Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan*
Eagles Soar Past Women's Basketball, 58-45
1/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT - A cold shooting night was too much for the Central Michigan University women's basketball team to overcome it is fell to Eastern Michigan at home on Saturday, 58-45.
The Eagles improve to 11-5, 5-0 in the Mid-American Conference while CMU drops to 10-6, 1-4 in the MAC.
CMU finished the game shooting just 32.7 percent from the field, which led to a season-low 45 points. The Chippewas were also held without a three-point field goal, going 0-for-7. As for the Eagles, they shot 46.7 percent for the game and were 4-of-13 from three-point range.
Ann Skufca led CMU with 13 points as she went 4-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-7 at the line. The junior also tied for a team high with three steals. Stacey Verhoff made her second start of the season and tallied a season-high 10 points and team-high six rebounds.
Ryan Coleman had a game-high 17 points, 11 in the second half, to lead EMU while Sarah VanMetre added 12 and Nikki Knapp had 11. Patrice McKinney ended up with a game-high eight rebounds with three other EMU players recording seven boards apiece.
The first half was a defensive battle with neither team taking a lead bigger than four points and the frame ended with the teams tied at 20. Both team struggled from the field in the opening 20 minutes as CMU shot just 29.6 percent and the Eagles shot 36.4 percent. CMU's defense was able to force nine EMU turnovers and five steals as the Chippewas turned it over just four times during the half.
Eastern Michigan took advantage early in the second half with an 8-2 run to open the stanza. CMU responded by going on a 5-0 run to get within one at the 10:55 mark. Unfortunately for the Chippewas, that is as close as they would get as EMU went on a 11-4 run to an eight-point lead with eight minutes left, 39-31.
The two squads would trade baskets over the next couple minutes before EMU's returning All-American Coleman took off and put the game away. After Erin Kuhl's jumper cut EMU's lead to seven, Coleman scored eight of EMU's next 10 points to give the Eagles a 54-43 lead with three minutes left.
Eastern Michigan won the rebounding battle, 39-26, and had more assists, 12-3, while CMU tallied more steals, 10-1, and fewer turnovers, 9-16. CMU shot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) at the line while EMU shot 63.2 percent (12-of-19).
CMU returns to action against defending MAC champions Bowling Green at home on Wednesday, Jan.25. Tip off in Rose Arena is set for 7 p.m.
