HARRISONBURG, VA. – There was little rest for the EMU Women's Basketball team on Saturday, playing their second home game in as many days, this time against the Blazers of Hood College. It also turned to be the Royals' second win in two days, pulling away late to a 68-55 victory to tame the Blazers.
Caris Lucas turned in a career performance as the sophomore guard out of Stanley, Va., scored a career-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Kayla Surles joined her at 18 points to go along with the 23 points she scored last night against Apprentice, also chipping in four assists and three steals.
For Hood, Chanelle Lee led all scorers with 34 of her team's 55 points on 11-of-17 from the field and 12-of-17 from the free throw line.
Records: EMU 2-3, 0-1 ODAC | Hood 0-4
Highlights
First Quarter
It took over two minutes before Jayla Gray scored the game's first basket with a layup at the 7:59 mark, followed by a Surles three-pointer 36 seconds later. Another three-pointer by Lucas at 3:24 left in the quarter gave the Royals a lead they ultimately would not relinquish.
Second Quarter
Lee made it a two-point game with two free throws for Hood, but then EMU outscored them 15-9 over the final eight minutes of the period. The half would end on a frenetic sequence. Na'Vaye Quarles scored a pull-up jumper for Hood with nine seconds remaining, but then Surles countered with a floating jump shot and a foul, completing the traditional three-point play to give the Royals a 34-26 lead at the break.
Third Quarter
The Royals built up a margin as big as 14 following a Trinity Washington lay up and free throw to put the score at 50-36. However, Hood countered with an 11-2 run to end the quarter, including eight points from Lee. Lee scored 18 points across the entire third quarter, but the Royals did the final points of the frame on two free throws from Surles.
Fourth Quarter
EMU seized back the momentum with an 11-3 scoring run across the first five minutes of the final quarter. Of those 11 points, eight came from Washington. On the defensive end, the Royals limited Lee to just four points in the final 10 minutes; in particular, first-year forward Kaylene Todd did a great job of defending Lee one-on-one early in the quarter. The Royals finished the scoring with a Lucas driving layup and a Brii Redfearn free throw.
Statistical Leaders
Points: Lucas, Surles (18)
Rebounds: Laila Glymph (9)
Assists: Surles (4)
Steals: Jeriyah Osborne (4)
Blocks: Mya Hamlet (2)
What's Next
The EMU Women's Basketball team will complete their four-game, pre-Thanksgiving homestand on Tuesday, Nov. 21 when they welcome the Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels to Yoder Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.