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Posted on Tue, Feb 28, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.

EMU women's basketball team scores 2 points in final 10 minutes of 61-46 loss at CMU

By AnnArbor.com Staff

Plenty was on the line for the Eastern Michigan women’s basketball team on Tuesday night.

Much of it went up in smoke after the Eagles scored just two points over the final 10 minutes of a 61-46 loss to Central Michigan at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant.

Eastern Michigan (21-8, 13-3 MAC West) had a chance to tie Bowling Green (24-5, 14-2 MAC East) for the overall Mid-American Conference title. The Falcons claimed that honor with a 91-48 win at Kent State.

EMU also lost out on sole possession of the MAC West division title (Toledo tied the Eagles by beating Ball State) and came up one game short of setting a program record of 10 straight victories.

A game that featured five lead changes and three ties over the first 10 minutes of the second half turned decisively in Central Michigan’s favor.

The Eagles -- who average more than 70 points per game -- went nearly seven minutes without scoring a point while Central Michigan turned a 44-42 deficit into a 57-44 lead.

Chippewa freshman Crystal Bradford scored seven of her 10 points during that six-minute stretch.

An Olivia Fouty layup broke the Eagles’ scoring drought with 3:18 left to play, but EMU wouldn’t score again and finished 15-of-48 (32.1) shooting from the floor and 4-of-14 (28.6) from the free-throw line.

Eastern senior guard Tavelyn James scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the first half. No other EMU player scored more than six points.

Belleville High School graduate Jessica Green led Central Michigan (16-14, 8-8) with 12 points and three assists.

Eastern Michigan had already secured a bye to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament. They’ll play March 9 at Quickens Loans Arena in Cleveland.