The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team (11-7, 3-4 MAC) headed to Kalamazoo to compete against their in-state rival Western Michigan University (9-9, 4-3) on Wednesday, Jan. 25 inside University Arena.
EMU earned a victory on the road with a 63-51 win against WMU, grabbing 43 rebounds, nine by sophomore Tayra Eke. The Eagles' defensive effort held Western Michigan to 15.8 percent from three-point land on 19 attempts.
Three Eagles scored double-figures in the contest. Sophomore ZaNiya Nelson led EMU with 12 points and six rebounds while freshman guard Olivia Smith added another 12 points and three steals. Center Irekpitian Ozzy-Momodu added 10 points and eight rebounds.
EMU started the first quarter strong as they ran to a 19-17 lead after putting up 18 of its 19 points in the paint. The Eagles kept their lead intact, heading into the second period before going on a 10-0 run. Sophomore LaChelle Austin increased the score with a bucket, giving the Eagles a 29-17 advantage over the Broncos.
By halftime, the Eagles were up 42 to the Broncos' 25, forcing six of WMU’s turnovers into six points for EMU. The Eagles held their lead tight, going on a 5-0 run with a bucket highlighted by Smith, increasing the lead to 49-27 with 7:12 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles entered the fourth quarter with a 57-38 edge, scoring two three-pointers, to total six of their 15 total points. EMU maintained the lead into the final period to gain victory. The Eagles held the Broncos to only 29.1 percent shooting from the field.
Next up, the Eagles will be back home inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center on Saturday, Jan. 28 in a matchup against the University of Toledo Rockets.
For more information on the EMU women's basketball team, you can tune into "TheBlockE Podcast" weekly for more in-depth analyses and statistics.
