Chippewas use strong overtime effort to win memorable MAC semifinal over Ohio


No.2-seeded CMU to face No. 1-seeded Bowling Green in championship


suddendorf-molly-photo

Midland sophomore guard Molly Davis dribbles the ball against Northern Illinois on March 10 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Suddendorf)

Forty minutes weren't enough to decide a winner in the second Mid-American Conference women's basketball Tournament semifinal.

Central Michigan and Ohio traded blows, with neither team leading by more than what felt like 30 seconds. On one end stood the Bobcats and Cece Hooks, the MAC Player and Defensive Player of the year. On the other was the Chippewas, eight players deep and led by senior guard Micaela Kelly.

In the end, the Chippewas did enough to get the job done. Thanks to a 6-0 spurt to start overtime, CMU did enough to put away the Bobcats, 100-92, in overtime to advance to the MAC Tournament final against Bowling Green Saturday at 11 a.m. 

"Just really proud of the way we fought for 45 minutes," CMU coach Heather Oesterle said. "I think we had some good performances out of some people and I thought our defense was better down the stretch."

Key moments

Kelly hit three triples in the first quarter, and sophomore guard Molly Davis knocked down a deep 3-pointer before the buzzer to give the Chippewas a 22-19 lead after the first quarter.  The second quarter was back and forth, with CMU leading by as much as seven before Ohio rallied to briefly take a one-point lead. 

Following a 3-pointer from Erica Johnson to put the Bobcats in front, 42-41, redshirt sophomore Anika Weekes found Smith for a layup. The Chippewas took a 45-42 lead into the halftime break. 

Ohio quickly tied the game at 47 apiece in the third quarter on Hooks' 3-point play. The Chippewas' rebuttal came in the form of a 5-0 spurt, with Smith getting a bucket at the rim and Davis following with a 3-pointer. Ohio answered with seven straight, capped off by a 3-point play from Gabbi Burris. 

The Bobcats led by as many as five after a triple from Kaylee Bambule, but the Chippewas erased the deficit with six unanswered points. Yet, after CMU took a one-point lead, Ohio scored five in a row to take a 64-60 lead with two minutes to go in the third. 

CMU had another run ready to go. The lead changed hands a variety of times in the final two minutes, with the Chippewas ultimately holding a 67-66 lead at the end of three. 

CMU built a five-point lead early in the fourth thanks to five points from senior guard Maddy Watters, but Ohio answered to tie the game at 78 coming from a string of points from Erica Johnson. Davis drilled a deep three and then found Smith for a layup to put CMU up 85-80 with 1:31 left in regulation. 

Ohio answered with five straight points. Madi Mace tied the game with a triple with less than a minute left. Hooks fouled out on a drive to the basket, and CMU missed a contested buzzer-beating attempt, sending the game to overtime. 

Smith's 3-point play gave the Chippewas the lead to start the extra period. After a defensive stop, Kelly notched a 3-point play of her own. Ohio didn't score until the 1:02 mark of overtime, by which CMU held an eight-point lead. 

"We made the hustle plays down the stretch," Oesterle said. 

Key stats

CMU out rebounded Ohio, 40-32. The Chippewas shot 35-for-67 (52 percent) from the field while the Bobcats were 35-for-77 (46 percent). CMU committed 21 turnovers while the Bobcats committed 13. 

Key players

Ohio was led by Johnson's 23 points. Hooks fouled out with eight seconds left in regulation and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. Mace finished with 16 points while Bambule had nine on three triples. 

CMU got 33 from Davis and 32 from Kelly. Smith finished with 19 points on 9-for-10 shooting and added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Watters was also in double figures with 10. 

"She was absolutely huge for us," Davis said of Smith. 

Up next

CMU will advance to the MAC Tournament championship, where it will take on Bowling Green. The two teams met on Feb. 17 at the Stroh Center, with the Falcons beating the Chippewas 76-67. 

The title game will tip off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. 

"We're just excited to play for a championship tomorrow," Oesterle said. 

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