EMAIL THIS PAGE

AU Offense Explodes in Patriot League Quarterfinal Win Over Navy, 85-73
Six Eagles reach double-figures as AU shoots 52 percent on the game

Senior captain Chanel Spriggs led AU to an 85-73 win over Navy in the PL Quarterfinals with 16 points. Six Eagles scored in double-figures.

March 5, 2004 | Boxscore

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – The American University women's basketball team's offense exploded in the second half, scoring 49 points on 57 percent shooting in the period, to give the Eagles an 85-73 win over the U.S. Naval Academy Friday in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament at the Show Place Arena.

Navy raced ahead of AU early, building leads as large as nine points in the opening period. The Midshipmen led 17-8 at the 11:46 mark of the first, but AU went on a 28-18 run over the next nine minutes to take its first lead since the first bucket of the game. The two teams headed to the lockerroom knotted up at 36 a piece.

It was the second half where American took it to the Mids. AU never trailed in the period, and hit 12-of-21 shots and 25-of-32 free throws to finish with a season-high 85 points. The Eagles held Navy scoreless for more than three minutes, between 14:55 and 11:38, while they built up a 10-point lead, 52-42. The Mids responded with a 21-13 run of their own to close within two points with four minutes left in the game. However, AU hit 14-of-16 free throws in the last four minutes to seal the victory. Chanel Hunt (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft) hit eight-of-10 during that stretch. Overall, AU hit 31 free throws, in 40 attempts, the fourth-most free throws made in a game in school history. AU scored 12 of its final 14 points of the game from the free throw line.

Six Eagles finished in double-figures, led by Chanel Spriggs' (Sunderland, Md./Northern) 16 points in just 24 minutes of action. Hunt finished with 15 points and eight boards and went 11-of-13 from the line. The rebounds pushed Hunt into 10th place all-time at AU in career rebounds. In addition, senior Angel McNatt (Adelphia, Md./High Point) had 14 points in just 17 minutes, Joanna Barnes (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) had 13 points, senior Kaitlin Schuyler (Baltimore, Md./Mercy) had 10 points and Kim Salem (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) had 13 points and nine rebounds. Jenyce Woodruff (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) nabbed a career-high nine rebounds in just her sixth start of the season. Salem, Schuyler, Spriggs and Hunt played much of the last 10 minutes of the contest with four fouls each.

The Eagles return to action on Sunday in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. AU will face the winner of the Army/Lehigh PL quarterfinal matchup. Game time is set for 25 minutes after the conclusion of the first women's semifinal, which begins at noon.