The EMU basketball women shot their best game of the season at 49.2% before coming up short in a toughly fought contest to rival Bridgewater on Wednesday.
The Royals (4-19/3-14 ODAC) held a seven-point lead with 8:20 to go in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles outscored EMU 27-12 in the final eight minutes to leave Yoder Arena with the 90-82 victory.
The Royals have one more game to play this season after being eliminated from a potential chance to make the ODAC Tournament. They wrap the season up on Saturday, Feb. 22 when they travel to Roanoke for a 4:30pm tip-off.
The game saw 20 lead changes as it was back-and-forth the whole way until the end. Each time the Eagles (14-10/13-4 ODAC) held a slight advantage, the Royals came right back to tie it up or take a lead of their own.
Bridgewater made two buckets in the final minute of the first half to hold a slight 40-36 lead heading into halftime.
EMU started the second half hot as they came out on 10-2 run with seniors, Chrissy Delawder (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and Lexi Deffenbaugh (Fishersville, Va./Wilson Memorial) in the middle of it. Delawder made a layup to get the Royals within two, then set up Deffenbaugh for a three pointer to regain the lead. The Eagles quickly scored five straight points to get the game even again, but Chloe Roach (Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora) made a layup to give the EMU a 63-60 lead heading into the final frame. Roach and Deffenbaugh each scored nine points in the third quarter.
The Royals added to their lead in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Emily McCombs (Culpeper, Va./Eastern View) scored five straight points to extend their lead to 70-63 at the 8:20 mark. Then Bridgewater used the next two minutes to erase the EMU lead and regain it for themselves. The Eagles would go on a 13-4 run to jump out to a 10-point lead with just one-minute left to play.
The Royals finished with their most made baskets this season going 32-65 from the floor while going 6-16 (37.5%) from three. Bridgewater was held to making just 39.1% (34-87) of their shots in the game, but made it up shooting 38.9% (14-36) from behind the arc.
Delawder finished her final game in Yoder Arena with a double-double. She scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and one block. Deffenbaugh and McCombs each scored 15 and had five rebounds. Roach scored 16 points with six rebounds, one block, and one steal.
Ahlia Moore carried the weight for the Eagles as she scored 27 points.
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