Central Michigan University Athletics
Chan and Szunko Carry Chippewas Past Broncos, 98-87
1/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- On the day Central Michigan retired the jersey of all-time leading scorer Sue Nissen, Angel Chan put on a Nissen-esque show in the Chippewas’ 98-87 victory over rival Western Michigan at Rose Arena on Saturday.
“We got knocked down on Wednesday, and we came out and were much tougher and more aggressive today,” head coach Sue Guevara said. “We have a lot of youth on this squad, and we’re learning how to finish games.”
Chan scored 33 points, tying Nissen and Nikki Thompkins for the third-highest single-game scoring output in school history, on 11-of-18 shooting, including a 7-of-9 effort from deep. The seven made treys tie for the second-most in a single game among Chippewa efforts.
“It was nice for Angel to be able to beat Western Michigan,” Guevara said. “We haven’t beat the Broncos often of late, so I’m happy for our two seniors.”
With the game tied at five, Chan hit her second trey of the contest to push CMU up by three, and the Chippewas would never relinquish the lead.
The Chippewas led by as many as 11 in the first half, taking a 34-23 lead following a pair of Britni Houghton (16 points) free throws, but an 11-1 run by the Broncos drew Western Michigan within a point with 3:29 to go in the half.
Central Michigan answered with its own 10-0 run, capped by five straight points by Shonda Long, to push the lead back to 11, 47-36, with 90 seconds remaining in the frame. The Chippewas turned 13 Bronco turnovers into 21 points to head into the break with their 11-point margin, 49-38.
The Chippewas maintained their double-digit margin through the first 12 minutes of the second half, when Chan laid it in off the glass for Central’s biggest lead of the game, 75-61, with 8:15 left. Western Michigan would get no closer than nine the rest of the way.
Kaihla Szunko finished with a career-high 18 boards in the game, the third time she’s set a career-high in her last five games. She’s averaging 12.3 caroms over her past eight contests. Brandie Baker (12 points) and Shonda Long (11) gave the Chippewas four players scoring in double-figures. Szunko and Heidi Warczinsky, who made her first start in a Chippewa uniform, each added eight. Breanna Bankston finished with 23 tallies for the Broncos.
CMU finished at 42 percent from the field (28-of-61) and a sparkling 58 percent from deep (11-of-19) to go with a 76 percent clip from the line (31-for-41). WMU hit 46 percent (31-of-68) of its field goals and 33 percent of its treys (3-of-9) while hitting 73 percent of its freebies (22-of-30). The Broncos edged the Chippewas on the glass, 46-40.
“We got to the line a lot today, and that was the biggest difference from the Ball State game,” Guevara said. “We attacked more and were able to get into the lane.”
Central (10-7, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) continued to capitalize on Western’s (4-13, 0-4 MAC) miscues in the second frame, finishing with 35 points off 23 Bronco turnovers.
The 98 points give the Chippewas three 90+ efforts on the season, and are the most since the school record 116 points against Tri-State on Nov. 19, 2005.
CMU will travel to Toledo on Jan. 21 to face the Rockets to complete its first tour of West Division action.
