YPSILANTI, Mich. – Karrington Ward scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Eastern Michigan past St. Francis (Illinois) 64-52 in the Eagles' opener Friday.
Raven Lee added 11 points and Anali Okoloji 10 for Eastern Michigan.
Eastern Michigan, which did not play an exhibition game in advance of its opener, got off to a slow start. The Eagles held only a 32-30 lead at halftime, hitting only 1 of 10 3-pointers while St. Francis made 7 of 14.
The Eagles took command in the second half, outscoring the NAIA Saints 20-6 to lead 52-36 after Mike Talley scored seven straight points, finishing his run with a 3-pointer with 10:36 left. St. Francis cooled off from the arc, making just 2 of 13 in the second half.
The game was an exhibition for the Saints (2-1) of Joliet, Illinois. Jens Kennedy scored 18 points and Jo Jo Ballestero 15.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.