WITH VIDEO: Women cruise to win over Ball State

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This time it was at McGuirk Arena.

However, it might not have mattered where the Central Michigan women’s basketball team played on Wednesday night.

CMU defeated Ball State 81-66, dominating the game from start to finish.

The Chippewas (18-8 overall, 10-4 Mid-American Conference) were led by senior guard Shonda Long and her 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting, but it was a total team effort. Five Chippewas finished in double-figures.

It was a complete opposite showing for both teams in this rematch. BSU (9-18 overall, 4-10 MAC) came into the game on a six game losing streak. Senior forward Emily Maggert and senior guard Ty’ronda Benning are the Cardinals’ first and second leading scorers, respectively. In the previous meeting between the two teams, the pair combined for 44 points.

On Wednesday, CMU held them to just 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the field.

“We fronted her (Maggert) and forced her to the baseline,” said senior forward Kaihla Szunko, who finished with 15 points and six rebounds. “She got a little frustrated and I think we got in her head.”

Head coach Sue Guevara wanted her team to keep Benning in front of them because she went right past the Chippewas’ defense in the previous meeting.

“Shonda’s long arms did a nice job of contesting her tonight,” she said.

CMU took an eight-point lead into the half, but in the second it surged to as much as a 23-point cushion. However, with 9:48 to go, the Cardinals cut it to seven, but that was as close as they would get.

The Chippewas responded with a 22-6 run to reach their largest lead.

“We were tired, so we turned the ball over,” said sophomore forward Brandie Baker about the BSU run. “We had to step up and they had their run and we knew we were (going) to have our run.”

Baker had 17 points and five assists.

What does a win like this mean down the stretch?

Szunko, in her final season at CMU, has been around the program and sport long enough to understand that it’s important to play the best basketball at the end.

“It feels really good because we’re coming together and peaking at the right time,” she said.

CMU finishes its final home stand of the season at 3 p.m. Saturday against Eastern Michigan for a first-round MAC tournament bye.

The Eagles lost to Toledo, 65-64, on Wednesday, allowing the Rockets to clinch the MAC West title with the win. EMU is 9-5 in the conference, one game behind CMU in the West standings.