EMU Survives a Scare at Toledo, 58-53

Box score.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Senior Patrice McKinney’s fast break lay-up with 3:34 to play sealed the Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team’s 58-53 come-from-behind victory over the University of Toledo Saturday night here at Savage Hall. The Eagles, who trailed 30-28 at halftime, used stellar defense and clutch shooting by McKinney and senior Sarah VanMetre to seal the team’s 10th consecutive Mid-American Conference victory dating back to Feb. 4, 2006.

The victory also marked the Eagles’ first back-to-back wins in Savage Hall since the 1986 and 1987 campaigns, when the Eagles posted a 61-60 victory, Feb. 19, 1986, and a 62-57 decision, Jan. 12, 1987. Last year the Eagles dominated the Rockets on their home floor, rolling to a 74-49 decision Feb. 18, 2006.

EMU moves to 7-6 overall and 2-0 in the MAC while Toledo is 4-10 and 0-2 in league action.

As has been the story all season for Eastern, VanMetre turned in her seventh double-double of the year with 19 points and 11 rebounds. McKinney finished with 15 points, 12 boards, four steals and three assists as EMU shot just 34.5 percent (20-of-58) for the game.

Toledo was led by Tamesha Scotton with 15 points and eight rebounds while Olivia Terry added 10 points off the bench.

Both teams struggled out of the gates, as the squads combined for just 2-of-13 shooting during the first 4:30 as Toledo took an early 3-2 edge. The figurative lid remained on the basket for the Eagles as they went scoreless for more than four minutes until VanMetre was able to get a lay-up to fall along with getting fouled to tie the game at 5-5 with 13:53 to play.

The pace would pick up as Toledo would use a 4-0 run but Eastern answered with a 6-0 run of its own to even the score at 11. Five consecutive points by VanMetre put the Eagles ontop, 16-11, but Toledo would respond with a run of its own to tie the game at 16. The game would remained nip and tuck until with 3:17 to play the EMU offense went silent.

Over the half’s final three minutes, the Rockets used a 10-0 run to take its biggest lead of the stanza at 30-24. However, the period’s final :16 seconds belonged to EMU, as VanMetre had a lay-up followed by a Kivilcim Yamanoglu steal and lay-up to cut the difference to a pair, 30-28, as the teams headed to the locker room.

For the half the Eagles shot just 30.3 percent (10-of-33) from the field but UT also struggled managing a 36.7 percent (11-of-30) clip. The teams were nearly equal on the boards with EMU holding a slight 23 to 21 advantage. VanMetre led all scorers with 13 points and five rebounds while the Rockets were led by Scotton with 10 points and six boards.

After the intermission, the Eagles used a pair of field goals by McKinney and two free-throws by VanMetre to once again even the score at 34. Freshman Emily Hanely drained two free-throws with 15:54 showing to give the Green and White the two-point, 36-34, lead but that was short-lived as Toledo’s Danielle Bishop drilled a three-point field goal with 14:43 left to give the Rockets a three-point cushion at 39-36.

The Rocket offense stuttered impart to good Eagle defense, as Toledo went nearly four minutes without a field goal scoring just three points from the charity stripe. However the EMU offense could not muster much scoring as the margin remained three, 46-43, with 9:43 remaining.

Each side traded possessions and points until with 3:34 remaining McKinney stole a pass and drove the length of the court for an easy lay-up to make it 53-52. Eastern would never relinquish the lead, holding Toledo scoreless over the game’s final 5:01. EMU was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe down the stretch to give the Eagles to five-point, 58-53, decision.

Eastern continues its MAC West Division road swing with a Wednesday evening, Jan. 9, contest at instate rival Western Michigan. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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