CMU hosts first-place Bowling Green Wednesday

The CMU women’s basketball team looks to stay undefeated at Rose Arena when it plays first-place Bowling Green at 7 tonight.

The Chippewas (8-14, 5-5 Mid-American Conference) can extend their home winning streak to seven games against the East-leading Falcons (19-5, 9-1 MAC).

“Bowling Green is the best team in our conference,” said CMU coach Sue Guevara. “They are the highest-scoring team in our conference. They bring in an experienced group and will present a real challenge for us.”

Junior guard/forward Lauren Prochaska leads the Falcons with 18.3 points per game. The reigning MAC Player of the Year has started every game in her career and is a threat from the perimeter (44.6 percent from 3-point range). Prochaska also leads BGSU with 5.3 rebounds per game.

The game marks the beginning of a four-game homestand, where the team has won six consecutive games, including a 4-0 record in conference games.

Three of the next four games include first-place Bowling Green, second-place Eastern Michigan on Feb. 20 and West-leading Toledo on Feb. 24.

“What we have to position ourselves for is taking care of business at home, which we have done a pretty good job of in the conference,” Guevara said. “It is something where we have to take care of business one game at a time, and that is the bottom line.”

After a six-game stretch where CMU won five, the team has lost its last two games to Akron and Buffalo by 7 and 8 points on the road, respectively.

Senior guard Heidi Warczinsky (4.8 points per game) and Guevara said the team is taking it one step at a time instead of looking at the homestand as a whole.

“We have to take one game at a time and focus on Bowling Green and working hard,” Warczinsky said. “We have to make sure we get that win on the floor and protect our house.”

CMU has six games remaining to improve its seed for the MAC Tournament.