Feb. 11, 2006
Final Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. - A season-long losing streak hit five games Saturday afternoon in Eastern Michigan's Convocation Center as Miami University's women's basketball team (7-15; 2-9) was simply overwhelmed by the Mid-American Conference West Division leading Eagles, 78-55.
Eastern Michigan, led by senior guard Ryan Coleman, came out fast, charging to a 10-4 lead and forcing a Miami timeout less than four minutes into the game. With the RedHawk offense struggling to establish rhythm, hitting just two field goals over the first seven minutes, Miami found itself down by as much as 11 over the first 10 minutes. With EMU clicking in transition, the Eagles pressed their advantage to 24-10 by the 9:04 mark, forcing a second Miami timeout.
Miami's troubles would only balloon from there, as the Eagles' Nikki Knapp poured in six unanswered points and pushed the EMU advantage to 18. A put-back by Laura Markwood would briefly pull Miami back within 16 but another EMU run, fueled by untimely RedHawk turnovers, pushed the edge to 31-12 by 4:36, forcing Miami's third timeout of the half. A long buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Coleman sent the RedHawks into the locker room trailing 44-21--their largest deficit of the game.
Miami shot just 37.5 percent from the field and was plagued by 14 first-half turnovers. EMU, which blistered the RedHawks at 58.6 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes, scored 19 points off Miami turnovers.
Things went from bad to worse in the second, as the Eagles scored six points in 55 seconds, while Miami was unable to advance the ball past half court. Miami would trail by 35 points when the first media timeout mercifully arrived. The RedHawks' first point of the second half would not arrive until 12:31 off a Cindi Merrill drive to the bucket that ended a 16-0 second-half opening run by the Eagles.
EMU's lead would reach a game-high 43 points by the 10-minute mark before Miami responded with its first run of the afternoon. Sparked by eight straight points, two steals and an assist from freshman Stephanie Ford, Miami rallied within 28 points and went on to close the final gap to 23 points, avoiding what could have been its first 30-plus point league loss since 2000.
Merrill and Ford, who connected on 6-of-7 shots, led the RedHawks with 12 points apiece, as Miami finished the game at 45.7 percent from the field but committed 28 turnovers. EMU, which finished with 35 points off turnovers, was led by 21 from Coleman and 20 from Knapp.
The RedHawks remain on the road, traveling to Buffalo tomorrow and spending a day in preparation for a 7 p.m., Tuesday night tip against the Bulls. Miami, which is neck and neck with the Bulls in the divisional standings, is attempting to avenge a three-point January loss to Buffalo.
