Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Sports

Senior guard Candace Wilson and the women's basketball team host Ball State at 7 p.m. today. [Click to enlarge]

Coach Sue Guevara blamed the women's basketball team's recent loss to Ball State on turnovers and a lack of defense.

BSU beat CMU 82-57 on Jan. 23. CMU allowed the Cardinals to shoot 54.4 percent and committed 20 turnovers off which BSU scored 28 points.

The Chippewas get their chance for redemption against the 12-14 Cardinals at 7 p.m. today at Rose Arena.

"We're playing totally different groups," Guevara said. "The defense is doing totally different things."

Central comes off a seven-point overtime loss to rival Western Michigan on Saturday. CMU held a lead in overtime, but was unable to leave Kalamazoo with a victory.

"We played a tough game (against Western)," said junior guard Angel Chan. "We just need to follow the game plan and do what we need to do, take care of business."

Chan also said it is not hard to come back from Saturday's loss.

"We've been improving," she said. "This is going to be a good game."

Chan set a career-high with 28 points in Saturday's loss and has been the team's leading scorer of late, but she said the important thing is to play team ball.

"If they find me, they find me," she said. "We just need to keep looking for each other."

Ball State beat Eastern Michigan 64-53 Saturday in Ypsilanti.

Guevara expects a motivated Cardinals team to come into Mount Pleasant. BSU is tied for second in the MAC West standings and wants to lock a first-round bye in the MAC tournament.

"I expect them to come out like gangbusters," Guevara said. "They're still in the hunt for a championship. I expect their A-plus effort. Last time, they just lost and came out with a vengeance - I expect nothing less."

Ball State benefited from its top three scorers in the teams' last meeting.

Guard Porchia Green scored 14 points and had seven rebounds. She now averages 12.7 points per game. Forwards Julie DeMuth scored 11 and averages 11.3, while Lisa Rusche finished with 16 and averages 11.

Guard Audrey McDonald led the team with 20 points in the win.

Guevara said Central must realize each opposing player's strengths.

"We have to anticipate," she said. "Don't let them pass easy or shoot easy shots. We need to know the personnel - who are the drivers and the shooters."



sports@cm-life.com

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