Central Michigan University
Memphis
Chippewas Charge Back, But Fall at Memphis
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The shorthanded Central Michigan women's basketball team put up a valiant fight on the road Saturday, only to come up short in a non-league game at Memphis.
The Chippewas, playing without starters Crystal Bradford and Jewel Cotton, trailed by 21 points early in the second half, took a brief one-point lead with under three minutes to play, before succumbing, 62-61.
The loss dropped CMU to 3-2. It's other loss came by three points to Kentucky, which was ranked ninth at the time.
"I thought if we had made layups and free throws we might have won the game," said CMU coach Sue Guevara, whose team trailed by 14 at halftime and was down 43-22 with under 17 minutes remaining. "In the first half we had some wide-open looks. We had layups that did not go in and we turned the ball over.
"We claw our way back after we put ourselves in a hole. It's such a repetitive story I'm tired of repeating it."
Kerby Tamm hit six of her 14 three-point attempts en route to a game-high 18 points to lead the Chippewas, while Lorreal Jones and Jas'Mine Bracey added 10 points apiece.
Bracey hauled down 15 rebounds and Jones, despite spending most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, added eight as the Chippewas outrebounded the Tigers, 43-36. Tamm also had four assists.
The Chippewas outscored Memphis, 39-26, after the break and seized their only second-half lead, 56-55, on a Bracey jumper with 2 minutes, 42 seconds remaining.
Memphis regained the advantage on a layup by Asianna Fuqua-Bey with 1:53 left.
A Jessica Green layup with 3 seconds to play cut Memphis' lead to 62-60. Memphis' Ariel Hearn missed a free throw with 2 seconds remaining and CMU's Da'Jourie Turner rebounded and was fouled by Hearn.
Turner went to the foul line for a one-and-one opportunity with under a second remaining. The junior guard, who was making her first start of the season, hit the first, but missed the second.
Hearn scored 17 points to lead Memphis (4-4) while Fuqua-Bey added 16. Brianna Wright grabbed 10 rebounds for the Tigers.
Tamm's six three-pointers tied her career high, and her 18 points were two shy of her career-best 20. Tamm kept the Chippewas within shouting distance in the first half as she made five of her triples before the break. She had 15 of CMU's 22 first-half points.
The double-double for Bracey was the 21st of her career and her first this season. Bracey also had three blocks and three steals, both team-highs.
CMU freshman Cassandra Breen, making her first start, finished with nine points and five rebounds.
