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AU Women's Basketball Holds Off Late UMBC Charge To Win, 57-41
Chanel Spriggs sets AU record with six steals

Senior guard Chanel Spriggs scored 17 points and ripped six steals in a 57-41 win over UMBC on Thursday.

Dec. 18, 2003 | Box Score

BALTIMORE – The American University women’s basketball team, led by Chanel Spriggs’ (Sunderland, Md./Northern/St. Mary’s) 17 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three assists, moved to 5-2 on the season with a 57-41 victory over the University of Maryland-Baltimore County on Thursday. The six steals gave Spriggs 245 in her career, and helped her surpass Jody Thornton (244) as the all-time AU steals recordholder.

The Eagles held leads of 12-0 four minutes into the contest and 22-17 at halftime, but UMBC stormed out of the lockerroom in the second stanza. The Retrievers scored the first five points of the half and tied the contest at 22 at the 16:12 mark.

American answered with a 15-3 run, including nine points from Spriggs, to grab a 12-point lead with 10 minutes left.

UMBC came back again, this time to within six points with 1:44 remaining, on consecutive three-pointers by Maria Santos and Courtney Doughman. However, senior guard Kaitlin Schuyler (Baltimore, Md./Mercy) responded with a three-pointer to pull ahead by nine, and the Eagles went four-for-four from the free throw line to ice the game. Schuyler finished with 12 points, including a three-for-five effort from beyond the arc, five assists and four steals

American’s defense forced 25 Retriever turnovers – off of which the Eagles scored 31 points – and allowed UMBC to shoot just 37 percent for the game. American committed a season-low 13 turnovers in the contest.

AU returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 20, at William & Mary. Game time is set for 2 p.m.