Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
14-17 (6-12MAC)
Central Michigan
25-6 (15-3MAC)
Heartbreak in Cleveland: EMU's Fight Falls Short to No. 1 CMU
3/13/2019 3:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Danielle Minott scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds in her final game
Postgame Quotes
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – A ferocious fight by the ninth-seeded Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team was not enough to knock off top-seeded Central Michigan University in the Mid-American Conference Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 13, inside Quicken Loans Arena. EMU (14-17, 6-12 MAC) went up three with five seconds to go, but a CMU (25-6, 15-3 MAC) three-pointer tied the game at 73-all, where the Chippewas outlasted the Eagles, 88-80.
A layup by redshirt senior Danielle Minott (Miami, Fla.-Miami Country Day (Syracuse)) and a pair of free throws by sophomore Courtnie Lewis (Belton, Mo.-Belton) put Eastern in front, 69-66, with 12 seconds left in regulation. Eastern Michigan elected to foul out of a timeout, allowing Central to pull back within one, 69-68. The two squads traded free throws once more before CMU sent Lewis to the charity stripe for a third time in the final seconds of play. Lewis knocked down two more clutch freebies, but the Chippewas inbounded the ball quickly to make way for Presley Hudson's game-tying three at the buzzer.
In overtime, the Green and White could not cut Central's momentum. The Chippewas went up five midway through the extra stanza, but despite big shots by freshmen Jenna Annecchiarico (Baldwin, N.Y.-Baldwin) and Kiara Johnson (Buffalo, N.Y.-Cardinal O'Hara) the top-seeded Chips closed out the game at the free throw line to end EMU's season, 88-80.
Annecchiarico led a balanced EMU offensive attack that featured four players in double figures. The freshman point guard poured in a team-best 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, highlighted by five triples. Redshirt sophomore Corrione Cardwell (Cleveland, Ohio-New Tech East) added 17 points and three assists, while Lewis and Minott chipped in 14 points apiece.
Eastern Michigan used one of its most solid offensive performances of the season in its fight with Central, shooting 42.3 percent from the field and knocking down 8-of-18 three-pointers. EMU's success also included a 12-for-17 mark at the charity stripe, including six clutch free throws in the waning seconds of regulation by Lewis. Central's offense was also stout, as the Chippewas converted 47.6 percent of their shots from the field. CMU was even better from distance, hitting 9-of-18 threes, while also cashing in on 19-of-21 free throws.
EMU outrebounded CMU, 39-36, behind the strong play of Johnson and sophomore Autumn Hudson (Richwood, Ohio-North Union). Johnson tallied a team-best 10 rebounds, and Hudson and Minott tacked on nine each.
The first quarter was one of runs as Eastern Michigan opened up a 6-0 lead before Central responded with a 7-0 run to take a one-point edge, 7-6, midway through.
Annecchiarico took control over the final 3:34 of the first period, with her team trailing 12-11. Back-to-back triples from the Baldwin, N.Y. native followed by a layup put Eastern on top, 19-16. The Eagles capped their 10-4 run with a Minott steal and Cardwell bucket in transition to take a 21-16 lead into the second quarter.
Central controlled a majority of the next 10 minutes, going up by eight, but a Cardwell free throw and momentum-shifting three-ball by Minott sent EMU to the locker room down four, 36-32.
After an even third quarter, Eastern Michigan reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth period. EMU went up by no more than three over the final five minutes, setting the stage for CMU's heartbreaking buzzer-beating shot to force overtime.
With the loss, the Eagles finish the season with a 14-17 overall record, and while Danielle Minott's career comes to a close with the setback, Eastern returns a majority of its youthful roster.
