Central Michigan University Athletics
Offense Goes Cold Down Stretch in Loss to Broncos
2/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The offense went ice cold down the stretch, sending the Central Michigan women's basketball team to a 64-56 defeat at the hands of Western Michigan at University Arena in Mid-American Conference on Saturday.
With the game tied at 48 with 10:35 remaining, the Broncos got back-to-back buckets for a four-point lead and the Chippewas were never able to take the lead back.
Neither side led by more than five in the first half and a pair of free throws by Laura Baker sent the Chippewas into the break up two, 30-28.
Western Michigan opened up an 11-4 run over the first five minutes of the second half to take a seven-point lead, 43-36. The Chippewas would respond with an 8-0 run of their own to re-take the lead, 44-43, but found themselves down 54-53 with 5:53 left.
The Chippewas missed their next six shots and went 1-for-9 the rest of the way with three turnovers.
Shonda Long finished with a game-high 16 points but was the only Chippewa in double-figures. She also snared a game-high six rebounds. Heidi Warczinsky added nine tallies off the bench. Kendra Holman chipped in four assists and three steals.
CMU shot 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from long range (6-for-20) while WMU connected at 42 percent from the floor, 32 percent from deep (6-for-19). The Broncos used a 40-33 edge on the glass, including 16 offensive rebounds, to help create the final margin.
The loss eliminates the Chippewas from the race for a bye in the first round of next month's Mid-American Conference Tournament.
CMU is now locked into the No. 6 seed and will host a first round game at Rose Center on March 7. The bottom four seeds are locked in as well, but the order is yet to be determined. The Chippewas will face either Northern Illinois, Ohio, Western Michigan or Buffalo.
The regular season concludes at Ball State on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
