CMU sweeps season series with WMU, shoots for MAC title in season finale
While tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division, the Central Michigan women's basketball team played one of its last games of the regular season Wednesday night in Kalamazoo.
After a tough loss against Ball State, the Chippewas responded with a 94-73 win over Western Michigan, controlling the game for nearly all four quarters.
The win kept CMU (22-7, 14-3 MAC) atop the MAC West standings with BSU who also won tonight.
Junior forward Tinara Moore led the Chippewas in scoring with 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting while adding eight rebounds.
“They just were not doubling me in the post tonight and I felt like I had to take advantage of that,” Moore said. “I was seeing a lot of one-on-one opportunities and I just attacked what they gave me."
Head coach Sue Guevara said her Chippewas played a "complete game as a team" and that lifted them to a big win.
“It’s the balance with this team and I’ve said it over and over again,” Guevara said. “When the inside and outside game is working together, it is rather easy for us. It was crucial that we got out in front early and we did just that. We just had to keep that up the entire game, which we did.”
The game started in a back and fourth fashion with the score at 11-7 heading into the first media timeout with less than five minutes left in the first quarter.
Then CMU pressed the gas pedal a little harder.
Highlighted by a couple of Moore layups and a junior guard Aleah Swary 3-pointer, the Chippewas went on a 9-0 run to to end the first quarter with a 20-12 lead.
After trading buckets again to open the second quarter, CMU went on a 6-0 run to extend its lead. The Broncos answered with a couple buckets to keep the score close at 41-30 heading into the break.
Swary had 11 points off the bench in the first half, which led all scorers and helped the Chippewas build their lead.
CMU only committed three turnovers while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 33.3 (3-for-9) from beyond the arc in the opening half. The Broncos had five turnovers and shot just 31.4 percent from the floor and 25 percent (2-for-8) from 3-point distance.
With both teams yet again trading buckets in the second half, WMU went on a quick 4-0 run to pull the Broncos within just seven points.
Breen had the answers.
The junior hit back-to-back triples to put CMU up 58-45 with just 2:34 left in the third quarter.
After that, sophomore guard Presley Hudson and Swary hit a pair of triples leading CMU on a 12-7 run, leading 67-52 heading into the fourth quarter.
From there, the Chippewas remained in control until the end of the game and cruised to their sixth road win of the season.
CMU shot 49.2 percent for the game and 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from 3-point land. CMU turned the ball over only eight times, when they average nearly 15 per game.
The Chippewas had four other players score in double figures along with Moore. Swary totaled 19 points off of the bench on 7-for-12 shooting. Then it was Breen with 13 points on 3-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Hudson added 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing six assists.
Sophomore forward Reyna Frost had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. CMU had a 39-37 advantage on the boards for the entire game.
Guevara said moving forward her team knows what the stakes are, and they will have to come ready.
“Our players understand the significance of the whats ahead and they have a chance to make history,” Guevara said. “CMU hasn't won a conference championship since 1985, and I asked our kid what they were doing then, they weren't even born yet. So they understand how special it would be to add our team up on that banner.”
CMU will return to McGuirk Arena to finish out the regular season against Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Chippewas will be playing for at least a share of a MAC West title with a win.
