Women's basketball continues losing streak
The CMU women’s basketball team dropped its regular-season home opener and third consecutive game Saturday 65-61 to Loyola-Chicago at Rose Arena.
The Chippewas got off to a slow start for the second consecutive game, scoring their first basket at the 15:31 mark, with junior guard Shonda Long scoring the team’s first seven points.
The score remained close until about four minutes remaining in the first half, when the Ramblers went on a 14-0 run to extend their lead to 36-20.
“From 3:40 to 1:38, that was the key in the first half,” said coach Sue Guevara. “We changed defenses for a quick minute when the subs came in, and we left shooters open.”
The Chippewas were able to put together a 6-0 run and close the half trailing by 10 points after a completed Britni Houghton 3-point play and a Skylar Miller 3-point field goal.
It was the only field goal Houghton had in the first half, as the preseason first-team all-conference selection was held to five points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field.
“Their defense was good; however, I think it was myself that stopped me,” Houghton said. “That’s something I’m going to try and work on, just starting hard in the first half like I do in the second half.”
Guevara said defenses are starting to pick up on Houghton’s offensive tendencies and changes need to be made.
“She’s trying to force some things,” Guevara said. “As a senior, she can’t have mental lapses. She has to understand that she’s our go-to and our go-to cannot start out games like she’s been starting out.”
Hot shooting
Loyola (2-1) shot 65 percent from the field in the first half, holding CMU to just 20.5 percent and an uncharacteristic 2-of-20 3-point shooting.
The Chippewas’ momentum carried over from the end of the first half as the team scored the first four points of the second half and cut the Ramblers’ lead to six.
“We came out with good intensity,” Guevara said.
CMU took its first and only lead of the game off a pair of free throws by Long with 11:45 remaining. That lead, however, only lasted six seconds as Loyola regained command of the game and held off the Chippewas.
Houghton and Long each scored 15 points while junior Kaihla Szunko had 11 points and 14 rebounds, her first double-double of the season.
Loyola beat CMU with a balanced scoring attack, as senior guard Maggie McCloskey (11 points) was the only player to score in double-digits for the Ramblers.
Recess in Rose
CMU plays Georgetown at noon Wednesday at Rose Arena for the team’s annual Recess in Rose event.
The Chippewas lost 82-77 to Georgetown last year in Washington, D.C. They will look to utilize the big crowd of elementary and junior high school students to its advantage.
“It’s a great community event, and I’m so grateful that the schools are coming and here to support us,” Guevara said. “Last year, I thought the crowd was our sixth player.”
Georgetown is 2-2, with wins over Missouri State and Seattle, and led by 5-foot 11-inch guard Ta’Shauna Rodgers, who is averaging more than 17 points per game.
