EMU Eagles: Eagles Bow Out in Second Round of WNIT at Texas Christian
FORT WORTH, Texas (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team saw its 2015-16 campaign come to an end Saturday, March 19, in the second round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). The Eagles (22-12) fell behind early and could not overcome a 21-point hole on the road as they came up short, 85-81, to the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.
Despite shooting 50 percent in the second half of the game, the Eagles dropped the decision after connecting on just 40.6 percent of its shots for the game and 40.9 percent of its three point attempts. Three EMU student-athletes finished with 20-or-more points as Chanise Baldwin (Pontiac, Mich.-Martin Luther King (Providence)) led the way with a career-best 26 points, on 10-of-14 shooting, to go with 13 rebounds. Additionally, the senior had four blocks in the game, while going 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. Juniors Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) and Janay Morton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) added 24 and 20 points, respectively. Defensively, Morton had a postseason EMU record six steals and Sweeney had four thefts. As a team, EMU grabbed 15 steals in the game.
Baldwin opened up the scoring with a jumper, however the Horned Frogs responded with a quick 8-0 run in less than a minute to put TCU up in the early going. The Eagles came back with five straight to make it a one-point game, 8-7, wth 7:51 on the clock in the first quarter. The quick run did not last long as Texas Christian grabbed five points in a row to extend their lead back to six.
With their last bucket at the 7:51 mark, the Green and White went on a five minute scoring drought, allowing the Horned Frogs to grab a 12-point lead, 19-7. Baldwin finally broke the scoring drought with 2:33 left on the clock when she connected on the free throw. TCU was able to continue to grow its lead connecting on the final two field goals of the first quarter to make it 23-10 to close the first 10 minutes of play. Texas Christian also held the Eagles to no field goal makes through the final 7:51 of the quarter and just three free throw makes during that span.
The Horned Frogs did not slow the pace to start the second quarter as they knocked down three-straight to extend their lead to 21, 31-10, as the Green and White crossed the 10 minute mark without scoring a field goal. Â Looking at the 21 point deficit, the Eastern Michigan offense came to life when Phillis Webb (Brooklyn Park, Minn.-Osseo) went for back-to-back layups and Sweeney grabbed one of her own within 53 seconds of action to make it a 31-16 deficit.
Texas Christian responded with a bucket before the media timeout at the five minute mark, but Morton came out of the break firing by knocking down a three-pointer to bring EMU within 14. Both squads traded buckets before a quick 7-2 run put the Horned Frogs back up 15, 40-25, with just over two minutes left in the first half. After going back and forth, Morton hit a triple to shrink the Eagles’ deficit to 12, 42-30, as they went into the half.
After the first 20 minutes of play, Morton led the Green and White with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while connecting on 3-of-5 from downtown. Baldwin nearly recorded a double double in the opening half, going for nine points and eight rebounds, while also blocking three shots. As a team, EMU shot just 31.4 percent from the floor and 30 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, Eastern forced the Horned Frogs into 13 turnovers, 10 of which were on Eagle swipes. TCU was much more efficient from the floor, shooting at a 48.6 percent clip, while knocking down six triples in 12 chances. Alix and Hamilton led the Horned Frogs with 12 points apiece.
The Eagles opened up the scoring just like the first half as Baldwin connected on a layup but TCU responded with a three-pointer within the opening minute of play. Over the next minute, Eastern had back-to-back old fashioned three point plays to cut the deficit to seven, 47-40, with 7:26 left on the clock. The Eagles’ offense continued its flurry scoring five in a row following a TCU layup to make it a four-point, 49-45, game, with just under six minutes to go in the third quarter.
The Horned Frogs answered the EMU run with seven in a row to give themselves another double digit lead, but the Eagles continued to fight, looking at a 62-52 deficit at the end of the third.
TCU extended its lead to begin the fourth quarter but EMU rallied back. Trailing by 16, the Eagles scored eight-straight points before Texas Christian connected on a pair of free throws to give the Horned Frogs a 10-point, 80-70, lead with 2:29 left in the game. Baldwin responded with six points in a row, getting the Eagles to within four, 80-76, with just under a minute to go.
Free throws proved to be the clincher down the stretch for Texas Christian as the Horned Frogs iced the game down the stretch with five free throw makes in the final minute to seal the 85-81 win.