COLUMN: A win isn't always a win
A win is a win, right?
In many single game cases, this is true. Great teams can have an off day on the court and still leave with the all-important “W.” After the game, they make adjustments to make sure the lackluster performance doesn’t happen again.
Over the past few weeks, there has been an alarming trend with the women’s basketball team: their first half performances aren’t there.
The team seems to be going through the motions and there the heart I’ve seen them play with plenty of times before isn't there.
I’m not the only one to notice. In many post-game statements, head coach Sue Guevara has said her team played “uninspired."
If this were a one-game occurrence or just a single-week occurrence, I wouldn’t have an off feeling. The issue is that this uninspired first half has lingered. First it was Prairie View A&M, then Northern Illinois and Bowling Green, and more recently Ball State and Buffalo.
I’m not saying these are bad teams, I just know CMU is the better team in many of these match ups. It has gotten to the point where I know going into a CMU women’s basketball game, the team will struggle at the beginning, but turn out all right. The players will see defeat staring them in the face from across the locker room and finally click into their impressive second gear.
In the start of the conference season, this is not a huge issue. As the tropical paradises and attention-grabbing non-conference games melt away into the snowy-doldrums of mid-Michigan and conference play, a little lapse in mindset is bound to happen. Although teams cannot win a game in the first half, they certainly can lose it and so far this team has been able overcome any halftime situation.
Now, as the Chippewas head toward the final goal that is March basketball, the moments of uninspired play will become a big problem.
In one-and-done tournament situations, a full-game performance is necessary. Giving Bowling Green a 19-point lead come MAC tournament time would be a season-ender. It is not that the women’s team wouldn’t have the firepower to erase such a deficit, but quality teams wouldn't give them the time to.
Like I said before, from what I’ve seen this season, I know this team is the best in the Mid-American Conference. It has the most explosive players, incredible coaching and team chemistry like none other. It would just be very frustrated to see this season crumble come March because of one bad half.
With a perfect conference season hanging in the balance and a conference tournament looming in the distance, I hope the inspiration returns to Mount Pleasant because it will bring great things for this team.
