The Eastern Michigan women’s basketball team traveled down to Reed Green Coliseum on March 25, falling short in the Sweet 16 of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament after losing to the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, 76-65.
The Eagle’s super sophomore trio led the team in scoring against Southern Mississippi as both Phillis Webb and Cha Sweeney scored 13 points each while Janay Morton added 14 points.
Overall the team averaged 38.2 percent from the field while shooting 28.6 percent from three-point range and 62.5 percent from the free throw line.
EMU forced 20 turnovers against Southern Mississippi but this wasn’t enough to pull a win as the Eagles were dominated in the paint by the Golden Eagles as they average 48.7 percent from the field.
EMU held the lead the first 30 minutes of the game, leading by as many as nine points and ending the half up 36-32 over the Golden Eagles.
As the second half began, the Eagles continued their lead as Webb added 10 points to the score while the team averaged 40.5 percent and forced Southern Mississippi to 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of the half.
Eventually, Southern Mississippi began to cut the Eagles lead short, trailing by as much as one point, 36-35; but the Eagles went on an 11-point run, pushing the lead back up 47-35.
With fewer than 10 minutes the remaining in the game, the Eagles fell into a rut, as the game was tied 57 all. The Eagles began to struggle as the Golden Eagles took a 7 point lead with less than 5 minutes left to play.
The Eagles struggled to gain back the lead in the final minutes, as the Southern Mississippi outscored the Eagles and took the 76-65 win.
As the Eagles season comes to an end, the team finished the year tying the school record of wins at a 24-13 season record.
