AU's six seniors closed out their careers at Bender Arena Wednesday night with one of the most complete performances of their four-year careers, shellacking Lehigh, 65-50, on Senior Night.
The six seniors, Chanel Hunt, Joanna Barnes, Jenyce Woodruff, Kim Salem, Angel Jordan and Damarah Rhymer, combined for 59 of AU's points in the win that put the Eagles on the brink of the third seed in the upcoming Patriot League tournament.
"We were really trying to come out and make the most of our last game and go out with a win," said Hunt, who scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds after coming back from an ankle injury early in the second half.
Salem led the Eagles with 16 points as she dominated Lehigh's Jenny Callan, who scored only six. Barnes and Jordan chipped in with 14 and 12, respectively.
"We had six seniors out there tonight who played extremely well. We were sharp offensively and defensively," said Eagles head coach Melissa McFerrin. "I'm just so proud and happy for them."
Rhymer, who took over the starting point guard spot after Tala Hadavi tore a knee ligament in December, played her best game of the season, scoring four points, pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out eight assists, while running an incredibly controlled offense.
"Damarah really understands what's expected of her," McFerrin said. "Tonight, she created the best shot of the game when she drew two defenders on a drive and kicked it out [to Barnes] for a three. She's really developed this year."
Probable player of the year Jessica DePalo led Lehigh with 27 points and seven rebounds, dominating the game with a flurry of jump hooks and layups inside the Eagles' mix of zone and man defense.
A huge key for AU was its ability to stop Lehigh's wings. In a 72-51 loss at Lehigh earlier in the year, Sara Ellis and Mary Hynoski torched AU for 38 points and 14 rebounds. Wednesday, though, the pair was held to only 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
"Our whole scheme is based on switching our defenses, and it was very tough for Lehigh to adjust and lock in offensively," McFerrin said. "We tried to limit DePalo's touches, but they set some nice interior screens for her. With Ellis, the life of a shooter is streaky. She missed a couple early and it was tough for her tonight."
AU tied a school record by hitting all 13 of its free throws and also had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio as the team dished out 16 assists while committing only 14 turnovers.
Down early in the first half, McFerrin went to Jordan, her offensive specialist off the bench. Jordan scored a quick nine points as she hit all four of her shots. She added another 3-pointer in the second half to end her Bender career with a 12-point effort.
"Angel is instant scoring for us off the bench, and that's huge when we're struggling offensively," Hunt said.
For the first time since Hadavi went out, the Eagles looked like a team on the same page that appears to be peaking at the right time.
"I think the girls finally have a true understanding and comfort level with what we're trying to do and how we want to approach every situation," McFerrin said.
The Eagles travel to Annapolis, Md., to take on Navy and avenge an early-season home loss. A win at Navy combined with an Army loss to PL frontrunner Holy Cross would give the Eagles the third seed, and they would begin the PL tournament at Lehigh next weekend.
With a huge senior class playing well at the right time, AU may be a force to be reckoned with in the PL Tournament.
"We're all starting to realize that our careers are coming to an end and we're playing with some urgency," said a rejuvenated Hunt.
And if the Eagles play with the type of urgency they displayed Wednesday night, their run might last a little deeper into March than previously thought.
