Lady Eagles Start to Spread their Wings

by Jason Idalski

Eastern Michigan’s women’s basketball program might provide a contradiction to the old Bill Parcells line, “You are what your record says you are.”

The Eagles’ record says they’re a 9-5 team—which typically translates to good, but not great. However, EMU maybe the best team in the country to come out of its non-conference schedule with five losses. And, while a 9-5 record and an RPI in the triple digits may not sound terribly impressive, consider that the Eagles have only one loss that can be considered “bad,” yet several impressive wins.

Their losses came at Ohio State (ranked No. 7 at the time), against Green Bay (then No. 21), at Missouri State (9-3), against the Pac-10’s Oregon State (7-4) and Detroit (6-5). The Detroit loss was disappointing because, at home, the Eagles took a 12-point lead with 6:05 to play and yet lost by two. But Detroit showed their potential by beating a good University of Michigan team in Ann Arbor by a score of 67-48. And a week and a half later, EMU made up for the Detroit game.

“I’d like the Detroit game back, but we stole the Temple game—a game that I don’t think anybody in America bet on us to win,” coach Ann Marie Gilbert said after the team’s last non-conference game. Temple has made the NCAA Tournament the past seven seasons and was one of many difficult opponents Eastern faced in their non-conference schedule.

“Our preseason schedule was set up for us to be successful,” Gilbert said. “We do believe that Ohio State, Missouri State, Temple, those games prepared us, [and] Wisconsin-Green Bay, who knocked our socks off. Those teams prepared us for what we’re going to face in the conference season.”

Plus, the team seems to be peaking at the right time. An 89-34 rout of Niagara at the Convocation Center on Dec. 28 marked the fourth-largest victory margin in Convocation Center history, along with setting a record for fewest points scored by a Division I team in the Convo’s history. The defense set the records, but the improved offense made Gilbert happier.

“Their confidence was shaken because none of their shots were falling,” Gilbert said of her team. “And they were saying ‘Coach, we know we can shoot.’ We’re not shooting as well as we did a year ago. But to see some of those shots go in for us tonight was tremendous. And that gives us a good feeling heading into [conference play].”

The Mid-American Conference is predictably tough this year. Perennial power Bowling Green has won 12 in a row after losing its opener. Kent State is 9-3 and Central Michigan, picked to win the MAC West instead of Eastern, is 8-4. But, with four players averaging in double figures in scoring, EMU has to be considered among the conference’s elite and a decent bet to win the MAC and make the NCAA Tournament.

Statistics current as of January 4.