Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
15-15,7-11MAC
Bowling Green
26-5,14-4MAC
Women's Basketball Falls in MAC Tournament Quarterfinal
3/8/2023 5:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EMU finishes the 2022-23 campaign with a 15-15 overall record
Video Highlights.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team fought valiantly with a powerful first-quarter performance, but ultimately fell to Bowling Green State University, 70-36, in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament today, March 8, inside Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Eagles (15-15, 7-11 MAC) had two players score in double figures, led by Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain-IES Oretega y Gasset-LIU) who had 11 points, four assists and two blocks. Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu (London, England-City of London Academy-Robert Morris) tacked on 10 points and Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich.-Wayne Memorial) added eight points, five assists and three steals.
The Eastern Michigan defense was a problem for the Falcons in Wednesday's game, forcing 14 Bowling Green turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 10 points on the other end of the floor. Austin's three steals led the way individually for the Eagles.
How It Happened
The Green and White kept it close in the first quarter, scoring 14 of its total 36 points, entering the second frame down by one.
The Eagles continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 35-15 halftime deficit.
Eastern Michigan started to cut into the deficit after halftime, bringing it to 45-26 by the end of the third quarter. EMU played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 11 points in the paint.
Eastern Michigan could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 70-36. However, the team got up and down the court quickly in the quarter, scoring three fast break points.
Game Notes
» Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind.-South Side) connected on one shot from beyond the three-point line in the game against the Falcons. It marked her 51st season make from the three-point line, and maintained her team-leader status in made triples.
» Austin also contributed one from the arc against BGSU. It marked the 20th contest in which the sophomore has registered a made three-pointer and her ninth of the season leading the team. Last year, Austin recorded a made three in just 14 outings, leading the Green and White in just three.
» Eke recorded a team-leading two blocks in the setback. The two stops bring her season total to 51 in 30 games, a team-best. The sophomore has dominated the MAC in terms of blocks per game (1.69) and total blocks (51), as she's led the league in both categories for the majority of the season.
» The Eagles shared the ball well, recording an assist on 69 percent of made baskets. Austin led the way with five helpers in the contest, marking her third outing producing five or more assists in a single game this season.
Historical Notes
» Eastern played in its 54th MAC tournament game when it took the court against Bowling Green once more in the opening round, March 8, after doing so in the 2021 MAC Tournament. EMU is 28-26 all-time in its league tournament appearances, which date back to the 1981-82 season. Eastern has twice captured the tournament crown and reached the NCAA tournament via an automatic bid, first in 2004, and most recently in 2012.
» The Green and White are 4-5 in MAC Tournament play under seventh-year Head Coach Fred Castro. The team's best win under Castro came in the 2020 MAC Tournament, as his No. 7-seeded Eagles defeated No. 2-seeded Ball State, 64-63, in the quarterfinal round in Cleveland. EMU never got to play its semifinal game as the tournament was halted due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
» Today's matchup marked the ninth time that Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green have met in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Bowling Green holds a 6-3 advantage in those games, which date back to the opening round of the 1990 event. The last tournament matchup between the two schools came in the opening round of the 2021 tournament, a contest that Bowling Green won, 63-47 inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
» Of the nine tournament matchups between EMU and BGSU, just six have been played in Cleveland. The Falcons are 5-1 in those games.Two of the matchups have come in the title game, with EMU winning its 2004 championship over BGSU, and Bowling Green returning the favor in 2011. The teams have met twice in the tournament's semifinal as well, with Bowling Green earning victories in both 2005 and 2007. The additional contests were first-round, site games.
» This season marked the fifth time Eastern Michigan has entered the MAC Tournament as the No. 7 overall seed. The Green and White are 4-5 in games played when the team entered the tournament in the seventh position, advancing in all but two appearance, when the 2000-01 team, under former Head Coach Suzy Merchant, lost to Ohio, 80-75, and today, March 8.
» EMU has matched up against the No. 2 seed nine times in the MAC Tournament, and holds a 2-7 record in those games. Eastern's two wins over a No.2-seed came in 2015, when No. 6 EMU bested No. 2 Ball State, 75-65, in the semifinal game of the tournament before doing it again over the Cardinals in the 2020 tournament, when No. 7 EMU defeated No. 2 BSU in a tight, 64-63, semifinal game.
» Today's matchup marked the 75th overall meeting between Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green. The Falcons lead the all-time series, 55-20 after defeating the Eagles in today's contest.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan's 2022-23 season has come to a close. The team will enjoy rest before beginning preparations for the 2023-24 campaign.
