NEWPORT NEWS, VA --- EMU's basketball season came to a close Friday night, as the Royals fell 55-42 to Marymount University in the First Round of the NCAA National Tournament in Newport News, VA. The women held the Saints to just 33% shooting, but struggled to hit their own shots as they wrap up the year 21-7. Eastern Mennonite's young women notch just their fifth 20-win season in program history but their second in a row.
The first half was a slow-scoring, defensive slugfest. Bianca Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) scored the first points nearly two minutes into the contest and EMU had a 6-2 edge after a Kala Yoders (Myerstown, PA/Eastern Lebanon County) jumper with 16:14 left. Midway through the half, the Royals still led 7-6.
Keyla Baltimore (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) kept the score tied at 18-18 with two free throws with 1:04 to go, but Marymount scored the final four of the half from the stripe to take a 22-18 lead into the locker rooms.
After the Royals got a Baltimore bucket to open the second, the Saints took over, scoring eight in a row to blow open a 30-20 cushion. EMU got back within three points when Alicia Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) hit a jump shot with 11:17 left in the contest, making it 34-31.
An 8-0 Marymount run nearly landed the knockout punch, pushing the edge to 44-33 with 5:16 left, and then the Saints clinched it by making 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch.
"I thought Marymount ran their offense very well and we didn't rebound or defend very well," said EMU Coach Kevin Griffin. "The game was played at their pace and we never could get that changed."
Eastern Mennonite shot just 15-for-47 from the floor for 32%. While they held MU to 19-for-57 and 33%, the Royals had more turnovers (20 to 15) and struggled from the free throw line. The women were 10-for-21 for 48%, while the Saints were 14-for-22 for 64%. Marymount also had a 44-37 advantage on the boards, including 26-16 in the decisive second half.
Baltimore led the Royals with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Bianca Ygarza was good for seven points and four rebounds despite being limited with foul trouble. Guard Raiven Patterson (Pulaski, VA/Pulaski County), who again got the start for injured Alisa Brown (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park), had team highs of nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The women did a good defensive job on MU's leading scorer, Katelyn Fischer (Reisterstown, MD/Seton Keough), who was held to 11 points, six below her season average. But Fischer also had eight assists and Tynisha Parks (Lorton, VA/Hayfield) made up the difference by scoring 13 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Dominique Dickens (Virginia Beach, VA/Tallwood) added 12 off the bench for the Saints.
Griffin was proud of his team and season they've had, earning the program's second ever bid to the NCAA Tournament with a starting lineup of juniors and sophomores.
"We had a great season that came to a screeching halt tonight," he said, "and the frustration is that we didn't play up to our capabilities. I'm proud of what we have accomplished this year, but with all that we have coming back we know we have unfinished business."
The Royals won the ODAC regular season crown with a 15-1 conference mark and they had a program record 14-game winning streak as well.