Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Hold Off Huskies, 67-61
1/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- Brandie Baker scored a game-high 16 points and Kaihla Szunko posted her 10th double-double of the season as Central Michigan held off Northern Illinois, 67-61, at McGuirk Arena on Saturday.
The Chippewas (10-4, 2-0 Mid-American) improved to 2-0 in conference play for the first time since the 1990-91 season by converting 23 turnovers by the Huskies (6-9, 0-2 MAC) into 23 points.
“No team really wants to run with us, so they are going to slow it down and force us to play defense,” head coach Sue Guevara said. “So we’re going to have to be smarter and run when we have the chance.”
NIU held two leads in the contest, the first on a three by Courtney Shelton a minute in, and the second on a jumper by Kim Davis to cap a 21-7 run in the second half that erased a 13-point CMU lead.
Szunko answered with a pair of free throws to put the Chippewas back in front with 4:34 left, and the Maroon and Gold would hold on down the stretch.
The Huskies would get as close as two, 56-54, with 2:15 to go, but a lay-in by Taylor Johnson and a three-pointer by Niki DiGuilio with a minute ballooned the cushion to six.
Baker and Szunko (15 points) were joined by Johnson (10) in double-figures. Szunko had a team-best 11 boards and four steals.
NIU had four players score in double-figures, led by Davis’ double-double (12 points, 13 rebounds).
The Chippewas shot 39 percent from the field, but struggled once again from three-point range at 20 percent (4-for-20). The Huskies shot 39 percent from the floor and 31 percent from long range (4-for-13), along with a 43-34 edge on the glass.
“You can tell when our three ball isn’t going in, that we’re going to struggle a little,” Guevara said. “Our defense was pretty good today, we got some really good stops, but we fouled too much down the stretch.
“I told our players that good basketball teams can win ugly, but great ones don’t have to. So we have to get better.”
It’s only the sixth win for CMU when scoring fewer than 70 points during Guevara’s tenure, with all six coming during conference play.
Central Michigan returns to the road for three of their next four, starting with a showdown against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 12, in Ypsilanti, Mich.
