The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team used a stifling defensive effort to cruise past the Madonna University Crusaders, 104-45, in Livonia, Mich. on Friday night.
The Eagles had double-digit scoring performances from all five starters led by junior Janay Morton with 16 points. The bench provided even more scoring led by senior Chanise Baldwin with 15 points and Tori Easley with 10 points to help get past the NAIA school.
The momentum stayed on the Eagles side thanks to their strong defensive effort forcing a season-high 32 turnovers, 12 of them in the first quarter. The Eagles would capitalize off the Crusaders turnovers scoring 43 points, 17 of them being on the fast break. Madonna shot only 26 percent from the field (14-54) and held to only 30 percent from behind the arc in part to the full-court pressure EMU applied. That pressure allowed the Eagles to capture 17 steals against the Crusaders.
The Eagles put on an offensive clinic shooting 54 percent from the field (40-74) and did an excellent job sharing the ball with 24 assists. EMU coach Tori Verdi took his starters out the game early in the fourth quarter, but the bench kept momentum going as EMU's largest lead of the game was 72 points. The Eagles scored 64 points in the paint and kept the Crusaders out of the paint allowing six points.
EMU also won the rebound game 44-33 lead by Baldwin with ten rebounds and senior Rachel Kehoe with seven. The Eagles also shot well from the free throw line shooting 75 percent (18-24) for the game.
Looking Ahead:
The Eagles look to add to their three-game winning streak and protect their home floor as they host (7-2) University of Michigan for "The Battle of Washtenaw County". The Wolverines have lost their previous two games falling to the Princeton University and UCLA.
