East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University's women's basketball team faced a challenging game against Purdue University Fort Wayne, resulting in a 94-49 defeat on November 21 at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti. The Eagles, now with a record of 0-4, were led by Sisi Eleko, who achieved her third consecutive double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Olivia Smith also contributed significantly with a season-high of 12 points.

Purdue Fort Wayne, improving to a 3-2 record, had four players scoring in double digits. Lauren Ross led the team with a game-high of 18 points. The Mastodons started strong, turning an early lead into a commanding advantage by the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw Purdue Fort Wayne extending their lead further by shooting 64.7 percent from the field while Eastern Michigan struggled at 15.4 percent. By halftime, the score was heavily tilted in favor of the visitors at 51-20.

After halftime, Purdue Fort Wayne continued to build their lead to 80-35 by the end of the third quarter. Eleko added more points and rebounds during this period to secure her double-double status for the game. Freshman Chelsea Bishop made her debut memorable by scoring her first collegiate points with a three-pointer.

In the final quarter, both teams scored equally with 14 points each. Smith added seven more points to her tally while freshman Olivia DiFranco scored her first collegiate points with a corner three-pointer.

The loss marked Eastern Michigan's first defeat against Purdue Fort Wayne after winning their previous three encounters. The Eagles hold an all-time record of 55-41 against current Horizon League members.

Looking ahead, Eastern Michigan will face another Horizon League opponent on November 26 when they travel to Detroit to play against the University of Detroit Mercy at Calihan Hall. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+ and can be heard live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and through The Varsity Network app.