Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas' Rally Falls Just Short Against the Wildcats
12/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. - A tale of two halves saw the Central Michigan University women’s basketball team fall just short in a dramatic comeback effort against Northwestern University, 52-48.
CMU used a 19-0 second-half run to nearly erase a 23-point halftime deficit, but the offense went cold over the final four minutes and the Chippewas’ comeback effort was denied by the Wildcats.
“We did everything we needed to do except score the basketball in the second half,” head coach Sue Guevara said. “We just couldn’t get that key basket when we needed it.”
Latisha Luckett turned in team highs in both points (10) and rebounds (six), while Shonda Long added eight points and Stacey Verhoff seven.
CMU jumped out on top 5-0, forcing three NU turnovers and getting buckets from Houhgton and Wilson to go with a free throw by Sherryia Armstrong with 17:49 remaining in the first half.
Northwestern would respond, going on an 18-2 run and taking a 18-7 lead with 12:41 on the clock in large part thanks to three treys by Sara Sturtz during the run.
The Wildcats would put the clamps down defensively and hold CMU to just 11 points over the final 14:36 of the opening frame and took a 41-18 lead into the locker room at the break. Six Wildcats scored at least four points, led by Stutz’ nine and eight by Melissa Miller, who was a perfect 4-for-4 in the frame.
NU shot 51.7 percent (15-for-29) from the floor while CMU connected at a 25.8 percent clip (8-for-31). The Wildcats also held a 23-15 rebounding edge in the opening frame. The Wildcats turned 10 Chippewa turnovers into 17 points, while CMU scored nine points off 11 NU miscues.
The Chippewas opened the second half scoring the first six points to trim the margin to 17, 41-24, with 17:40 left, but the Wildcats answered with back-to-back three-point buckets to extend the lead back to 23, 47-24, with 14:30 left.
CMU would go on a 19-0 run spanning the next 12 minutes, cutting the lead to a mere four points, 47-43, with 6:21 remaining. NU got a layup by Stutz to snap the scoreless streak, but the Chippewas scored five of the next seven points to draw within one on a free throw by Candace Wilson, 49-48, with 2:44 left.
Five different Chippewas scored during the 19-0 surge, including six points from Long, four points each from Luckett and Chan, a trey by Kendra Holman and a layup by Britni Houghton. CMU forced nine NU turnovers during the run and the Wildcats went 0-for-10 from the field.
Both teams struggled from the field over the final four minutes, as the Chippewas didn’t convert a shot after a laypu by Angel Chan at the 4:37 mark. After Wilson’s free throw, the Wildcats got a jumper to go off the hands of Ellen Jaeschke to extend the lead back to three, and a free throw by Jenny Eckhart with 29 seconds left would produce the final margin.
CMU forced 19 second-half turnovers and 30 in the contest while holding NU to a meager 19.0 percent shooting from the field (4-for-21). The Wildcats won the battle of the boards, holding a 46-34 rebounding edge.
With the loss, the Chippewas (2-4) fall to the consolation game in the final day of the 24th annual Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational. CMU will face Wagner, who fell to Boston College earlier today. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., CST.
CMU used a 19-0 second-half run to nearly erase a 23-point halftime deficit, but the offense went cold over the final four minutes and the Chippewas’ comeback effort was denied by the Wildcats.
“We did everything we needed to do except score the basketball in the second half,” head coach Sue Guevara said. “We just couldn’t get that key basket when we needed it.”
Latisha Luckett turned in team highs in both points (10) and rebounds (six), while Shonda Long added eight points and Stacey Verhoff seven.
CMU jumped out on top 5-0, forcing three NU turnovers and getting buckets from Houhgton and Wilson to go with a free throw by Sherryia Armstrong with 17:49 remaining in the first half.
Northwestern would respond, going on an 18-2 run and taking a 18-7 lead with 12:41 on the clock in large part thanks to three treys by Sara Sturtz during the run.
The Wildcats would put the clamps down defensively and hold CMU to just 11 points over the final 14:36 of the opening frame and took a 41-18 lead into the locker room at the break. Six Wildcats scored at least four points, led by Stutz’ nine and eight by Melissa Miller, who was a perfect 4-for-4 in the frame.
NU shot 51.7 percent (15-for-29) from the floor while CMU connected at a 25.8 percent clip (8-for-31). The Wildcats also held a 23-15 rebounding edge in the opening frame. The Wildcats turned 10 Chippewa turnovers into 17 points, while CMU scored nine points off 11 NU miscues.
The Chippewas opened the second half scoring the first six points to trim the margin to 17, 41-24, with 17:40 left, but the Wildcats answered with back-to-back three-point buckets to extend the lead back to 23, 47-24, with 14:30 left.
CMU would go on a 19-0 run spanning the next 12 minutes, cutting the lead to a mere four points, 47-43, with 6:21 remaining. NU got a layup by Stutz to snap the scoreless streak, but the Chippewas scored five of the next seven points to draw within one on a free throw by Candace Wilson, 49-48, with 2:44 left.
Five different Chippewas scored during the 19-0 surge, including six points from Long, four points each from Luckett and Chan, a trey by Kendra Holman and a layup by Britni Houghton. CMU forced nine NU turnovers during the run and the Wildcats went 0-for-10 from the field.
Both teams struggled from the field over the final four minutes, as the Chippewas didn’t convert a shot after a laypu by Angel Chan at the 4:37 mark. After Wilson’s free throw, the Wildcats got a jumper to go off the hands of Ellen Jaeschke to extend the lead back to three, and a free throw by Jenny Eckhart with 29 seconds left would produce the final margin.
CMU forced 19 second-half turnovers and 30 in the contest while holding NU to a meager 19.0 percent shooting from the field (4-for-21). The Wildcats won the battle of the boards, holding a 46-34 rebounding edge.
With the loss, the Chippewas (2-4) fall to the consolation game in the final day of the 24th annual Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational. CMU will face Wagner, who fell to Boston College earlier today. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., CST.
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