Central Michigan University Athletics
Szunko's Career Day Not Enough Against Toledo
1/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Kaihla Szunko scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds but the Central Michigan women's basketball team struggled offensively and couldn't overcome a late first-half run by the Toledo Rockets in a 74-60 loss at Savage Arena on Saturday.
Szunko was 12-for-16 from the floor, but the rest of the Chippewas went 12-for-39 (31 percent) as the team struggled to connect from outside against the Rockets, who boasted the MAC's top defense a year ago.
"We had some wide open looks today and they just didn't go," head coach Sue Guevara said. "When your outside shot isn't falling, you need to shot fake and drive in, and we didn't do a very good job of that. We need to do a better job against zones of working inside-out. We were able to get the ball inside to Kaihla today, but we just didn't get her any help."
Shonda Long added 12 points to give CMU two players in double-figures. Britni Houghton added nine points and five boards.
Down just six despite CMU's slow start from the floor, 34-28, with six minutes left in the first half, the Chippewas couldn't stop a 12-2 Rockets run over the rest of the first half. Toledo went into the break up 16, 46-30.
The Chippewas would get as close as 12 in the second half, but couldn't put together the extended run to answer the Rockets' charge at the end of the first half.
CMU won the battle of the boards, 45-39, just the second time all season the Chippewas held an edge on the glass.
The Chippewas shot 37 percent from the floor while the Rockets hit 42 percent, the biggest difference was from long range, where the Maroon and Gold hit just 4-of-29 (14 percent) compared to UT's 5-for-17 effort (30 percent).
"We're a frustrated basketball team, but we just have to keep plugging away," Guevara said. "There's still plenty of time to turn it around in conference play."
The Chippewas return to Rose Center for the first time in nearly a month, facing Ball State on Jan. 12. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Szunko was 12-for-16 from the floor, but the rest of the Chippewas went 12-for-39 (31 percent) as the team struggled to connect from outside against the Rockets, who boasted the MAC's top defense a year ago.
"We had some wide open looks today and they just didn't go," head coach Sue Guevara said. "When your outside shot isn't falling, you need to shot fake and drive in, and we didn't do a very good job of that. We need to do a better job against zones of working inside-out. We were able to get the ball inside to Kaihla today, but we just didn't get her any help."
Shonda Long added 12 points to give CMU two players in double-figures. Britni Houghton added nine points and five boards.
Down just six despite CMU's slow start from the floor, 34-28, with six minutes left in the first half, the Chippewas couldn't stop a 12-2 Rockets run over the rest of the first half. Toledo went into the break up 16, 46-30.
The Chippewas would get as close as 12 in the second half, but couldn't put together the extended run to answer the Rockets' charge at the end of the first half.
CMU won the battle of the boards, 45-39, just the second time all season the Chippewas held an edge on the glass.
The Chippewas shot 37 percent from the floor while the Rockets hit 42 percent, the biggest difference was from long range, where the Maroon and Gold hit just 4-of-29 (14 percent) compared to UT's 5-for-17 effort (30 percent).
"We're a frustrated basketball team, but we just have to keep plugging away," Guevara said. "There's still plenty of time to turn it around in conference play."
The Chippewas return to Rose Center for the first time in nearly a month, facing Ball State on Jan. 12. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
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