Illinois-Chicago hands women's basketball its first loss of the season


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Junior Jewel Cotton looks to pass the ball against Middle Tennessee State Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015.  

The Illinois-Chicago women’s basketball team didn’t get its first lead of the game until the 7:31 mark of the fourth quarter.

That lead would give the Flames (4-1) the momentum they needed to defeat Central Michigan 66-63 Friday night, handing the Chippewas their first loss of the 2015-2016 campaign.

CMU’s senior guard Da’Jourie Turner missed a potential game-winning layup with 4.1 seconds remaining and UIC’s sophomore Cate Soane added two free-throws with 0.7 left on the clock.

“We were running a dribble drive, and the idea is to penetrate in and kick (it out) when they collapse, and the kid just didn’t collapse,” Head Coach Sue Guevara said about the play. “And (Turner’s) shot just didn’t go.”

On CMU's last chance, UIC double-teamed freshman guard Presley Hudson, and the Chippewas inbounded the ball to Turner. She was unable to get a shot off as time expired, and CMU dropped to 4-1 on the year.

“The ball should have gone to Presley,” Guevara said. “She can shoot the three with her left hand, and the play was designed for her to do that. With 0.7 left, you better be ready to catch and shoot, and for whatever reason (Turner) put the ball on the floor. And that’s what you call learning.”

UIC outscored CMU 23-13 in the final quarter, led by junior Kendyl Nunn, who scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter.

The Chippewas appeared to be headed to a 5-0 start when redshirt junior Jewel Cotton hit a jump shot giving CMU a 52-45 lead with 8:56 left in the game.

However, UIC would go on an 8-0 run capped by a steal and layup from senior Ruvanna Campbell, and just like that the Flames had a 53-52 lead, their first of the game. Campbell finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

 “We turned the ball over in some very inopportune times,” Guevara said. “What doomed us was offensive rebounds, and our turnovers.”  

The Flames dominated the glass, outrebounding the Chippewas 44-39, 20 of which were offensive rebounds that allowed UIC to get multiple second chance opportunities.

After UIC took its first lead of the game, both teams traded baskets. There were four lead changes in the final seven minutes of the game.

CMU’s Cassandra Breen was able to keep the Chippewas alive down the stretch with three 3-pointers, all of which gave CMU a lead each time. Breen finished with 14 points.

With 2:29 remaining, and CMU down 62-60, Breen’s final 3-pointer gave CMU a 63-62 edge. That advantage would last until Campbell was fouled with 1:10 left to play.

Campbell connected on the two free-throws, giving the lead back to UIC 64-63.  UIC buckled down on defense and escaped with the comeback victory.

In its final eight possessions, CMU scored once and turned the ball over three times.

“We were kind of hurrying a bit too much,” Guevara said. “We were trying to get things done in a hurry, and consequently we turned it over.”

It was a quick start for the Chippewas as freshman Hudson scored the first eight points of the game for CMU. Eleven of Hudson’s 16 points came in the first quarter as CMU led 22-17 after one.

The Chippewas led by as many as seven and led the entire first half until UIC’s Melita Emanuel-Carr nailed a three to tie the game at 31 with 1:20 remaining in the first half.

CMU junior Jasmine Harris banked in a layup with seven seconds left in the half, and the Chippewas Chelsea Lynn got a steal to help CMU head into halftime up 33-31. CMU led by as many as 11 in the third quarter.

Freshman Reyna Frost had her best game as a Chippewa as she recorded her first double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

CMU looks to rebound at 7 p.m. Thursday against Duquesne.

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