Eastern Michigan Athletics
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Women's Hoops Secures 68-65 Victory over SIUE on Fourth Quarter Comeback
11/18/2023 6:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Eagles record two double-double performances in the win
Highlight Video | Postgame Interview
Photo Gallery.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team rallied from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars 68-65 at home Saturday, Nov. 18.
The Eagles (1-2) had four players score in double figures, led by Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset), who put together a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cali Denson (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie Academy of the Arts) added 12 points and four assists and Olivia Westphal (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park/Duquesne) chipped in as well with 11 points off of the bench.
Eastern Michigan shared the ball well in Saturday's game, racking up 18 assists on 28 made field goals. Individually, Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich./Wayne Memorial) led the way for the Eagles with six assists and Denson also chipped in with four assists of her own.
The Green and White's defense held SIU-Edwardsville to only 38.5 percent shooting from the field while shooting 48.3 percent themselves.
How It Happened
EMU entered the second quarter tied at 14-14 after a tightly contested first period. Eastern Michigan did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 14 points close to the basket.
SIU-Edwardsville then took a 25-20 lead before Eastern responding by going on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Kennedi Myles (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills/Illinois/Marquette), to take a 26-25 lead. The Cougars then came roaring back to take a 27-26 lead heading into halftime.
The Green and White came out of halftime on fire, going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Eke, to grab a 32-27 lead with 8:24 to go in the third. SIU-Edwardsville responded to seize a 45-43 lead entering the fourth quarter. Eastern Michigan played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 17 points in the paint.
SIU-Edwardsville kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 59-50 advantage before the Eagles went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Eke's layup, to shrink the deficit to 59-58 with 3:09 to go in the contest. The Eagles kept the rally going and took the lead for good on Molly Sheehan's free throw with 00:06 left for a 68-65 comeback victory.
Eastern Michigan pulled down five offensive rebounds to score five second chance points out of 25 total in the period.
Game Notes
» Two Eagles recorded double-doubles in the same game for the first time since former Eagle Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu and Eke earned double-doubles in the loss to Akron, Feb. 15, 2023. Eastern Michigan had two double-double performances in the same game four times last season, the most by any EMU team since the 2011-12 campaign, when the Eagles recorded the feat in five games. EMU has twice seen multiple double-double performances in a game five times in a season (2006-07, 2011-12), which is the program's record.
» The last time EMU saw a single player earn a double-double was when the all-time double-doubles leader, Ce'Nara Skanes recorded her final one at Ohio University, March 4, 2023.
» Eke's double-double in the contest marked the first of the season and the sixth of her career while Myles' recorded her 11th of her career. Moreover, it was Eke's 14th career double figure points game and Myles' 27th.
» Along with registering her 11th career double-double, Myles led the Eagles in rebounds for the third consecutive game with 14. It was her 18th career game recording 10+ rebounds.
» Denson found herself in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game after doing so for the first time in her career in the road game at Georgia Southern University, Nov. 11.
» Additionally, Denson recorded three-plus assists in consecutive games as the rookie collected a career-high four in the victory. She currently leads the Green and White in helpers with eight on the season.
» Denson's 12 points in the win mark a career-high, topping her nine against the University of Detroit Mercy, Nov. 6. It was the rookies first double-digit points performance as she went 5-for-12 from the field with one made triple.
» Treasure Thompson (Joliet, Ill./Bolingbrook/Louisiana State) made her first appearance in an Eastern uniform for the first since the 2021-22 season when she played in 19 contest. The junior transfer collected her first season appearance along with her first season block and points (2).
» Three Eagles went a perfect 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. It marked the second consecutive game in which the Green and White have had three or more players go a perfect 1.000 from the free-throw line.
» The Green and White were effective in the paint, collecting a season-high 44 points. The 44 paint points tops the previous team season high of 28 set against Georgia Southern, Nov. 11.
» Four Eagles recorded multiple assists in the game as Austin led with a season-high six, while Denson chipped in with four, Myles with three, and Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind./Southside) recording two. Additionally, it marked the fourth career game for Austin recording five or more assists in a single game.
» Austin finished the game with two made field goals marking the 37th consecutive game in which the junior has registered a single make. Additionally, her two steals mark her eighth consecutive game with a single steal and her six helpers add as her 24th career game with three or more assists in a single game.
» Three Eagles recorded double-digit points in the win for the first time this season as Eke led with 14, Westphal with 11, and Myles with 10. EMU saw three or more players score in double-digit figures in the same game in 20 of the 30 contests last season, topping the 2021-22 season's 17.
» Westphal went 3-for-5 from downtown in the game, marking her first made three-pointer as an EMU Eagle, and tied her career-high of three makes from beyond the three-point line set at Brown University, Nov. 11, 2022. The last time EMU saw a player hit three or more triples in a game was when Smith recorded four at the University of Toledo, Jan. 28.
» Three Eagles registered multiple steals in the game as Myles, ZaNiya Nelson (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City West), and Austin each collected two.
» The Eastern Michigan bench made an impact by adding 19 points to its scoring output. Last season, the Eagles earned 19 or more bench points in nine outings.
» The Eagles rallied from a two-point 45-43 third quarter deficit to pick up the win. It marked the first time this season in which the Eagles have come back and won a game.
» The 68 total team points mark as a season-high for the Eagles and the first time the Green and White have scored 60+ points. Last season, the team registered 60 or more points in 23 games going 14-9 in such contests.
» EMU allowed the least amount of points this season, allowing SIUE 65 points. Last season, the team allowed 60+ points in 21 games going 6-15.
» As a team, Eastern Michigan shot 48% from the field in the win against the Cougars. The effort was the best the team has shot this year from the field, and the first time over the 30% mark.
Historical Notes
» The matchup between the two teams was the second all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and SIUE. The Eagles won the last and only time the two schools have played, 71-62 at SIUE, Nov. 13, 2022.
» The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with the win over the Cougars. The last time the Green and White were victorious was in the final regular season game at Ohio, March 4, 2023.
Up Next
Following the EMU basketball doubleheader, Saturday, the Eagles will prepare for a short trip down the road as the team is slated to face Big Ten member, the University of Michigan, inside Crisler Center, Friday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m.
