Breen scores career-high 33 points to lead Chippewas to double OT victory
In a game where the first and second half were completely different, Cassie Breen was the only player for the Central Michigan women's basketball who could find a way to score consistently with a career-high 33 points, leading CMU to a 70-67 double-overtime victory.
“Thank god for Jewel Cotton and Cassie Breen,” head coach Sue Guevara said. “They have been our most consistent players to date, but we have not been shooting the ball well as a team and that is not a secret to anyone.”
Cotton finished with 13 points and added six rebounds to help her team find a way to grind out the win.
The first half was one to forget for both teams, as each shot under 20 percent from the field and each team only had one 3-pointer.
However, that one 3-pointer for the Chippewas’ was from Breen as time expired in the first half, and she seemingly carried that momentum into the second half.
Breen had six 3-pointers in the second half, three of which were in overtime to help her team stay in the game.
Every time CMU would try to pull away, Oakland would answer. CMU had a 43-34 lead with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter when the Golden Grizzles went on a 11-2 run to take the lead, 46-45 late in the quarter.
The game would go into overtime with the teams tied at 50. The Chippewas jumped out to a 59-51 lead, but Oakland would go on an 8-0 run to force a second overtime.
In the second overtime period, Breen hit two fade away 3-pointers to keep pace for the Chippewas, which proved to be the difference for CMU.
Breen credited her teammates for the success she found shooting the ball during the game.
“I can’t give any credit to anyone besides my teammates for getting me the ball, and just seeing me open when they could,” she said. “It can be tough sometimes with how hard some teams guard me, but I read the defense, and they got me the ball. Not quitting when we got punched in the mouth a couple of times and getting through those double overtimes was big for us.”
Sophomore forward Reyna Frost tied a career-high in rebounds with 20. Frost's performance help CMU win the battle on the glass 65-48.
Sophomore guard Presley Hudson had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Frost said her rebounding effort was all about focusing on how to help the team that keeps her drive going.
“You just have to keep playing and rebounding is something I always put a focus on,” she said. “You just have to hustle and some people don't box you out and you just have to make them pay for it.”
CMU (2-2) will take on Utah Valley on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the Cal Poly Tournament in San Luis Obispo, California.
