It was a women's hoops battle on the 'Ben Braun Court' inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center as the basketball team took on the Miami University (Ohio) RedHawks where the Eagles came away with a win, 53-48.
After trailing in the first couple of minutes of play, the Eagles went on a 5-0 run with 6:28 left in the first quarter as Tayra Eke (Madrid, Spain) would find the basket to give EMU an 8-5 lead. The RedHawks would then threaten the lead as they went on a 9-0 run to end the first quarter with a 14-8 advantage.
The second quarter would consist of a back-and-forth battle between both squads as Miami would stay in front, but the Eagles wouldn't let up as they entered halftime down 26-19 to the RedHawks.
Coming out of the half, EMU would fire away on all cylinders as the Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 run after two Eke layups and a three-pointer from Dara Capaldi (East Detroit, Mich.), to tie things up at 26 with 7:08 to go in the third. The RedHawks would answer back as they took a 34-32 lead into the fourth quarter.
Miami would improve its lead to 37-32 to start things in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles captivated a 13-0 run, finished off by a layup from Lachelle Austin (Redford, Mich.), to take a commanding 45-37 lead with 5:30 left to play. The RedHawks would take the Eagles' lead somewhat before the game was over, but EMU held on for the 53-48 win.
Eke would lead the Eagles offensively as she finished the game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, notching a double-double. It would mark her fourth of the season and ninth of her career. Sophomore guard Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind.) would add nine points, while Austin chipped in seven points.
The Eagles were stout on the defensive end of the floor as they won the blocking-battle, 9-2, as those nine team blocks tied for eighth highest in EMU single-game history. It was also the third consecutive game the Eagles have won the battle and the sixth time this season.
Next up, the Eagles will travel to Athens, Ohio, on Saturday, Jan. 20, to prepare for a Mid-American Conference showdown with Ohio University. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m.
