Central Michigan University
Kent State
Chippewas Hang On, Beat Kent State
1/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jared Porter, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - It was a little too close for comfort, but the Chippewas finally got back in the win column.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team topped Kent State, 65-63, Wednesday night, snapping a two-game skid in Mid-American Conference play. The win improved the Chippewas' record to 10-8 overall, 5-2 in the MAC. CMU trails Western Michigan and Ball State by one-half game in the West Division.
Next up, the Chippewas will host Ohio in another MAC matchup on Saturday, Jan. 31. Ohio topped CMU, 71-51, in their first meeting in Athens, Ohio on Jan. 17. The Bobcats are 16-3 and lead the MAC East at 7-1. A 72-60 victory Wednesday over Akron was their sixth straight win.
It was the Chippewas' second encounter with Kent State this season. CMU defeated the Golden Flashes on Jan. 3 in Kent, Ohio in more convincing fashion, 83-62. Kent State is 3-15, 1-6.
But Kent State kept it competitive throughout Wednesday night's game by disallowing the Chippewas to penetrate on offense and force them to take shots from the outside, CMU coach Sue Guevara said.
"(Kent State) did a good job shutting down what has been working for us, and that's going inside," Guevara said. "I thought Kerby (Tamm) was on track. This is the second game in a row that she has been on track from the three.
"I think Crystal (Bradford) really started attacking the basket and using the backboard. I don't blame (Kent State) for stopping her from penetrating, because she was 7-of-39 (shooting) in the last two games with the exact same shots. And today, they fell for her."
Tamm and Bradford combined for 48 of the Chippewas' 65 points. Both were on the court for the entire 40 minutes.
Bradford was 11-for-19 shooting and led all scorers with 31, her second-highest scoring game this season and the seventh time in her career that she has scored 30 or more. Tamm was 5-for-15 from three-point range and finished with 17 points, another sign that her mid-season shooting slump is behind her. Over her past two games, Tamm has made 11 of her 24 triple tries after a four-game stretch during which she was 9 for 29. She tied her career-high with 20 points Saturday in a two-point loss to Akron.
Freshman point guard Amani Corley recorded a career-high 23 minutes and totaled four points and three assists.
"I thought Amani was more aggressive" than starting point guard Da'Jourie Turner, Guevara said. "I didn't think Turner was being aggressive enough. She wasn't looking to shoot and she wasn't looking to penetrate.
"Amani got in and did a nice job of pushing the ball, seeing some open people. Defensively, I thought she did a good job.
"That point guard position, right now, is one that we need to get going quicker. We need an aggressive point guard that will distribute but then also will look to score."
CMU senior Jas'Mine Bracey had a career-high six blocks on the night, surpassing her previous game-high of four. She finished with six points and led the Chippewas with eight rebounds.
Larissa Lurken led the Golden Flashes with 18 points, while Jordan Korinek was 7-for-10 (70 percent) from the floor and finished with 14 points.
The Chippewas led by as many as 11 points early in the second half, but the Golden Flashes stubbornly hung in and whittled their deficit down to 1, 63-62, with under 30 seconds to play.
Bradford scored on a drive with 24 seconds to go to up CMU's lead to 65-62. With 1.5 seconds left, Lurken was fouled on a three-point attempt.
At the line with a chance to tie by making all three foul shots, Lurken made the first but missed the second. Kent State's Naddiyah Cross hustled down the rebound. Madion Ridout's potential game-winning triple try from the corner hit the rim and bounced off as the buzzer sounded.
