Michigan
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Eastern Michigan
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Balanced Attack Leads U-M Past Eastern Michigan
11/24/2023 3:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team got back on the winning track in an emphatic way on Friday (Nov. 24), defeating Eastern Michigan, 80-44, at Crisler Center.
Chyra Evans and Laila Phelia tied for the team lead in points (15), with Evans recording a career high in points. Greta Kampschroeder joined them in double figures with 12 points off 4-for-5 shooting from the floor, including a perfect 4-for-4 showing from deep, while Elissa Brett entered double digits in the scoring column for the first time in her Michigan tenure with 10 points.
While the Eagles scored first, the early momentum was solely in the Wolverines' corner, as the Maize and Blue went on a 16-0 run after the first two points of the game. Phelia took the court by storm in the first five minutes, scoring eight points on 3-for-4 shooting including a pair of threes. A late-quarter push by EMU wasn't enough to swing the scoreboard, as the Wolverines led 24-12 after the first ten minutes.
A back-and-forth start to the second quarter saw both sides finding the basket at will, with the two teams averaging 66 percent on their respective initial six shots. The Eagles were the first to blink in the shootout, however, as the Michigan defense prevented EMU from scoring on eight straight shot attempts. On the other side of the court, Evans helped lead the Wolverines to a 12-2 run in the final five minutes of play, scoring five points on 2-for-3 shooting to take a 47-25 Maize and Blue lead into the locker room.
Michigan weathered a slow start to the second half by forcing four turnovers in three minutes, which Brett turned into a single-handed 6-0 run to flip the momentum back in the Wolverines' favor. The Maize and Blue ultimately held the Eagles scoreless for almost seven minutes of the quarter's action, pushing U-M's lead to 28 points headed into the final stanza.
Evans took control of the Michigan offense to wrap things up, making all four of her shots to post eight of the Wolverines' final 15 points in the fourth quarter. In the final minute of play, Kampschroeder sent the Michigan faithful home happy with a pair of emphatic three point makes, ending things with a 80-44 final score.
The Wolverines return to Crisler Center on Wednesday (Nov. 29), when they host the SIU Edwardsville Cougars at 7 p.m.
