Box Score Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Eastern Michigan jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as it led wire-to-wire to defeat the Big Red women's basketball team, 66-41, this evening at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. Cornell remains in Michigan to face Oakland University on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m.

The forward tandem of Clare Fitzpatrick and Allyson DiMagno led the Big Red with Fitzpatrick scoring a team-high 12 points, going 5-for-9 from the field, and grabbing six rebounds, while DiMagno finished with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Spencer Lane, playing in front of a large contingent of hometown fans, finished with seven points and two assists.

EMU (4-2) saw three players score in double-figures, led by Paige Redditt's 16 points, while Sydney Huntley and Tavelyn James each finished with 12. Kristin Thomas and Olivia Fouty both tallied a team-high six rebounds and Cassie Schrock handed out nine assists.

Cornell (1-4) suffered from a poor shooting night, connecting on just 28.3 percent overall and 11.8 percent from 3-point range, while EMU shot 41.1 percent overall and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Both team finished with 38 rebounds, but the Eagles forced 26 Big Red turnovers with 15 steals. EMU turned the ball over 18 times.

EMU used a smothering defense, doubling the ball and jumping into the passing lanes to force turnovers on Cornell's first three possessions, as the home team shot out to an early 11-0 lead. A deep jumper from the left corner by Fitzpatrick got the Big Red on the board, but the offense continued to struggle against the aggressive Eagles and EMU pushed its lead to 14-2.

A trey from the Aspen Chandler made it a 14-5 game, but a single made free throw from India Hairston put the home team up by double-digits. After a jumper by Fitzpatrick at the 12:34 mark both teams went cold, with nearly a three minute gap between baskets before Redditt hit a layup to make it a 17-7 game with 9:40 to play in the first half.

The teams traded baskets on each of the next four trips up and down the court before a traditional three-point play from Redditt opened up an 8-0 scoring run to put EMU up, 28-11.

A jumper from the free-throw line by Allie Munson ended the Big Red scoring drought and three made free throws from Lane cut the Eagles lead to 28-17 at the 3:12 mark, but EMU closed the half on a 6-2 run to take a 34-18 lead into the intermission.

Both teams stepped up the defense in the opening moments of the second half with just a single made free throw by each team accounting for the scoring in the first three minutes of play before a trey by Huntley ended the drought.

A free throw by Redditt put the home team up by 20 points, 39-19, at the 16:07 mark.

Cornell's offense began to pick up when Taylor Flynn hit a shot from just inside the 3-point line, beginning a back-and-forth between the two teams, as they traded baskets to 43-24 with 14:57 left to play.

Back-to-back baskets from Flynn and Shelby Lyman made it a 15-point game, 43-28, but another small Eagles run, capped by a traditional three point play from Raina Spencer made it a 20 point game once again with just under six minutes to play.

Fitzpatrick knocked down a pair of free throws to end the run, and then took a pair of charges on back-to-back EMU possessions as the Big Red made it a 54-39 game at the 3:54 mark.

That was as close as it got, however, as another three-point play by Redditt killed the Cornell momentum and the Eagles closed the game on a 12-2 run to account for the 66-41 final.