The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team wrapped up the 2010-11 season with a 24-13 record. That record represents the most wins in the program’s history as well as most games played in program history and the program’s first national tournament victories. All of these accomplishments helped this team develop its own Cinderella story.
After the team made an 8-0 sweep at a preseason tournament in Canada, it seemed like its world was going to come toppling down on the players’ heads. It started with four self-reported NCAA rule violations. The result was a one-month suspension of coach AnnMarie Gilbert that ended just two days before the Eagles’ season was to start. Assistant coach Darin Thrun was given an indefinite suspension that has not ended yet.
Three days after the suspensions were handed out, the university received news that Leonard Drake had died suddenly. Drake was the associate head coach for the Eagles squad in the 2009-10 season and had just been given the position of athletic director at Evansville Central High School in June 2010.
The Eagles opened their season with two exhibition wins and a regular-season opener victory against Loyola-Chicago. Their next game would be one of their greatest challenges: Ohio State University. The team held the Buckeyes to a 10-point win, proving their toughness and endurance. But, in the days following that game injury became another woe of this team. Junior Raina Spencer suffered a torn ACL at practice and never set foot on the hardwood from then on.
In the remainder of their nonconference games, the Eagles were 8-5. The losses came against the likes of Oregon State, Missouri State, Green Bay and the University of Detroit Mercy. After the UDM game, the Eagles went on a six-game win streak and earned one of their biggest wins of the season against Temple.
The Eagles opened Mid-American Conference play with back-to-back wins against Northern Illinois and Ball State. Midway through conference play, senior De’Ja Wills suffered a fractured bone in her knee that put her out for nearly a month. EMU found itself with a shortened bench and its troubles pilling up. The Eagles went 10-6 in MAC play, clinching the fifth seed going into the tournament.
After being swept in the regular season by the No. 1-seeded Toledo Rockets, the Eagles took their turn and defeated the Rockets 61-55 to advance to the MAC championship game. The Eagles could not manage to overthrow Bowling Green for the MAC title and an automatic NCAA tournament bid as the Falcons remain to be the only team Gilbert has not beaten in her tenure at EMU.
Selection Monday came around and the Eagles were sent to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. In the first round of the WNIT, the Eagles hosted Michigan, a team that swept OSU and many other Big Ten teams. In the end, it was EMU standing on top with the 67-59 win, the program’s first-ever victory over a Big Ten team.
The Eagles then went on to defeat the University North Carolina-Wilmington after trailing by as many as 13 in the second half. EMU then advanced to the WNIT Sweet Sixteen, where its season ended with a 72-63 loss to Syracuse.
With five seniors leaving, the squad will need younger players to step in and fill the voids.
Physical strength has been a focus for this team for years. The roster does not have too many big bodies, so playing teams from bigger conferences forces the Eagles to rely more on their speed and endurance to win. While Paige Redditt and India Hairston will be able to provide presence in the paint, EMU will need to find some bigger guards.
On the same token, these 37 games will pay off in giving these Eagles some steam next season so do not be surprised to see them with another long season. Not only were they able to fight off teams to make this long journey, but they also had a mental fight all season long. Mistakes, natural disaster and injury could not stop this team. They are built to fight and made to win.