Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
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Western Michigan
Eagles Corral Broncos, 71-55
1/14/2006 10:32:41 PM | Women's Basketball
Eagles off to first-ever 3-0 start to Mid-American Conference play
Box score.
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team defeated a visiting Western Michigan University squad, 71-55, here Saturday afternoon in the Convocation Center. The sharpshooting Eagles used a 16-9 run to close out the first half and cruised to the 16 point win over the instate rival. With the victory, EMU improved to 9-5 on the year and 3-0 in league play, marking the school’s first-ever 3-0 start in Mid-American Conference action.
Senior guard Ryan Coleman (Detroit, Mich.-CMA) poured in a team-high 18 points despite missing much of the first half with foul trouble. Senior Nikki Knapp (Blue Springs, Mo.-Blue Springs South) and sophomore Patrice McKinney (Lansing, Mich.-Everett) both added 12 points.
Two Broncos scored in double figures led by Carrie Moore’s 21 points and Lindsey Brown who chipped in 10 points. The loss drops WMU to 4-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Both teams opened the contest with plenty of offensive power as Eastern jumped out to a quick 7-6 lead on a Kendra Gallert (Lowell, Mich.-Lowell) three-pointer at the 16:52 mark. EMU built an early five point edge, 13-6, while holding WMU scoreless for nearly six minutes until a Carrie Moore jumper ended the streak with 11:56 remaining in the period.
The Broncos began to chip away but each time the Eagles responded with a bucket of their own. Eastern Michigan used a quick 8-0 run capped off by back-to-back treys by Annie Malatinsky (Holt, Mich.-Holt) pushing the Green and White advantage to 12 points, 25-13, with 5:49 left before the intermission. Western Michigan pulled back to within single-figures once again on a Moore layup at the 3:01 mark but the Eagles closed out the half on a 5-2 run to take a 31-20 lead into the locker room at the half.
The EMU defense was doing its part holding WMU to just 30 percent shooting (8-of-26), while connecting on blistering 50 percent shooting from the floor (13-of-26). Eastern was paced by Malatinsky with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. McKinney added six points and four rebounds while Knapp grabbed four caroms.
Coming out of the intermission both squads struggled to score as the two teams combined for three points through the first three minutes of the period. The floodgates then opened as Coleman and Kivilcim Yamanoglu (Antalya, Turkey-Ozel Antalya) each drained treys as EMU went up, 39-23, for its biggest lead of the game. Western would not go away though, as the Brown and Gold rolled off six quick points, while holding Eastern scoreless for over three minutes.
Eastern would be up for the challenge using a 11-2 run of its own over the next three minutes to take a 50-37 lead and force Western to burn a time-out with 9:52 remaining. WMU’s Moore poured in her 14th point of the game with 8:16 to get the Broncos back within nine, 50-41, but that would be as close as they could get as EMU cruised to a point 16 point victory.
The Eagles play their first game outside the state of Michigan for the first time in 2006, when they travel to Munice, Ind. for a Wednesday night, Jan. 18, tilt with the Cardinals of Ball State University. Game is set for 7 p.m. at Worthen Arena, the contest is also being televised by Comcast Local, cable channel 8 in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area.
