Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
1-4,0-0MAC
North Dakota State
3-4,0-0Summit League
Nelson Records Double-Double in Loss to North Dakota State
12/1/2023 9:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Four Eagles record double-digit points
FARGO, N.D. (EMUEagles.com) -- ZaNiya Nelson (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City West) collected her first career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, but the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team fell to the North Dakota State University Bison 93-73 on the road Friday.
The Eagles (1-4) had four players score in double figures, led by Nelson's 18 points and career high 12 rebounds. Cali Denson (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie Academy of the Arts) tacked on 15 points, while Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain./IES Ortega y Gasset) chipped in with 12 points and Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind./Southside) with 10.
Eastern Michigan out-rebounded North Dakota State 37-33 in Friday's game, led by Nelson's 12 boards. The Eagles also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and scored 10 second chance points.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan struggled out of the gate, falling behind 29-18 at the end of the first quarter.
The Eagles continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 55-35 halftime deficit.
North Dakota State continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 63-41 advantage before EMU went on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Smith, to trim its deficit to 63-47 with 6:01 to go in the third. North Dakota State countered and stretched its lead to 75-58 heading into the fourth. The Green and White played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 23 points in the paint.
NDSU kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 93-68 advantage before Eastern Michigan went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Smith's three, to shrink the deficit to 93-73 with 51 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Eastern Michigan took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» Nelson recorded a career high 12 rebounds in the contest, topping her previous career high of nine recorded against the University of North Dakota, Dec. 4, 2022. Additionally, her 18 points and 12 rebounds were good for the juniors first career double-double and 13th career performance with double-digit points.
» Denson found herself in the starting lineup for the fourth consecutive game after doing so for the first time in her career in the road game at Georgia Southern University, Nov. 11. Denson has been the only freshman this season to be in the starting five.
» Additionally, Denson led the team in triples made as the rookie drained three in the loss for a career high. It marked the fourth contest this season in which the freshman has connected on a three. Denson's 15 points in the contest topped her previous career high of 12 against SIUE, Nov. 18 for her second 10+ scoring performance.
» Smith connected on two shots from beyond the arc in the loss to NDSU. It was the fourth contest this season in which Smith has made a single three-pointer. Last season, the then-rookie led the team in triples recording a single make in 25 total games. Her longest streak of consecutive games with a made triple was 13 (Dec. 17, 2022-Feb. 1, 2023).
» Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich./Wayne Memorial) finished the game with one made field goal marking the 39th consecutive game in which the junior has registered a single make.
» The Green and White out-rebounded the Bison, 37-33. It marked just the second contest this season in which the Eagles secured more boards than its opponent.
» The Eagles scored a total of 73 points in the contest for a team season-high, topping the 68 against SIUE, Nov. 18. The last time EMU scored 73 or more points in a single contest was in the 2022-23 campaign when the Eagles closed out the regular season with a 74-64 win at Ohio University, March 4.
» The Eagles shot well from three point range, knocking down six of 13 long range attempts for a team season high.
Historical Notes
» EMU and North Dakota State will meet for just the second time in their respective histories after the Green and White defeated the Bison, 73-55, at home, Dec. 1 - exactly one year from when the two are expected to meet again.
Up Next
The Eagles are scheduled to stay in the state of North Dakota as it prepares to meet with the University of North Dakota Sunday, Dec. 3.
