Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Buffalo
Chippewas 2-0 in MAC After Holding Off Buffalo
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Find a way.
Central Michigan made just one of its 17 three-point field goal attempts on the night and didn't attempt a free throw in the first half, yet dug deep to grind out a 66-58 victory Wednesday over Buffalo in a Mid-American Conference women's basketball game at McGuirk Arena.
The win lifted CMU to 7-6 overall, 2-0 league. Buffalo is 7-6, 0-2. The teams were picked to finish atop their respective divisions - CMU in the West, Buffalo in the East - in the preseason coaches poll.
"I give our kids credit because (Buffalo) took our shooters - we were about as cold as it was outside," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "We go 1-for-17 from the three, and that usually doesn't happen, but it did and we might have games down the road like that. But if we can get inside and make the officials make a call, ..."
That's exactly what the Chippewas did as Crystal Bradford finished with 28 points and Jas'Mine Bracey, the only non-guard in the CMU starting lineup, added 22 to tie her season-high.
The Chippewas went to the line 22 times in the second half, making 17, and they put the clamps down on Buffalo by employing an aggressive zone defense that limited the Bulls to 30.6 percent shooting, including 23.3 percent from beyond the three-point line.
"It's just part of our offense for me to keep moving and my teammates finding me down (low)," said the 6-foot-2 Bracey, who made 10 of her 11 field goal attempts, all of which came within a step or two of the basket. "We normally have a goal at the beginning of the game for how many times we need to get to the free throw line, so when we were told at halftime that we hadn't gotten there, we had to get there."
Bradford made seven of her eight free throw tries and finished with 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals while logging 39 minutes. It was her fourth double-double of the season and the 48th of her career.
She hit 10 of her 25 field goal attempts, surpassing Sue Nissen as the school's all-time leader in field goals made with 734. Nissen had 726 from 1988-91. Bradford is second on the school's career scoring list with 1,828 points, 110 behind Nissen.
"Kudos to Crystal for breaking the record," Guevara said. "It's a credit to her and the kind of career she has had here, and the work she has put in.
"And her teammates have been a big part of that too. You don't get to a milestone like that without the help of your teammates."
CMU point guard Da'Jourie Turner scored all 10 of her points in the second half, and added four assists against just two turnovers.
Mackenzie Loesing scored 24 points and Kristen Sharkey added 16 for the Bulls. Rachael Gregory grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Chippewas outrebounded the Bulls, 52-40, held a 19-10 edge in second-chance points, and a 38-20 advantage in points in the paint.
"I was really pleased to see us finish inside," Guevara said. "Tonight they gave Jas'Mine the ball in her shooting hand, in the shooting pocket, so that all she had to do was square up and kiss it off the glass, and that's what she did."
The game was tight throughout with the largest lead either way never more than eight points. The Chippewas led by three, 59-56, with 1 minute, 11 seconds remaining when the march to the free throw line began. CMU made seven of its eight charity tosses during a 40-second span to finally put the game away.
"I see that every game is going to be a dogfight," said Bradford, the reigning MAC player of the year. "Every win, we want to take time to enjoy that one and prepare for the next one. But this is definitely a big one."
The Chippewas limited Buffalo to just 10 second-half field goals on 39 attempts (25.6 percent), including a 3-of-18 clip (16.7 percent) from three-point range.
"We try to be an active zone, get out there, know where the shooters are, don't sleep on them," Bracey said.
The Chippewas entered the game averaging 6.4 three-pointers per game. The Bulls were holding their opponents to a MAC-best 26 percent per game from long range.
CMU's two biggest three-point threats, Kerby Tamm and Cassie Breen, finished a combined 0-for-10 from beyond the arc.
"To me, it's a confidence thing," Guevara said. "What they both have to understand is that (opponents) know that those two are our three-point shooters so they're going to be up in their grill.
"So when they come off screens they have to come off tight, they have to understand to shot-fake and penetrate for a short jumper. One-for-17, am I worried about it? No, I'm not. I have enough confidence in both of them and they have enough confidence in themselves."
