Junior Ilene Tsao guards against a Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) player. Tsao reached double-digit scores for both the Eagles’ away games this past weekend. | Courtesy of Andrew Hodowanec/The Case Western Observer.
The Emory women’s basketball team bounced back from the previous weekend’s two losses with a nail-biting 61-60 road victory over the Case Western University (Ohio) Spartans last Friday. The following Sunday, however, the team was unable to hold off a Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) attack and fell 85-74.
The Eagles, 11-11 at the start of their game against the then 7-15 Spartans, took the lead early with a free throw from freshman center Dumebi Egbuna and a layup from junior guard Khadijah Sayyid. The final points in the first half came off a layup from sophomore guard Shellie Kaniut, and brought the Eagles’ lead to a comfortable 11 points.
The Spartans came out of the locker room hot in the second half, senior guard Brooke Orcutt sinking a three-point jump shot to start a scoring rally over the next five minutes of play. With 15 minutes on the clock, the Eagles 31-20 halftime lead had narrowed to 33-29. The Spartans remained narrowly behind until five free throws and a layup put them on the leading side of a 48-50 score. Two baskets from freshman forward Lauren Weems and another from Sayyid gave the Eagles a four point lead, but the Spartans battled back. Over the third and fourth remaining minutes Sayyid made back-to-back rebounds and Dumbei added another to give the Eagles a 60-54 lead. With 13 seconds on the clock, the Spartans narrowed the deficit to two points, but Kaniut fired back with a perfect free throw. Case junior forward Laura Mummey added another two to the scoreboard with a second left, but the buzzer went off before the Spartans could overcome the Eagles one point lead.
“It was fatigue and they made some adjustments,” Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said. “They made some run outs on us in the second half, and they got more aggressive on the glass.”
Sayyid and junior Ilene Tsao led the Eagles’ scoring effort with 20 and 10, respectively, while Tsao added four assists. Tao and Egbuna knocked down eight boards a piece, followed by Sayyid with seven. On defense, Tsao notched four steals and Sayyid forced six turnovers.
“We take the lead and just the composure, fire and will that our players showed, to lose the lead and take it back for the win,” Thomaskutty said.
The Eagles went into Sunday’s game with a 12-11 record against the CMU Tartans’ 11-12. CMU freshman guard Anna Novak set the tempo only 30 seconds in with a three-pointer. Two minutes later, a Sayyid three-pointer tied the score at five. The Tartans retook the lead and held it for the next two and a half minutes, but a jumper from Tsao tied the score at 13-13 with 14:45 on the clock. The Tartans again took the lead, but with 11 minutes remaining in the half, Dumbei and Sayyid knocked in two consecutive shots to take the lead at 19-18. Both teams’ offenses heated up in the final minutes of the first half, but the buzzer rang with the score at 35-39, CMU.
Tsao and Dumbei led the Eagles’ scoring effort in those first 20 minutes, bringing in 12 each. Sayyid, who had put up nine points, left the game due to an injury.
Additionally, sophomore guard Michelle Bevan had not traveled with the team due to a concussion. Tsao added three assists, and Egbuna and freshman forward Mikaila Schmitt had four and three rebounds, respectively.
The second half swung in favor of CMU, led by sophomore center Lisa Murphy, who put up 21 throughout 20 minutes. Egbuna followed Sayyid to the bench with another injury.
“We already didn’t have Michelle Bevan going into the game and losing [Sayyid] and [Egbuna] in the middle of the game rattled us a little bit,” Tsao said.
Tsao answered with 16, followed by eight from sophomore guard Fran Sweeny. Despite those efforts, the game came to a close with a 74-85, CMU score.
“Coach said in the huddle, we always prepare for adversary,” Tsao said. “Before the game, she was saying that we cant do this along. It’s a team effort. I took what she said and decided I needed to step up and do it for [Sayyid] and [Egbuna].”
“[Tsao] probably had the best weekend of her career,” Thomaskutty said. “We had two players leave the game for injury and Ilene put the team on her back.”
Tsao’s 28 total points were the most from an Eagle this season and the 16th most in the program’s history. She also led the Eagles in assists with five and was followed in points by Egbuna with 15. Egbuna also knocked down an impressive five boards for the Eagles.
“[Tsao] probably had the best weekend of her career,” Thomaskutty said. “We had two players leave the game for injury and Ilene put the team on her back. Everyone picked up their game. I can’t say enough, my team does not quit. I’m very, very proud of the way they played yesterday.”
The Eagles will close out the regular season at home this Saturday against the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Yellowjackets.
“Rochester is a huge team. Player-for-player, they have at least six inches on us,” Thomaskutty said. “It’s not so much about the opponent as it is about getting better. It’s a two-year plan. We don’t lose anyone, and want to build towards next year and finish on the right note.
Tsao echoed Thomaskutty and emphasized that the final game will decide whether the Eagles finish the regular season with a winning or losing record.
“These games are crucial because they lead into our postseason and preseason next year,” she said. “It shapes type of swagger we’re going to bring into next year.”
Former Editor-in-Chief | Zak Hudak is from Pittsburgh, Pa. and majored in Classics and Philosophy. He attended The Hill School, a boarding school outside of Philadelphia, where he earned varsity letters in track and baseball and was the Sports Editor and then Editor in Chief of The Hill News. While at Hill, Zak was mentored by former Washington Post Editor and Copy Chief of two Pulitzer Prize winning teams, Tony Reid. Zak Joined the Wheel's Editorial Board his freshman year as Asst. Sports Editor.
