Box Score WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Sarah Olson (Freehold, NJ/Howell [NJIT]) scored 18 points on six three-pointers and Christina Mitchell (Baltimore, MD/MATHS) compiled a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, but the Monmouth University women's basketball team fell to Eastern Michigan, 78-68, Thursday night at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks (2-6) erased an 18-point second-half deficit to take a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. But the Eagles (6-2) responded with a 20-2 run to retake the lead and put the game out of reach.

Olson did all of her damage on 6-of-16 shooting from long range. Mitchell was 5-of-11 from the floor, including a three on her only attempt from deep and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Tyese Purvis (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis [Monroe C.C.]) added 11 points, including 3-of-9 from long range. Jamiyah Bethune (Union, NJ/Union [Penn State]) filled the stat sheet with eight points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while McKinzee Barker (Bomont, WV/Clay County) also narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds to go along with four assists.

Cha Sweeney led Eastern Michigan with 26 points, while Phillis Webb added a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, scoring 10 points in the pivotal fourth-quarter run. Janay Morton also contributed nine points, while Chanise Baldwin had five points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles.

“It was a tale of two halves for us. I thought in the first half, we were way too hesitant and cautious against the zone,” said Monmouth Head Coach Jenny Palmateer. “In the second half, we got more aggressive against their press, which led to some easier transition threes. We were a whole lot more aggressive attacking in the second half and that's how we were able to come back and gain that seven-point lead. The biggest thing for us now, and the next step in this team's maturity, is for us to be able to then play with that seven-point lead and get that killer instinct. Now we can push that seven to 10 or that 10 to 15. Once we got the lead, we got a little hesitant again, a little too cautious. Nobody wanted to be the one to make a mistake. It's tough when you start playing not to make mistakes. We have to stay aggressive and play to push that lead.”

Eastern Michigan scored nine of the first 10 points to open the game to establish a 9-1 lead. Webb capped the run with two free throws and a long jumper from the wing. Monmouth cut the deficit to four on three-pointers from Olson and Purvis, before the Eagles scored five-straight to extend back to a nine-point lead. Bethune scored on a post move with less than 10 seconds remaining to make it 16-9 Eagles after one.

The teams exchanged buckets in the first two minutes of the second quarter before the Eagles scored seven-straight, including a Sera Ozelci three from the left wing to take a 25-11 lead with just under seven minutes left in the half. The Hawks answered with consecutive three-pointers from Jasmine Walker (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) and Olson to cut the deficit to eight. But Eastern Michigan outscored Monmouth, 11-4, to close out the half and take a 38-23 lead into the break.

Jasmine McCall (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan [Seton Hall]) scored the Hawks' final six points of the half, while Olson also added six points on a pair of threes in the first half. Mitchell added three points and nine rebounds for MU. Sweeney led the Eagles with 11 points and three assists, while Morton added seven points and Webb had six in the initial stanza. Baldwin also added five points and eight rebounds.     

The Eagles' lead swelled to 18 early in the third quarter on Sweeney's three from the right wing at the 7:52 mark. But a Mitchell lay-up and threes from Barker and Olson made it an 8-0 Monmouth response and cut the deficit to 10 with 6:47 left in the period. Still trailing by 10 later in the quarter, Monmouth went on a 9-0 run on a pair of Purvis threes and a three-point play from Bethune to cut the Eagles' lead to one after three.

Monmouth opened the fourth quarter with five-straight points to take its first lead of the game. Mitchell scored a lay-up off an inbounds play underneath before Olson knocked down a left wing three to give the Hawks a 58-54 lead with 9:05 left. Following a Sweeney lay-up to break up the run, the advantage swelled to seven, 63-56, on a Mitchell three from the left corner and two Purvis free throws with 6:07 left. But Eastern Michigan went on a 13-0 run and scored 20 of the next 22 points to take the lead for good. Webb scored 10 points in the spurt, including the game-tying free throws and the go-ahead jumper.

For the game, the Eagles outshot the Hawks, 40.0 percent (26-65) to 33.3 percent (24-72) from the floor, while Monmouth enjoyed advantages of 36.8 percent (14-38) to 33.3 percent (6-18) from long range and 85.7 percent (6-7) to 76.9 percent (20-26) from the free-throw line. The Eagles outrebounded the Hawks, 47-43, while taking a 16-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

Following a 10-day break for finals, the Hawks return to non-conference action Dec. 20, when they play intrastate and former conference foe Fairleigh Dickinson. Tip-off from Stratis Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.