EMU Survives a Scare at Furman

Box score.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Senior forward Sarah VanMetre scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team rallied from a double-digit deficit to claim a 64-62 victory Thursday night here at Timmons Arena.

With the victory EMU evens its record at 5-5 while the loss Furman drops to 5-7 on the year. For the Paladins, the loss marked the first of the season at home, as Furman entered the contest with a perfect 4-0 record at Timmons Arena.

Furman, who led by as many as 10 points in the second half, held a 60-59 edge with 5:15 remaining in the game, Eastern responded as freshman Alyssa Pittman connected on her fifth three-point field goal of the night with just under four minutes left in the second half. After a lay-up tied the contest at 62, freshman Kelly Watts ripped down an offensive rebound and was able to lay a shot off the glass with 1:16 left on the clock to provide the game’s final margin. Furman had one final chance to either tie or win the game with :20 seconds remaining, but stellar EMU defense prevented FU from getting off a desperation shot as time expired.

As has been the story most of the year, VanMetre led the Eagles in scoring and rebounding, collecting her fifth double-double of the campaign. Pittman turned in 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting. The Eagles’ were able to rally for the victory despite junior Patrice McKinney struggling; she finished with no points and just two caroms.

Furman placed four players in double-figures, led by Maggie McKemie and Chrissy Phelps, who each scored 12 points. Stephens added 11 points, while Katie Johnson scored 10 points.

The Paladins raced out of the gates, making their first five shots to take a 10-5 edge with 17:12 left in the period. But a three-pointer and a fast-break lay-up by Pittman pulled EMU within a pair, 14-12, but then the scoring for the Eagles went silent.

Furman would roll off 11 of the next 12 points to take its biggest advantage of the stanza at 12, 25-13, with 4:51 to play in the half. Eastern was able to end the nearly nine-minute long field goal drought at the 4:35 mark, as VanMetre laid one off the glass to make it 25-15.

However, FU would suffer the same struggles to close the half, going without a field goal over the final 4:51. Eastern was able to chip away at the deficit via a 10-4 run, to trail by just five, 29-25, at the break.

VanMetre paced all scorers with nine points while Furman was led by McKemie with eight. For the half FU shot 38.7 percent (12-of-31) from the floor compared to just 30 percent (9-of-30) for EMU.

Following the intermission, Eastern was able to cut the difference to three, 29-26, thanks to a free throw by freshman Emily Hanley. Once again though it was the EMU offense faltering as the Eagles would go without a field goal for nearly two minutes, until Hanley was able to convert on a three-point play with 17:48 left in the period.

A 10-3 run by FU made with 39-26 with just over 16 minutes left, but and again it was time for the Eagles to respond with a run of their own. Over the next four minutes Eastern out-scored Furman 13-to-7, cutting the difference to a point, 46-45, on a Watts lay-up with 12:25 showing on the clock.

The momentum continued to roll in the favor of the Green and White as Pittman knocked down a trey at the 11:38 mark to give EMU its first lead at 48-46. The Eastern edge would grow to five points, 59-54, with 6:22 to go as VanMetre made an easy lay-up.

Once more it would be the host squad using a 6-0 run over the next minute to regain control of the lead at 60-59. Then the momentum switched again in the favor of the Eagles, as the defense stepped up limiting the Paladins to just one field goal in their last seven offensive possessions of the game.

Trailing by a pair with 3:49 to play, Pittman connected on her fifth three-point field goal of the night to help Eastern regain the lead at 62-60. Following a FU lay-up to tie the game at 62, neither side was able to score until Watts made a big offense rebound and converted on the second-chance opportunity with 1:16 left on the clock to give EMU the lead at 64-62.

Furman had two chances to either tie or win, but were unable to connect on either shot as Eastern Michigan walked away with the win.

The Eagles close out the 2006 portion of the schedule Saturday, Dec. 30, traveling to Western Carolina University. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee, N.C.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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