Clutch performances in crunch time seal 66-62 win for CMU over Buffalo


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The women's basketball team lost to Eastern, 67-70, Jan. 20 at McGuirk Arena.

Micaela Kelly launched herself at the basket as the shot clock ticked toward zero. 

Her nearest passing options were denied, she had only one choice: Shoot the ball. That she did, but the ball came up short. It caromed off the rim and right back into her hands on the right side of the backboard. Kelly caught the rebound and promptly scored to give CMU a 63-62 lead. 

"When (Kelly) goes to the boards, she can be one of the best rebounders in this conference," head coach Heather Oesterle said.  

Kelly's late-game tenacity, as she had a hand in each of CMU's last six points, pushed the Chippewas past Buffalo Saturday afternoon. CMU held off Buffalo, 66-62, Saturday in McGuirk Arena for its third straight win. 

"This is a really hard fought win," Oesterle said. "I think we've figured out the first and second quarters and how to get off to a better start, but now we have to put a complete game together."

Keys to the game

Defensively, CMU was able to take the ball away from Buffalo sophomore star Dyaisha Fair. Coming into the game as the Mid-American Conference's leading scorer, Fair was going to be a tough task for whatever defender the Chippewas (10-5, 8-3) placed on her. It was a team effort, as Watters, Kelly and sophomore guard Molly Davis all took turn guarding Fair. 

Both of the Chippewas' starting forwards, senior Kyra Bussell and junior Jahari Smith, played the majority of the game with foul trouble. Both had four fouls midway through the third quarter, leaving Oesterle to rely on the play of sophomore Annika Weekes and freshman Rachel Loobie to get her team through the game. 

Buffalo (9-5, 6-3) spent a majority of the first half in a 2-3 zone defense. While the trapping and pressure that accompanied the positioning certainly gave the Chippewas tough opposition, it provided plenty of open looks. 

Through good ball movement and the expertise of its veterans, CMU was able to create opportunities to score.

The Bulls dominated on the glass, grabbing 48 rebounds, including 23 on the offensive side. The Chippewas had 38 rebounds. CMU had 12 assists to Buffalo's five but committed one more turnover, 15 to the Bulls' 14.   

Impact moments

CMU opened the game on a 10-0 run and held the Bulls scoreless for 6:58. Kelly had five of those points, including a 3-pointer leading into the media timeout. 

Watters scored 14 in the first half, including a buzzer beating floater after the Bulls had cut an 11-point deficit to six. A majority of her activity came from her ability to navigate the Buffalo zone defense. 

"(Watters) does a great job of finding gaps," Oesterle said. "And, for her, when they were in zone in the first half, she was able to get in those gaps."

The Bulls opened the second half by cutting the eight-point lead in half on two different occasions. Offensively, however, CMU had answers. Molly Davis hit a 3-pointer in front of the Chippewa bench to push the lead back to nine, 39-30.

Then, Fair took over. Buffalo outscored CMU 20-7 the rest of the third quarter. Fair and senior guard Hanna Hall knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 50-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

CMU opened the fourth quarter by cutting the lead to two, but Buffalo's Jessika Schiffer knocked down a triple to make it 55-50. 

However, the Chippewas were able to continue battling. Smith scored all six of her points in the fourth quarter, including a baseline jump shot to retake the lead. The two teams went back and forth, with Kelly's shot clock-beating runner answered by a 3-pointer from Hall to give Buffalo a 62-61 lead. 

The Chippewas took the lead on Kelly's putback, then pushed it to three when Kelly dished to Bussell for a layup. Fair had a look to tie the game, but her 3-point attempt was blocked by Bussell. A free throw from Kelly and a block by Davis sealed the deal. 

Top performers

Fair led all scorers with 22 points. Kelly had 19 and Davis had 18 to lead CMU. Forward Elena Gaba scored 17 and grabbed seven rebounds for the Bulls, while Smith grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. 

Up next

CMU will stay at home for a 5 p.m. matchup against Ball State. After that, it's back on the road for a two-game road trip that starts with a matchup with Western Michigan on Saturday. 

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