Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: Sports

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A lack of post presence has hurt the women's basketball team several times this season.

It happened again Saturday in CMU's 67-57 loss to Western Michigan at Rose Arena.

Western freshman forward Ebony Cleary, the team's most dominant post presence, controlled the key and was able to score and rebound on demand. Cleary scored 15 points, tied for the game-high with teammate Tiera DeLaHoussaye and had a game-high 13 rebounds.

"We wanted to block her shot. When the ball goes down, we're supposed to double-team," said coach Sue Guevara.

After the game, Guevara expressed her disappointment, saying she didn't think there was anything she thought she could take away from this loss. CMU gets right back on the court at 7 p.m. Tuesday as it travels to DeKalb, Ill., to face Northern Illinois.

It's another opportunity for the team to earn its first Mid-American Conference victory of the season and to work out some of the issues that have plagued CMU this season, Guevara said.

"We have to trap a lot more (on defense)," Guevara said after Saturday's loss. "And the offense must get better. It's gotten to the point where we're relying on Stacey Verhoff to shoot the ball."

Central lost three key battles that ended up taking it out of the game against Western.

The Chippewas turned the ball over on their first four possessions to start the game. By halftime, the team had already registered 13 turnovers and was on the way to its lowest point total of the season, finishing with 20.

CMU scored 16 points in the first half, two fewer points than its previous low, which came against both Northwestern and Cincinnati.

The beginning of the second half gave a glimpse of Central's potential. It started the half with a 15-7 run, and closed the 18-point halftime deficit to 10. Shooting improved drastically as well - the team improved upon its dismal 24.1 percent in the first half by hitting 51.6 percent in the second.

Verhoff's all-around play sparked the Chippewa resurgence. She hustled up and down the floor, fighting for every rebound and loose ball and creating things on the offensive end.

"We got the mentality and momentum going and embracing Coach G's system," Verhoff said of the team's second half play.

Verhoff finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and seven steals in 37 minutes.

Other key performances were sophomore forward Britni Houghton, who had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals. Junior guard Latisha Luckett also finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.


sports@cm-life.com

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