COLUMN: Bench went from a weakness to strength within a year

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Last season Sue Guevara had a limited bench and relied on her starters to the bulk of the work.

This season the Central Michigan women’s basketball bench has become the team’s strength.

During Wednesday night’s win over Western Michigan the bench scored 24 first half points to rally CMU back from an early deficit and scored 32 on the night between sophomores guard Niki DiGuilio, forward Taylor Johnson and junior guard Jalisa Olive.

“Niki (DiGuilio) we know is a good spot up shooter,” Guevara said. “Jalisa (Olive) came in and did a real nice job as far as her pressure on the basketball and she hit her shots and it’s the same thing with Taylor (Johnson).”

This season’s freshman have made an immediate impact and players who started last season like DiGuilio and senior forward Skylar Miller have found themselves in new roles.

DiGuilio and Miller started every game last season and coming into this season the question was who would start beside them, not who was going to start instead of them.

But with those two on the bench along with Johnson and Olive that brings experience to the bench. Youngsters like freshman guards Crystal Bradford, Jessica Green and forward Jas’Mine Bracey are gaining experience while starting.

The experienced bench players are also helping the freshman off the bench like guard Kerby Tamm who has also made a big impact with her 3-point shooting.

Last season CMU was successful despite regularly bring off just three players from the bench. Guevara’s selection was slim and if her starters weren’t perform the team had to push through.

This season the Chippewas are winning because of the bench. If a starter is struggling DiGuilio, Johnson, Miller, Olive, Tamm can come in and perform.

It will be hard for the rest of the Mid-American Conference to keep pace with the new Chippewas deep and experienced bench.