Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan Escapes Falcons, 61-59
January 27, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2004
YPSILANTI, Mich. - Host Eastern Michigan University trailed for most of the second half, but rallied for a 61-59 win over the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team Tuesday night (Jan. 27). The Mid-American Conference game was held at EMU's Convocation Center.
With the win, the Eagles improve to 11-6 overall and 4-3 in MAC play, while BGSU drops to 11-6 and 4-2, respectively. The Falcons lost for just the second time in the last nine games, and for the first time in three league road contests this year.
Freshman Ali Mann led all players in both scoring and rebounding en route to her fourth double-double of the year. Mann had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the narrow loss.
The Eagles, after shooting just .250 from the field in the first half, went .519 from the floor in the second 20 minutes. EMU shot .373 for the game to the Falcons' .370. BGSU held a 40-36 rebounding advantage in the game.
Marion Crandall led Eastern with 17 points, including five three-point field goals, off the bench. Melis Ulker added 13 points.
BGSU broke out to an early lead, and the Falcons went up by a 9-2 count early on. Eastern battled back, taking a 12-11 lead, but BG went on a 6-0 run to regain the advantage.
The game was tied twice, at 17 and 20, before BGSU ended the half on a 10-3 run. The Falcons scored the last eight points of the half, with six coming from Mann. BGSU ended the half with senior Lindsay Austin driving and kicking the ball out to Mann for a left-side three-pointer with just 5.0 seconds left in the half.
The Eagles narrowed the Falcon lead to three points by the first media timeout of the second half, but a pair of Austin free throws began an 8-0 BG run, opening a 43-32 advantage with 13:40 left. Austin and Mann each scored four points during that run, which culminated with a sequence in which Mann grabbed a defensive rebound, got the ball back at the other end of the court, faked a three-point shot to get her defender in the air, blowing by that would-be defender and hitting a jumper.
But, EMU's Canea williams answered with a triple, and a Crandall trey moments later cut the BG lead to seven points, 45-38. The lead remained from five to seven points until a three-point play by Erika Ford cut the visitors' advantage to 49-45 with 6:53 left.
Austin answered with a three-pointer, but another Ford layup sparked an 8-0 EMU run as the Falcons struggled on offense. Mann finally halted a BG scoreless streak of 3:09 when she split a pair of free throws with 3:18 left. But, the Falcons would not score another point over the next 1:53.
During that time, the Eagles converted on a crucial offensive possession. Ford drew a foul with 2:12 remaining, and went to the line. She made the first free throw, but missed the second. Ford, however, alertly got her own rebound. Eastern missed a field-goal try, but Ryan Coleman got another offensive rebound for the hosts, was fouled, and hit both free throws to give the hosts a 56-53 lead with 1:51 remaining.
Mann drew the fifth foul from Eastern's Sarah VanMetre, and made both free throws with 1:25 left. At the other end, however, EMU's Nikki Knapp went to the line witih 1:04 remaining and hit both shots, restoring the three-point lead.
After a BG miss, senior Stefanie Wenzel went to the floor to grab the rebound, and was fouled. She made the first free throw with 42.9 seconds left, but missed the second, and EMU got the rebound.
Coleman hit a driving layup with 18.8 seconds left, and the Eagles had a 60-56 lead. But, Austin drained a three-pointer with a defender in her face, and the BG deficit was down to a single point with 8.3 seconds on the clock.
After a timeout, Eastern was able to inbound the ball, and Coleman was fouled with 7.2 seconds left. She split the free throws, giving the hosts a 61-59 lead. The Falcons raced downcourt, but Carin Horne's long, hurried shot was off the mark, and the clock ran out.
Austin joined Mann in double digits, scoring 14 points. Wenzel had eight points and eight rebounds, while Kelly Kapferer had five points off the bench.
Coleman had nine points, a game-high eight assists and six rebounds for the Eagles. VanMetre scored six points and added seven boards and four blocked shots before fouling out.
BGSU returns home for a Saturday (Jan. 31) game vs. the University at Buffalo. Start time for that contest, the first half of a doubleheader, is 1:00 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
NOTES
