Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
12-14, 5-10MAC
Northern Illinois
17-10, 9-6MAC
Eastern's Comeback Comes Up Short at NIU
2/27/2019 9:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Three Eagles finished in double figures, led by Courtnie Lewis' 18 points
DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) - A ferocious comeback effort fell short as the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team dropped a Mid-American Conference West Division clash, 70-60, at Northern Illinois University Wednesday night, Feb. 27. Eastern trailed by as many as 11 before pulling within two midway through the final period, but Northern Illinois hit 20-of-25 free throws to hand the Eagles a road setback.
Three Eagles finished in double digits, led by sophomore Courtnie Lewis' ( Belton, Mo.-Belton) 18 points. Joining Lewis in double figures were redshirt sophomore Corrione Cardwell (Cleveland, Ohio-New Tech East) and freshman Natalia Pineda (Miami, Fla.-John A. Ferguson), who added 11 points apiece.
Eastern Michigan finished 24-of-70 from the floor, good for a 34.3 percent clip, while Northern Illinois converted 34.8 percent (23-of-66) of its shots. EMU held the advantage from distance, 32.0 to 21.1 percent, as the Eagles doubled up the Huskies with eight three-balls compared to NIU's four.
Redshirt senior Danielle Minott (Miami, Fla.-Miami Country Day (Syracuse)) finished with a game-high 11 rebounds as the two teams each tallied 46 boards. Sophomore Autumn Hudson (Richwood, Ohio-North Union) added nine caroms to go along with eight points, while Lewis and freshman Kiara Johnson (Buffalo, N.Y.-Cardinal O'Hara) chipped in six rebounds apiece.
Neither team got out to a particularly strong start offensively, but NIU took an 8-0 lead into the first media timeout. Cardwell scored EMU's first points of the day on a layup moments later, but Northern Illinois responded with a lay-in and a transition three to take a 13-2 lead into the second period.
A Lewis three-ball got the Eagles rolling, as Eastern held NIU without a field goal for the final 4:33 of the first half. Freshman Jenna Annecchiarico (Baldwin, N.Y.-Baldwin) scored in transition of a Huskies' miscue before Minott found Hudson for an easy bucket in the post and Annecchiarico added another fast break layup to cut NIU's lead to four, 18-14, with 2:40 to go in the second quarter. With momentum swinging in favor of the Green and White, Cardwell converted a triple from the wing to even the score at 20-all. The Huskies cashed in at the charity stripe in the final seconds to take a 22-20 advantage into the break.
Both offenses found their strides in the third, as the Eagles went 7-of-15 from the floor and the Huskies converted 9-of-20 shot attempts. Lewis opened the frame with a three to give EMU its first lead of the game, 23-22, with more than nine minutes to go in the period. The teams traded baskets from that point, heading into the media timeout with EMU trailing by two, 34-32, before NIU inched ahead by nine, 46-37. Cardwell kicked it out to Pineda in the waning seconds for a corner three, cutting the Huskies' edge to six, 46-40, with 10 minutes to play.
A two-minute long scoring drought in the middle of the fourth saw NIU reclaim control, 62-52, with 2:43 to go. EMU continued to fight as Annecchiarico handed off to Pineda for a three-pointer from the top of the key with 58.9 seconds to play, cutting NIU's lead to five, 65-60. On the ensuing inbounds, Eastern forced a 10 second violation behind a ferocious full-court press, but a floater by Minott clanked off the iron and was rebounded by the Huskies. Free throws pushed Northern Illinois ahead by 10 and ended Eastern's comeback effort shots, 70-60.
Eastern Michigan opens up a two-game homestand Saturday, March 2, when in-state foe Central Michigan University comes to the Convocation Center for Alumnae Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
