Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
12-10,4-7MAC
Ball State
20-4,10-1MAC
Eagles Fall to Visiting Ball State, 68-50
2/8/2023 8:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Austin leads the way with 15 points as all eight Eagles tally points in the game
Highlight Video | Press Conference
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team came up short against visiting Ball State University, Feb. 11, as the Cardinals left the George Gervin GameAbove Center with a 68-50 win.
Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich.-Wayne Memorial) led the Eagles (12-10, 4-7 Mid-American Conference) with 15 points and added three rebounds, one assist, and one block. Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain-IES Ortega y Gasset-LIU) added two points, six rebounds, two steals, and four blocks and Natalia Pineda (Miami, Fla.-John A. Ferguson) helped out with eight points.
The Eastern Michigan offense was very productive from downtown, pouring in eight threes on 22 attempts. Austin was the most prolific shooter for the Eagles, draining three treys in the contest.
Eastern Michigan did a great job disrupting Ball State shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Eke's four rejections, which led the way individually for the Eagles, is the most she has recorded in a single game for Eastern and ranks as the third-most in her career after rejecting six against Army, Dec. 1, 2021, and five at Cleveland State, Nov. 28, 2021, while playing for Long Island University.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan struggled out of the gate, falling behind, 14-5, at the end of the first quarter. Ball State kept adding to that lead, building a 16-5 advantage before Eastern Michigan went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Eke, to narrow its deficit to 16-12. Ball State responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Eagles trailing, 28-19, heading into halftime.
Eastern Michigan's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Eagles faced a 52-37 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Eastern Michigan scored four fast break points in the quarter. Ball State kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 68-44 advantage before Eastern Michigan went on a 6-0 run, finished off by a three from Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind.-South Side), to shrink the deficit to 68-50 with 2:04 to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Eastern Michigan fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 13 points.
Game Notes
» Eastern Michigan held Ball State to just 28 points in the first half of the game, Feb. 4. It marked the 14th time this season Eastern has held a team under 30 in the first half, and the third consecutive game accomplishing the feat. (27 points against both Ohio, Feb. 1 and Central Michigan, Feb. 4). They held opponents to 27 points or fewer in the first half of play in just six contest last season.
» Austin scored 15 points to lead the offense for Eastern Michigan. It is the 13th time this season that the sophomore has scored in double digits for the Green and White and the eighth time leading the team in scoring.
» Eke was outstanding on the defensive end, collecting four blocks for Eastern Michigan. The total tied Eke's career-high, also having four against Southern Indiana on Dec. 10 against Southern Indiana.
» Freshman Elena Cabello (Malaga, Spain.-IES Meditteraneo) recorded two three-pointers in the game. The outing is the second time that Cabello recorded multiple three-pointers in a game in her Eastern career.
» Eastern Michigan shot eight for nine from the free throw line, totaling 88.9%. The effort is the third best percentage the Eagles have shot from the free throw line. The team shot 100 percent (9-for-9) and 90.9 percent against Northern Illinois, Jan. 21 and Western Michigan, Jan. 25, respectively.
» EMU saw Kyndal Lewis (Belton, Mo.-Belton) record her first and only three-pointer in the game. Lewis played 31 games for EMU before her first shot made from beyond-the-arc.
Historical Notes
» The game against the Cardinals marked the 88th all-time meeting between the two schools. Eastern Michigan boasts a 45-43 edge in the all-time series with Ball State. Additionally, the Eagles have bested the Cardinals in five of the last 10 meetings.
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