Eastern Michigan women’s basketball announces they’re for real with win over North Dakota State

The undefeated Eastern Michigan women’s basketball team took on a North Dakota State team that was 6-0 on Thursday night. While the game was tight early on, the Eagles flew away in the second half— in a good way.

They finished with a 73-55 win, as four Eagles finished in double digits, with Lachelle Austin leading the way with 17. Tayra Eke was a stat sheet stuffer with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block, 4 steals and she’ll work on her assist game.

There were a few take-aways from this game.

I was impressed with Coach Casto when he first took the job, and his teams early on showed a lot of scrappy. This team showed that, but also showed a lot of polish. While you can’t teach them to hit big shots down the stretch to pull away, which they did, you can teach them to run a little clock and wait for great shots to keep that lead, which they also did. This team had a balance and a poise about it that really excites me for the rest of the year.

Going forward, this team doesn’t have a lot of big names on the schedule, but they do have a lot of winnable games, which they have done so far to perfection. I would not be shocked if they were undefeated going into conference play. They have nice balance with their roster, with a good combination of skill and hustle. While there were a few breakdowns late, it’s still early in the season and no one is perfect. I believe they are extremely well coached.

I am not calling it yet, but this team could be on to something magical this season.