The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team (12-10, 4-7 MAC) fell short to Ball State University, 68-50, Wednesday, Feb. 8, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
The Eagles were led by sophomore guard Lachelle Austin, tallying 15 points, three rebounds, one steal, and one block. Center Tayra Eke added two points, six rebounds, two steals, and four blocks while senior Natalia Pineda helped with eight points.
“Tayra did a good job of bugging the paint and making it a little more difficult for them,” head coach Fred Castro said.
The Eagles' offense was effective from downtown, recording eight threes on 22 attempts. Austin put up three shots from beyond the arc. EMU ended the contest with a total of five blocks as Eke helped out with four rejections, making it the most blocks she has recorded in a single game for the Eagles.
EMU fell behind quickly, 14-5, at the end of the first quarter. The Cardinals continuously built their lead, 16-5, before the Eagles scored seven back-to-back points with help from a bucket by Eke. Ball State quickly retook the lead with a 28-19 lead heading into halftime.
Eastern Michigan’s deficit expanded after halftime with a 52-37 disadvantage into the final period in the contest. Ball State secured the lead during the fourth quarter with a 68-44 advantage over Eastern Michigan. Freshman guard Olivia Smith finished off a six-point run, with a three, ending the contest with a 68-50 deficit for the Eagles.
“I thought we had some good looks, I thought we just didn’t capitalize on some of those opportunities,” Castro said. “The paint point battle is something we just have to win, and we just didn't do that today.”
Sophomore Kyndal Lewis added her very first three-pointer while Elena Cabello added two three-pointers with nine minutes in the game.
“In nine minutes I thought she did an excellent job, so Elena gets all the credit for that,” Castro said.
Up next, The Eagles will host in-state rival Western Michigan University at 5 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center Saturday, Feb. 11 as the first part of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team.
For more information on the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team, you can listen to "TheBlockE Podcast" weekly for more in-depth analyses, statistics, and more.
