Eagles Clinch Share of MAC West Title

Box score.

TOLEDO, Ohio --The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team soared past a host Toledo squad, 73-49 here Saturday night at John F. Savage Hall. The Eagles, who had not won in Toledo since the 2000 campaign, used great shooting and stellar defense to snatch only their second win in their last 20 games in Savage Hall.

Eastern Michigan’s magic number in the West Division is now one, either an EMU win or a loss by Western Michigan will give the Eagles the title. Also, with the victory, the Eagles have clinched a first round bye in the upcoming 2006 Kraft Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Sophomore guard Patrice McKinney (Lansing, Mich.-Everett (Mich. State)) led four Eagles in double figures with a game high 19 points and 14 rebounds and four steals. Senior Ryan Coleman (Detroit, Mich.-CMA) poured in 13 points and distributed six assists while freshman Kendra Gallert (Lowell, Mich -Lowell) added 14 points on 4-7 shooting from behind the arc. Gallert’s 14 point effort was a career high for the freshman eclipsing her previous high of 12 points. The win boosted EMU to 18-6 on the year and 12-1 in league play.

Toledo, now 9-14 (4-9 MAC) on the year, was paced by Crystal Young with team-high 17 points. Savannah Werner led the Rockets with eight rebounds. Danielle Bishop came into the contest as the leading scorer for the Rockets at an average of 14.5 points per game, but she could not get it going as the Eagles’ defense held her to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. However, the Rocket Junior was able to reach the 1,000 point milestone when she connected on her second shot of the game.

Eastern Michigan hit its first nine shots from the floor to start the game and held a 20-11 lead with 13:43 left. McKinney and Nikki Knapp (Blue Springs, Mo.-Blue Springs South) fueled the run with six points a piece. As hot as the Eagles were from the field, their defense was equally impressive. EMU held the Rockets scoreless for almost seven minutes midway through the stanza to help build the lead. The visitors continued to pour it on and seven points down the stretch by Coleman made the score 38-17 at the intermission. The Rockets scored only six points the last 16 minutes of the half..

Eastern shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the field in the period, compared to just 24.1 percent (7-of-29) for host Toledo. In the first half the Eagles were paced by McKinney with 13 points and 6 rebounds, while Coleman added 9 points and 5 assists. All five EMU starters contributed to the first half score with Knapp and Gallert connecting for 6 points and Sarah VanMetre (Noblesville, Ind.-Noblesville) adding four points.

Following the intermission, the Eagles continued to hit their marks in the second half shooting 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the floor to keep the lead above 20 points. The Rockets made a late run midway through the second half, as a Crystal Young’s layup with 11:28 left keyed a 14-0 run cutting the Eagle lead to 14-points, 50-36. Eastern lived up to the test, as Gallert connected on her third trey of the game with 7:42 left to push the score back to 17, 53-36, as the Eagles would never be threatened again.

The Eagles are next in action Wednesday, Feb. 22, when they battle the Western Michigan University Broncos. With the WMU loss Saturday evening to Ball State, Eastern can capture the outright West Division championship with a victory. Tip-off is scheduled of 7 p.m. at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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