COLUMN: CMU women’s basketball deserves more attendance

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Calling all Chippewa fans.

Central Michigan women’s basketball coach Sue Guevara wants you to come out and support her team as it plays one of the toughest home schedules in recent history.

The Chippewas kickoff their season in McGuirk Arena at noon on Friday against Big Ten opponent Northwestern, who the beat them 92-84 last season.

That isn’t the only Big Ten opponent that will make the trip to Mount Pleasant this season. CMU will welcome No. 21 Purdue on Dec. 11 after hosting Bradley on Dec. 3, who is known to be a quality basketball school.

The Chippewas want a strong supporting crowd to help this young, but talented team over the hump against some stiff non-conference competition.

But the strong competition doesn’t end with the non-conference season. After being on the road for a full month, CMU welcomes Mid-American Conference play with rival Western Michigan on Jan. 11.

Guevara wants to have the fans in the stands and is willing to whatever it takes to get a strong crowd in McGurik Arena.

One big way to get fans to come is to win, which the team has done, going 19-11 last season with big wins against Ole Miss and Wichita State. Also, taking Iowa and Northwestern to the wire.

CMU is fun to watch and averaged 80.8 points a game last season while scoring in the triple digits three times and 90-plus points eight times.

It is an exciting team and so were the games last season, with six games decided by six points or less, including that last-second win against EMU at home.

The Chippewas appeared in their first postseason tournament (WNIT) since the 1983-84 season when they got into the NCAA Tournament.

The team lost its top two scorers, Kaihla Szunko and Shonda Long, but return three starters, senior forward Skylar Miller, guard and MAC Freshman of the Year Niki DiGuilio and junior guard Brandie Baker. It also returns sixth Player of the Year sophomore forward Taylor Johnson.

The Chippewas also added the No. 43 recruiting class in the nation with Inkster High School freshmen guards Crystal Bradford, Leah Scott, forward Jas’Mine Bracey, Petoskey guard Kerby Tamm and Belleville guard Jessica Green.

This team will be fun to watch and I would highly recommend going to watch this team as it look for its first MAC title since 1984.