After a tough loss Thursday night, the BG women’s basketball team got back on track against Eastern Michigan.
In its Thursday matchup with league-leading Miami University, upperclassman Alexis Rogers took control while on Sunday the Falcons were carried by a freshman.
BG freshman Bailey Cairnduff, from nearby Morley, Mich., lit it up from all across the Convocation Center. Cairnduff was five of nine on the night for 18 points, with one rebound and one assist.
Her 18 points led the team and was a career best. The effort had been expected as Cairnduff had shown scoring potential throughout the year, yet it was unexpected to the point that the Falcons have had trouble finding a third scorer to go with senior Chrissy Steffen and redshirt junior Alexis Rogers.
That duo also found themselves in double digits with 12 and 11 points respectively.
Coming into the game, the Eagles were 4-14 for the year and 2-3 in the MAC. The loss gives them just one win in their past five outings. Eastern Michigan is currently tied with Western Michigan for last in the MAC West.
BG outmatched the Eagles in many statistical categories, including rebounds, assists and free throws. In fact, the Falcons went to the free throw stripe 27 times, making 21 of them for a 77.8 shooting percentage.
The Falcons shot 21 percent from behind the arc but Cairndruff was 2-4 from three point range. The freshman was also a big part of the Falcons’ free throw success as she was a perfect 6-6 from the line.
This is not the first time this season a player has come off the bench and impressed. Earlier in the year it was fellow Michigan native Deborah Hoekstra.
The Falcons will now get a bit longer of a break as they will return to action Thursday, Jan. 31, when they meet up with Akron.
