Women's basketball plays last game without suspended leading scorers
After an overtime loss against Bowling Green the Central Michigan women’s basketball team looks to rebound at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Miami (Ohio).
Wednesday’s game will be the Chippewas second without freshman guards Crystal Bradford and Jessica Green and freshman forward Jas’Mine Bracey. They were all dealt two-game suspensions following a fight between CMU and Ohio last Wednesday.
Those three also make up the team's top scorers. Without them in the lineup, Taylor Johnson has stepped up in their absense.
She scored 18 points against BGSU including the game-tying basket with a second left.
Those three also make the team's three leading scores.
Head coach Sue Guevara is confident her team will use the close game Saturday as inspiration to play well against another top Mid-American Conference team in Miami, Ohio. Guevara plans to use the same starting line-up she had against BGSU since it worked well, even without its three top scorers.
CMU will rely on the sixth man in the stands.
“The basketball team feeds off the energy from the fans and uses it to push themselves,” Guevara said.
On the court, she wants to see her team get back to the basics.
“If we can focus on the process and fundamental aspects of basketball rather than trying to just outscore the other team, while continuing to work on transitioning between offense and defense, a win is easily within reach,” Guevara said.
CMU is looking to gain ground on MAC-West-leading Eastern Michigan and Toledo. Miami is in second place in the East and trying to catch BGSU.
Miami has the third-highest scoring average in the MAC with 69 .8 points per game. The Redhawks leader is Courtney Osborn, who scores 19 points per game, also third best in the conference. Kirsten Olowinski cleans up missed shots leading the conference with 10.4 rebounds per game.
