Skufca clutch in waning moments
John Remus III
Junior forward Ann Scufka had just secured the game’s final rebound and was tackled to the floor intentionally with two seconds remaining.
She stayed hunched over on the floor for a few seconds until she got up to the roar of the Rose Arena crowd.
Skufca then calmly stepped to the free-throw line, making both free throws with fist pumps after each, to give CMU a four-point lead and an eventual 55-49 win against Valparaiso.
The win improved the women’s basketball team to 6-0, the best start in school history.
“We are for real,” Skufca said. “This game tells a lot of other teams that this isn’t the same CMU team and you are going to have to bring your A-game against us.”
Skufca recorded her third double-double of the season with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds, despite only playing 22 minutes because of foul trouble.
CMU was in control for much of the game, but with 27 seconds remaining Valpo cut the score to 50-49 on a lay-up by Betsy Rietema.
The Chippewas caught a break on their ensuing possession as junior guard Sharonda Hurd missed the front end of a one-and-one, but senior center Chasidy Myers got the rebound and her put-back attempt rimmed out. Senior Casey Manning then rebounded Myers’ miss and was fouled.
Manning made only one free throw to give CMU a two-point lead with 14 remaining.
Rietema then went one-on-one with Myers, but her runner missed everything and Skufca snared the rebound.
“Coach was telling us that we have to do whatever it takes,” Skufca said. “Our team showed that we have a lot more composure than we did in the past and we showed that. We are getting the respect we deserve and showing that we are here to play and you better watch out for us.”
CMU held a seven-point halftime lead because of its defense. It
pressured the Crusaders the entire first half and held them without a
field goal for the final nine minutes of the half. “They played about as well as they have all year defensively,” said
Valparaiso’s coach Keith Freeman. “We were a second slow on everything.
The difference in the game was second chance points and they (Central)
got second chances points because they desired it more than we did.” Central out rebounded the Crusaders 41-33, including 18 on the
offensive glass. Neither team shot particularly well from the field and only combined
for 20 turnovers. Valpo got its offense in the second half from Rietema and center
Tamra Braun. Both players had double-doubles, but Braun missed numerous
point-blank opportunities from the low post. “Even if our stats don’t look that good, we win the game and we’re
going to do whatever it takes,” said coach Eileen Kleinfelter. “I’m
really pleased with how we rebounded like we did.” Senior Lindsay Mecoli started the second half in place of Skufca and
finished with eight points. She made two three-pointers early in the
half to give CMU an 11-point lead. Manning also finished with nine
points. Eight of the nine players who played scored for CMU.
- Central 55
- Valparaiso 49
This was the closest game the Chippewas’ have played all season. They are beating their opponents by an average of 18.3 points per game.
“In the past we had trouble pulling games out,” Mecoli said. “You never know what will happen, you just have to stay composed and we that’s what we did.”
