YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — Eastern Michigan used a dominant first quarter to build an early lead and defeated Buffalo 73-63 in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Convocation Center. The Eagles opened a 28-22 lead after the first period and maintained control throughout before an announced crowd of 1,273. Sisi Eleko led Eastern Michigan with 23 points and five rebounds. Peyton Hill added 15 points and Fernanda Ovalle scored 14. Meg Lucas posted a double-double for Buffalo with 22 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. The Bulls fell to 2-24 overall, while Eastern Michigan improved to 12-13.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — The Eastern Michigan Eagles used a dominant first quarter and capitalized on a torrent of Buffalo turnovers to secure a 73-63 victory in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the Convocation Center. The most important part of the game was its opening ten minutes, where Eastern Michigan established a commanding lead that Buffalo spent the rest of the afternoon trying, and ultimately failing, to overcome. The Eagles raced out to a 28-point first quarter, fueled by efficient offense and immediate pressure on the Buffalo ball handlers. The visiting Bulls, despite a strong 22-point opening period of their own, found themselves in a six-point hole that would only deepen due to their own mistakes. Eastern Michigan’s defensive pressure was the story of the game, forcing Buffalo into 22 turnovers, which the Eagles converted into 25 points. Conversely, Eastern Michigan committed only 12 turnovers, leading to just nine Buffalo points. This 16-point disparity in points off turnovers proved to be the decisive margin in a contest where the teams were relatively even in field goal percentage and rebounding. The Eagles, who improved to 12-13 overall, were led by a standout performance from Sisi Eleko. The 6-foot-2 junior from Montreal, Canada, scored 23 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots, anchoring the Eastern Michigan effort. She was complemented by a balanced attack that saw Peyton Hill of St. Louis score 15 points, Fernanda Ovalle of Santiago, Chile add 14 points and five rebounds, and Ainhoa Cea of Irun, Spain dish out seven assists while orchestrating the offense for 37 minutes. Buffalo, which fell to 2-24, was carried by the effort of Meg Lucas. The 6-1 sophomore from Melbourne, Australia posted a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes. Aniya Rowe of Geneva, New York, added 11 points, and Gabby McDuffie of Buffalo scored 10. However, the Bulls’ offensive flow was consistently disrupted by Eastern Michigan’s active hands, which tallied 11 steals. After the high-scoring first quarter, the pace slowed considerably in the second. Both defenses tightened, with Eastern Michigan holding a slim 11-9 edge in the period to take a 39-31 lead into halftime. The Eagles then delivered a critical blow to start the second half, opening the third quarter on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 13 points. Buffalo would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way, as every Bulls push was answered by an Eastern Michigan basket, often generated from a Buffalo miscue. The Eagles maintained their composure in the fourth quarter, never allowing the Bulls to mount a sustained rally. Eastern Michigan’s offense, which posted an efficient offensive rating of 101.4 points per 100 possessions compared to Buffalo’s 89.2, consistently found answers in the paint, where they outscored the Bulls 42-36. The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Eastern Michigan, which defeated Buffalo 71-51 on Jan. 28. The Eagles will look to build on the win when they host Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday. Buffalo, mired in a lengthy losing streak, returns home to face Western Michigan, also on Wednesday. An announced crowd of 1,273 attended the game at the Convocation Center.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — The Eastern Michigan Eagles will look to sweep the season series and solidify their Mid-American Conference standing when they host the struggling Buffalo Bulls in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday. The Eagles (11-13) enter the 2 p.m. EST tipoff at the Convocation Center having won the first meeting decisively, 71-51, in Buffalo on Jan. 28. The Bulls (2-23) are mired in a 10-game losing streak, most recently falling 88-55 to Ball State on Wednesday. Eastern Michigan, led by forward Sisi Eleko, has shown resilience at home this season. Eleko is coming off a 23-point, 12-rebound performance in a loss at Toledo on Feb. 14 and dominated the first matchup with Buffalo, scoring 19 points. Her recent stretch includes a 25-point, 15-rebound effort in a win over Northern Illinois on Jan. 24. Buffalo’s hopes will rest heavily on guard Aniya Rowe, who has been a consistent bright spot during the team’s difficult season. Rowe is averaging 20.1 points over her last seven games, including a 34-point outing against Kent State on Jan. 24. She scored 13 points with five assists in the January loss to the Eagles. The Eagles have struggled recently, losing three of their last four, but their defense held Buffalo to 30.5% shooting in the prior meeting. The Bulls have not won since Jan. 17 and have allowed 80 or more points in four of their last ten contests. Following this game, Eastern Michigan will host Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday. Buffalo will return home to face Western Michigan on the same night.