Central Michigan University
Ohio
CMU Women Suffer First MAC Loss
1/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio jumped to a 14-1 lead and Central Michigan never recovered Saturday as the Bobcats handed the Chippewas a 71-51 loss in a Mid-American Conference women's basketball game.
The loss, CMU's first in MAC play, snapped a four-game win streak. The Chippewas are 9-7 overall, 4-1 MAC. They share the lead in the West Division with Ball State, which dropped a 53-43 decision at Buffalo on Saturday.
Kiyanna Black scored 21 points to lead the Bobcats (13-3, 4-1), who snapped an eight-game losing streak to CMU. Black hit five of her 12 three-point attempts in the game as the Bobcats finished 11-for-28 (39.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
Mariah Byard and Mariah Harris added 12 points apiece for Ohio.
"I think they were that good offensively," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "I think they have a lot of people who can score. We didn't have anyone that could score. I thought we made it pretty easy for them to defend us."
Lorreal Jones finished with 11 points and nine rebounds to lead the Chippewas, while Kerby Tamm added nine, and Da'Jourie Turner, Crystal Bradford and Jas'Mine Bracey finished with eight apiece.
The Chippewas made just three of their 15 three-point attempts (20 percent) on the day and were 17-of-52 (32.7 percent) from the floor overall.
The Chippewas are 11-for-63 (17.4 percent) from long range over their last four games.
"That's been an Achilles heel for us," Guevara said. "We have not been able to get any type of consistently from the three-point line at all.
"I'll have to make a change, switch up a little bit what we're doing offensively."
The 51 points was CMU's second-lowest total of the season. They scored 45 in falling to No. 1-ranked South Carolina on Dec. 20. The Chippewas entered the game averaging 69.3 points.
Black hit two three-pointers and scored eight of her points before the game was five minutes old. Central Michigan missed its first six field goal attempts and committed three turnovers before Bradford hit a jumper with 14:37 left in the half for the Chippewas' first field goal.
A layup by Quiera Lampkins with 12:47 to play in the half upped Ohio's lead to double digits, 18-7, and CMU never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
Ohio bumped its lead to 20, 44-24, early in the second half. The Chippewas managed to get within 15, 52-37, with just over 10 minutes remaining, but could get not closer.
