Eagles Capture MAC West Title

Box score.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.-- With the chance to claim the outright Mid-American Conference West Division title, the Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team proved up to the challenge outlasting a tough Western Michigan squad, 64-57, here Wednesday night in University Arena. The Eagles secured the win by opening both halves of the contest on significant runs, taking an early 6-0 lead in the first half and then posting a 9-0 run to begin the second frame.

The championship marks the second title in three years for EMU. Prior to the 2003-04 season, the school had never won division title in basketball history – men or women – since the MAC switched to divisions during the 1997-98 campaign. The victory also marked the first-time the program has recorded 13 league wins.

Sophomore Patrice McKinney led four Eagles in double figures with 16 points, including connecting on 7-of-15 from the field. Senior Ryan Coleman poured in 15 points with eight assists while senior Nikki Knapp added 13 points with six rebounds. Junior Sarah VanMetre turned in 12 points with five boards. The win boosted EMU to 19-6 on the year and 13-1 in league play.

Western Michigan, now 12-13 (9-5 MAC) on the year, was paced by Carrie Moore with a game-high 21 points. Casey Rost heated up to keep the Broncos in the game, scoring 17 of her 19 points in the second half and going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.

For the third consecutive game the Eagles broke out of the gate on fire, racing off to a 6-0 lead as Kendra Gallert and McKinney both connected on three-point field goals. WMU was held scoreless for nearly the first three minutes, as a pair of Amanda Parker free throws finally got the Broncos on the board with 17:13 to go. After missing their first six shots, WMU’s Carrie Moore grabbed a rebound and put it back off the glass to pull Western back within two, 6-4.

EMU pushed the lead to five, 9-4, but WMU would use a 7-2 run over the next six minutes to knot the score at 11 with 12:07 to go in the period. Western took its only lead of the game at 15-13 with 10:42 showing on the clock. But the Eagles had an answer rolling off 10 of the game’s next 13 points to take a five point lead, 23-18, with 7:14 left on the clock. The scoring went silent for both teams and neither program scored again until WMU’s Rost hit a jumper in the lane at the 3:37 mark to end the four minute drought.

Western pulled even closer as Moore scored her 11th point of the contest to make it 23-22. After being held scoreless for over seven minutes, Eastern Michigan finally got back on the scoreboard as McKinney got a fastbreak layup just before the half to make it 25-22. Both teams struggled from the field as EMU managed only 32.3 percent (10-of-31) while WMU managed a 36 percent clip (9-of-25). McKinney paced EMU with 10 points and five boards as Moore proved equal to the task scoring 11 points to go along with four rebounds.

Following the intermission the Eagles went on a 9-0 run holding the Broncos without a field goal for the first four minutes to take a 34-22 advantage, their largest of contest. Just before the first media time-out of the half, Moore picked up her fourth foul of the game forcing the team’s leading scorer to the bench.

With momentum of its side things looked bright for Eastern but Western would not go down without a fight. WMU went on a 15-6 run over the next five minutes to cut the deficit to three, 40-37, with 9:23 remaining. Back-to-back buckets by Coleman in a span of 20 seconds pushed the EMU edge back to eight, 45-37, with 8:42 left.

The two squads traded scores over the next few minutes with the Eagles’ lead growing back to 10 points on a Coleman jumper at the 2:37 mark. The Broncos would have one final charge as Moore and Rost would be the only players to score for WMU over the closing minutes. A jumper by Moore once again cut the deficit to four with 1:15 left on the clock, but a VanMetre layup promptly followed to make it 58-52 with 43 seconds left.

With Western Michigan trading possession for Eastern Michigan free throws, the Eagles made it count, making the only four free throws the team took during the second half. A VanMetre steal and a Knapp layup with three seconds remaining sealed the seven point victory and the season sweep of the instate rival.

For the game the Eagles shot 46.4 percent (26-of-56), including a blistering 64 percent clip in the second half (16-of-25). EMU controlled the glass, out rebounding WMU by 10 board (35 to 25). Eastern also out scored WMU by 24 in the paint (32 to 8).

The Eagles return to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center Saturday, Feb. 25, to tangle with the Ball State University Cardinals. Tip-off is scheduled of 7 p.m. and tickets are available by calling 734.487.2282.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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