The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team traveled to Edwardsville, IL on Sunday, Nov. 13 to take on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars inside the First Community Arena at the Vadalabene Center. EMU dominated down low in the team’s first road game of the season, scoring 65 percent of their points in the paint en route to a 71-62 victory over SIUE.

The Eagles’ defense was all over the Cougars’ ball handlers right from tip-off and was especially dominant in those first two quarters of the game where EMU would hold SIUE to 24.1 percent from the floor and not allow a three-point shot to go through the net on 12 attempts. This suffocating defensive effort helped the Eagles to a 37-18 lead heading into the break. 

EMU stretched that advantage to as many as 22 points when a forced Cougar turnover turned into a made three pointer from Austin assisted by Nelson late in the third quarter of the game.

Despite being outscored 24-18 in the final period of the game, the Eagles were able to hold off the Cougars and secure the 71-62 victory comfortably. After the win, EMU coach Fred Castro is now off to his third 2-0 start in his seven years with the team and has the potential to get this team off to a hot start if he is able to capitalize on a relatively light non-conference schedule.

The scoring effort for EMU was led by sophomore ZaNiya Nelson’s career-high 18 points, and three additional Eagles reached double-digit numbers in scoring. Fellow sophomore Tayra Eke scored an efficient 13 points in just 18 minutes of action, while starters; senior Natalia Pineda and redshirt junior Ce’Nara Skanes added 11 and 10 points respectively. 

On the opposite side of the hardwood, three EMU defenders accounted for 11 of the team’s 12 steals. Sophomore Lachelle Austin and freshman Olivia Smith both tallied 4, while Skanes added 3 takeaways of her own. The impressive number of steals contributed to the Eagles forcing 26 turnovers throughout the game which translated into 25 EMU points. 

The EMU women will return to Ypsilanti to take on Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University on Saturday, Nov 19. The Rattlers and Eagles are set to tip off at 1 p.m. inside of the George Gervin GameAbove Center and the game is set to stream on ESPN+. 

This matchup marks the first of five straight home games to be played at the Gerv, as the Eagles won’t go on the road again until they square off with Big East Opponent, Xavier University, on Dec. 17. 

For more information on the Eastern Michigan women’s basketball team, you can visit EMUeagles.com

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