Nonconference Report Card: Women's basketball heads into Mid-American Conference play at 6-5
With the Mid-American Conference season about to begin, Central Michigan women's basketball gets its first report card of the 2015-16 campaign.
After starting the year with an impressive 4-0 record, the Chippewas lost their next four games. CMU was able to get back on track with two straight wins, but finished its nonconference schedule with a 76-66 loss to Saint Joseph's Tuesday.
CMU (6-5) begins conference play at home against Kent State Saturday, Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. The game will also be available on ESPN3.
The Chippewas received grades for offense, defense, guard play, forward play and coaching during their first 11 contests. Here are the results.
Offense: B
If there was a report card given at the beginning of the season, this undoubtedly would have been an A+. Through the first three games of the season,
CMU was scoring at will and averaging a whopping 92 points per game. The offense was clicking, and it was beginning to resemble the MAC championship team from 2012.
However, the well has begun to run dry, and the Chippewas have had trouble scoring in bunches. This very well may be because of stiffer competition. But whatever the case, CMU's offense has not been the same.
Turnovers have plagued the Chippewas as well including two games 20 or more. CMU has lost a few games because of poor shooting and sloppy play down the stretch in games, something that will need to be cleaned up moving forward.
Defense: B
Because of their commitment to the defensive end of the floor, the Chippewas have been able to stay in games even when the offense was having an off night.
CMU has only allowed more than 70 points in a game once this season, and in that game the Chippewas scored 110 points. Although they're an undersized group, the Chippewas have been able to contain teams in the post.
However, their perimeter defense hasn't been as solid, which is why the grade isn't higher. There are times where the Chippewas tend to leave the best shooters on the floor open for shots, and it doesn't turn out to well in their favor.
Tightening up the outside defense should be an emphasis for this team for MAC play.
Guard play: A
Without a doubt, the surprise of the year for the women's basketball team has been the play of true freshman Presley Hudson. The Wayland native burst onto the scene by knocking down her first career shot and has not looked back since.
Pairing Hudson with senior point guard Da'Jourie Turner has allowed the Chippewas to have the best of both worlds on the court. Hudson can shoot the ball from anywhere beyond the arc and Turner's ability to slash and get to the basket creates a mismatch for other teams.
Having two point guards on the floor has also given CMU the opportunity to dictate the pace of the game and run the floor at will, creating opportunities for easy baskets in transition.
Sophomore guard Cassandra Breen has also been key in the Chippewas offensive play this season. Breen has been almost automatic shooting the corner 3-pointer, and she has improved her mid-range game as well as her ability to get to the rim.
Forward play: C+
This is where the Chippewas have struggled the most, but it's not because of a lack of talent.
Junior forward Jewel Cotton, sophomore Tinara Moore and freshman Reyna Frost have all shown flashes of greatness. The problem is they haven't been able to do it on a consistent level.
If not for Frost, this grade would be lower, but she has been the most consistent of the three players and has played her way into a starting role and the top rebounder on the team. She plays with no fear and with a great sense of urgency for such a young player.
At times, Cotton and Moore disappear from the game entirely and have little to no impact on the court. Head Coach Sue Guevara has said numerous times that she needs more out of the two.
If these two can become more assertive in the low post on a consistent basis, this grade and the Chippewas record could improve rather quickly.
Coaching: B+
After CMU fell to Illinois earlier in the season, Guevara knew she needed to make changes. She did so by starting Frost, which was a move that added spark to the starting lineup.
She also made the decision to start both Turner and Hudson together putting the pressure on the opposing coaches to pick their poison. Guevara has done a good job at giving players an opportunity to prove themselves and then increasing their minutes in the future.
A prime example is sophomore guard Aleah Swary. Swary didn't see much action in the beginning of the season, but when the offense was struggling and needed a boost, Guevara put her in and she delivered.
In the last two games Swary came off the bench and shot the ball well, scoring 13 points and nine points respectively.
Guevara has acknowledge when changes needed to be, and hasn't been afraid to make them. She has given players like Swary and Frost the opportunity to make plays and it has paid off.
Her next challenge is to find a way to get the most out of Cotton and Moore, which is why this grade is not an A.
