Box Score (PDF)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team lost its opening game of the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic on Friday morning at Pan American Center, 78-74, to Eastern Michigan University behind Cha Sweeney's 20 points and Jamaica Bucknor's 16 points.
The Titans (1-4) got off to a slow start Friday, as the Eagles (3-2) opened the first half on a 13-2 run. Fullerton cut into the lead to make the score 16-11 behind three consecutive buckets. Hailey King started the run with a jumper, followed by a Kathleen Iwuoha layup, and finished by a Samantha Logan three-pointer with 11:09 left in the first half. The Titans could not keep up the momentum, however, allowing EMU to go on a 16-3 run that gave them a comfortable 32-14 lead with five minutes left until halftime.
The first half ended with Fullerton trailing Eastern Michigan 40-26. CSF shot 28 percent for the half compared to the Eagles 56 percent, but the Titans controlled the boards, outrebounding the Eagles 20-13. Leading Fullerton on the scoreboard was Iwuoha who scored 10 points and pulled down four rebounds. It was Sweeney, who scored 13 points and added four rebounds, who powered Eastern Michigan's lead heading into the final half.
The Titans dominated the second half of play for the second-straight game, out-scoring the Eagles 48-38. The offense ran through Iwuoha on Friday, as the senior produced her first double-double of the season, pouring in a game-high 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. CSF used a season-high 19 offensive rebounds to keep the score close, scoring 21 second-chance points in the game.
Along with Iwuoha, Chante Miles was again a big reason for the Titans' comeback effort. Coming off a 23-point second half effort against Weber State in Fullerton's previous game on Monday, Miles caught fire again in the final 20 minutes scoring 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from behind the three-point line.
Eastern Michigan did just enough in the second half to hold off the Titans, however, shooting 37 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point territory.
"I'm proud of our effort and fight in the second half, but frustrated we are digging ourselves such deep holes to try to claw out of," head coach Daron Park said. "We need to learn how to play with our second half sense of urgency in the first half, and put together a complete game."
The Titans are back in action Saturday at 12:00 p.m. to take on the host team, New Mexico State, at Pan American Center to complete the weekend tournament.
