at NIU's Convocation Center. The Eagles (5-8, 0-1 MAC) trailed by as many as 23 in the contest but a fourth quarter surge fell short as NIU (8-4, 1-0 MAC) handed EMU an 85-73 setback.
As a team, the Eagles struggled offensively, connecting on just 39.7 percent of their shots from the floor. Miscues compounded EMU's shooting woes, as the Green and White turned the ball over 16 times. Meanwhile, NIU converted 45.1 of its shots from the field, including six three-pointers, and coughed the ball up 15 times, 10 of which came in the second half.
Senior Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) turned in a career-day for the Eagles, picking up her ninth career double-double in the loss. Webb finished the day with a career-high 30 points, becoming just the second Eagle to score 30-or-more points in a game this season. The Brooklyn Park, Minn. product was also EMU's top rebounder, grabbing 14 boards to secure the double-double. Juniors Micah Robinson (Ann Arbor, Mich.-Huron) and Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) also reached double digits in scoring, pouring in 16 and 11 points, respectively. Robinson scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half, while adding in a team-high five assists and two steals. Dailey chipped in four assists and two steals to round out her stat line.
EMU's stingy man-to-man defense caused NIU fits early on as the Huskies started the day 0-for-5 from the floor. Feeding off the defense, the Eagles opened up a 4-3 lead on buckets by Dailey before the Huskies found their stride, eventually taking a 10-8 lead into the first media timeout with 4:47 to go in the first quarter.
Dailey pulled the Eagles within one, knocking down EMU's first triple of the game with 3:54 to play, to cut NIU's edge to 12-11. From there, Webb sank a pull-up jumper to make the score, 16-15, with less than a minute to go. The next time down the floor the Green and White forced an NIU miscue and walked the ball up the court looking to take the lead in the final possession of the frame. With the shot clock off, NIU double teamed Robinson at the top of the key and forced a turnover, taking it coast-to-coast at the buzzer. The lay-in as time expired gave Northern Illinois a three-point, 18-15, lead through 10 minutes of action.
Eastern scored first in the second quarter as Easley tracked down a loose ball on an in-bounds and found Webb wide open for a baseline three-pointer. Sinking the triple, Webb leveled the score at 18 all before a quick four-point run by the Huskies had the Eagles trailing, 22-18. Despite a three-point play by Webb, NIU extended its lead to seven, 30-21, halfway through the frame behind an 8-0 run that spanned nearly three minutes.
Robinson converted a pair from the line to cut NIU's advantage to seven but the Huskies came right back with a deep three-pointer to push its edge to 33-23 with 2:30 to go in the half as EMU's offensive woes continued. Eastern Michigan coughed up the ball eight times in the second quarter, allowing the Northern Illinois to take a 41-26 lead in the locker room at halftime.
In the second half, the Huskies extended their lead to as many as 23, eventually taking a 65-46 lead into the final stanza.
Eastern mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, pulling within single digits with less than a minute to go behind 10 points by Robinson and eight points by Webb, but ultimately fell short, 85-73.
EMU returns home Wednesday night, Jan. 3, to square off against the University of Toledo. Tipoff between the Eagles and Rockets is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
As a team, the Eagles struggled offensively, connecting on just 39.7 percent of their shots from the floor. Miscues compounded EMU's shooting woes, as the Green and White turned the ball over 16 times. Meanwhile, NIU converted 45.1 of its shots from the field, including six three-pointers, and coughed the ball up 15 times, 10 of which came in the second half.
Senior Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) turned in a career-day for the Eagles, picking up her ninth career double-double in the loss. Webb finished the day with a career-high 30 points, becoming just the second Eagle to score 30-or-more points in a game this season. The Brooklyn Park, Minn. product was also EMU's top rebounder, grabbing 14 boards to secure the double-double. Juniors Micah Robinson (Ann Arbor, Mich.-Huron) and Sasha Dailey (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) also reached double digits in scoring, pouring in 16 and 11 points, respectively. Robinson scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half, while adding in a team-high five assists and two steals. Dailey chipped in four assists and two steals to round out her stat line.
EMU's stingy man-to-man defense caused NIU fits early on as the Huskies started the day 0-for-5 from the floor. Feeding off the defense, the Eagles opened up a 4-3 lead on buckets by Dailey before the Huskies found their stride, eventually taking a 10-8 lead into the first media timeout with 4:47 to go in the first quarter.
Dailey pulled the Eagles within one, knocking down EMU's first triple of the game with 3:54 to play, to cut NIU's edge to 12-11. From there, Webb sank a pull-up jumper to make the score, 16-15, with less than a minute to go. The next time down the floor the Green and White forced an NIU miscue and walked the ball up the court looking to take the lead in the final possession of the frame. With the shot clock off, NIU double teamed Robinson at the top of the key and forced a turnover, taking it coast-to-coast at the buzzer. The lay-in as time expired gave Northern Illinois a three-point, 18-15, lead through 10 minutes of action.
Eastern scored first in the second quarter as Easley tracked down a loose ball on an in-bounds and found Webb wide open for a baseline three-pointer. Sinking the triple, Webb leveled the score at 18 all before a quick four-point run by the Huskies had the Eagles trailing, 22-18. Despite a three-point play by Webb, NIU extended its lead to seven, 30-21, halfway through the frame behind an 8-0 run that spanned nearly three minutes.
Robinson converted a pair from the line to cut NIU's advantage to seven but the Huskies came right back with a deep three-pointer to push its edge to 33-23 with 2:30 to go in the half as EMU's offensive woes continued. Eastern Michigan coughed up the ball eight times in the second quarter, allowing the Northern Illinois to take a 41-26 lead in the locker room at halftime.
In the second half, the Huskies extended their lead to as many as 23, eventually taking a 65-46 lead into the final stanza.
Eastern mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, pulling within single digits with less than a minute to go behind 10 points by Robinson and eight points by Webb, but ultimately fell short, 85-73.
EMU returns home Wednesday night, Jan. 3, to square off against the University of Toledo. Tipoff between the Eagles and Rockets is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
Team Stats
EMU
NIU
FG%
.397
.451
3FG%
.227
.375
FT%
.737
.714
RB
40
44
TO
16
15
STL
9
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
11
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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