2/26/2005 - Women's Basketball
Mids Rally to End Regular Season with Victory
Nikki Curtis led the Mids with 16 points and added six rebounds |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy rallied from a late seven-point deficit to score the final-10 points of the game and record a 49-46 victory over American, Saturday afternoon in the regular season finale for both women's basketball teams. Navy ends the regular season tied for fifth place in the Patriot League with a 6-8 league record, while the Eagles fall to 7-7 and end their season in fourth place. The Midshipmen will be the fifth seed in next week's Patriot League Tournament, which means Navy and American will meet again Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in quarterfinal round action at Worcester, Mass.
Navy won the game despite turning the ball over 26 times, the most by the Mids in a league game this season, and shooting only 19-percent (4-of-21) from behind the three-point line. Navy was helped to the victory by posting a 34-25 advantage in rebounds and sinking 11-of-13 attempts from the foul line, while the Eagles were 3-of-7 from the charity stripe.
"We struggled offensively, but our defense and rebounding kept us in the game and provided an opportunity to win it," said Navy head coach Tom Marryott.
The two teams played a very close first half, with Navy eventually taking the largest lead for either team at 26-20 with 5:11 to play before halftime. The Eagles proceeded to close the half by scoring eight of the final-10 points and send the teams into the locker room tied at 28-28.
After Navy opened the second half on a field goal from Nikki Curtis (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.), American went on a 7-0 run to take a 35-30 lead with 16 minutes left in the game and eventually took its largest lead of the game at 43-36 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the contest. Navy's Abi Campbell (Sr., Richmond, Va.) hit a three-pointer with nine minutes to play, then American's Damarah Rhymer answered with a triple of her own on the next Eagles possession to once again make it a seven-point game at 46-39 with 8:41 to play.
Navy's Kate Hobbs (So., Wexford, Pa.) and Carly Meyer (So., Orlando, Fla.) scored back-to-back field goals from inside the paint off of passes from Lauren Skrel (Jr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) to quickly cut the deficit from seven points to three points, then Meyer would pull the Mids to within two points with just under five minutes to play by sinking one of two free throws on Navy's next possession.
After both teams came away empty on their next several possessions, Curtis was fouled and sank both free throws to tie the game at 46-46 with 2:52 left on the clock. The Eagles missed a pair of shots on their next trip down the floor before Skrel stole the ball and quickly found Meyer open as she was heading to the basket. Meyer was fouled and made the first of her two free throw attempts. She would miss the second, but American knocked the rebound out of bounds to allow the Mids to retain possession.
On that Navy possession, Campbell had the ball stolen from her by Joanna Barnes who found teammate Damarah Rhymer open at halfcourt. Rhymer went the remainder of the court but missed the layup, with the carom being scooped up by Meyer with 1:45 to play. The Mids never were able to get a shot off on their ensuing trip down the floor and handed the ball back to the Eagles on a shot clock violation with 1:11 to play.
Both teams committed turnovers on their next possessions, then Skrel grabbed the defensive rebound after Joanna Barnes missed a shot with 10 seconds to play. American fouled Skrel with four seconds left to stop the clock then, with the Eagles not over the limit yet, were forced to quickly foul twice more before sending Skrel to the line with 1.1 seconds to play. The junior point guard converted both free throws and the American three-quarter court shot at the buzzer fell short to give the Mids the victory.
American did not score a point over the final 8:41 of the game, with the Eagles turning the ball over six times and missing each of their nine attempts from the field. Navy's offense struggled nearly as much, with the Mids unable to attempt a shot after Meyer's field goal with 5:28 to play in the game. Navy committed five turnovers, but made 6-of-8 free throws over the remainder of the contest.
Curtis paced all players with 16 points in the game, while Meyer narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high nine rebounds. Hobbs added to Navy's defensive effort by setting career highs with three blocks and five steals.
American was led offensively by Rhymer with 11 points and Barnes with 10 points, with Chanel Hunt recording six steals in 21 minutes and Barnes adding five steals.
