Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
10-7,2-4MAC
Northern Illinois
10-7,2-4MAC
Austin Records Career High 23 Points in 66-61 Overtime Victory Against Huskies
1/21/2023 3:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Eagles break a three-game losing streak against NIU
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team was triumphant in the contest against Northern Illinois University, Jan. 21, defeating the Huskies, 66-61, in overtime inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
The Eagles (10-7, 2-4) had three players score in double figures, led by sophomore Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich.-Wayne Memorial), who had a career-high 23 points and six rebounds. Ce'Nara Skanes (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Putnam City West) added 17 points, eight rebounds, and five steals while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu (London,England-Academy-Robert Morris) helped out with 11 points.
The Eastern Michigan defense was a problem in Saturday's game, forcing 19 Northern Illinois turnovers while committing 15. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the other end of the floor. Additionally, Skanes' five steals led the way individually for the Eagles.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan started off strong, putting together an 18-17 lead heading into the second quarter. The team relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 18 points.
The Eagles could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing, 26-24. Eastern Michigan's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Eagles faced a 43-38 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. The Eagles played well near the basket, scoring 10 of their 14 points in the paint.
EMU narrowed its deficit to 49-45 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Austin's layup, to seize a 52-49 lead with 5:57 to go in the fourth. The Huskies then fought back to even things up at 57-57 and send the game to overtime. Eastern Michigan took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 19 points in the paint.
Northern Illinois then snagged a 61-59 advantage with 39 seconds left in overtime before Eastern Michigan responded by going on a 7-0 run to seize a 66-61 lead with 10 seconds to go in the period, a score which would hold for the rest of the game.
Game Notes
» Ozzy-Momodu hit the go-ahead bucket from the paint to secure the victory for Eastern Michigan, collecting 11 total points and five rebounds. It is the fifth time this season that the center has scored double-digit points in a game as well as the second consecutive game, scoring 22 at Kent State, Jan. 18.
» Skanes recorded a career-high five steals, topping her previous three steals done on four different occasions. Additionally, it is the fifth time this season she has recorded multiple steals in a game.
» Skanes was also a force on offense adding 17 points to EMU's scoring. It is the 12th time this season the junior has recorded double-digit points in a single game.
» Eastern Michigan scored 18 points in the first quarter against Northern Illinois. It is the ninth time this season that the Eagles as a team scored 15 or more points in the opening quarter this season.
» EMU had a total of nine steals in the game against Northern Illinois. With this occurrence, it is the 12th time this season out of 17 total games that Eastern Michigan has had at least five steals this season.
» Sophomore Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain-IES Ortega Y Gasset-LIU) blocked two shots in the contest for Eastern Michigan. It is the 11th time this season that she has recorded multiple blocks in a contest. The center ranks second in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game with 1.8.
» Eastern Michigan as a team scored 20 points off of turnovers (30% of EMU's scoring). The Eagles outscored NIU on points off turnovers with a 20-4 margin.
Historical Notes
» The contest marked the 60th all-time meeting between the Eagles and NIU. Eastern leads the all-time series, 39-21. The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak against Northern Illinois that dated back to the 2019-20 season.
» Austin scored a total of 23 points in the effort against Northern Illinois. The total broke her previous 21 points set at Bowling Green, Jan. 7. It is the 11th time this season that the guard has scored in the double-digit territory of 10 or more points.
» The Eastern Michigan women's basketball team played an overtime game for the first time since Feb. 1, 2020. In that contest, Eastern Michigan fell to Akron, 88-81. The game is also the first time the Eagles have won an overtime game since Jan. 17, 2018, against Western Michigan, ending a streak of losing six consecutive overtime games.
» After coming off a 79-66 road setback at Kent State, Jan. 18, the win on Saturday ended the Eagles' four-game losing streak. Additionally, the victory broke a three-game losing streak against the Huskies and gave Head Coach Fred Castro his fourth win over the Illinois based school.
» The contest marked the 14th game in which the Green and White have played on Jan. 21. In those games, EMU holds a 10-4 record. After today's win, the Eagles have produced a clean 7-0 record in games played on Jan. 21 when played inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Up Next
After today's doubleheader, the women's team will take a quick trip west to face the Broncos of Western Michigan University, Wednesday, Jan. 25. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m
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