Central Michigan University
Middle Tennessee State
Chippewas Continue Hot Start
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan women's basketball coach Sue Guevara often equates the course of a basketball season to running a marathon.
Through the first three games, the Chippewas are running a torrid pace, moving to 3-0 with an 81-59 win over Middle Tennessee State Thursday in a non-leaguer at McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas have won all three games by 20-plus points.
A 3-0 clip is the best start CMU has had in Guevara's nine seasons at the helm of the program.
"I thought this was a really good win for our program at this stage," Guevara said. "Middle Tennesee and coach (Rick) Insell have done a great job with that program.
"They are in postseason play year in and year out. They're tough, aggressive, big and physical and that was the challenge."
The Blue Raiders (0-2) have made the NCAA tournament 17 times and Insell is the seventh winningest coach among active NCAA Division I coaches with a .766 winning percentage.
The Central Michigan post players were dominant, outscoring MTSU, 40-22, in the paint.
"I was very pleased with the fact that our post players ran the floor," Guevara said. "For us to go 3-for-10 from the 3-point line and score 81 points shows the versatility of this team and our ability to go inside."
Sophomore forward Tinara Moore paced the Chippewas, establishing career highs in points (24) and blocks (7). She also grabbed 12 rebounds, one shy of her career high, as CMU held a 48-38 edge on the boards.
"I feel great, it's really good to have a good game like that," Moore said. "I got the ball because of my point guards and my shooters so really I give the game to them."
Moore's seven blocks ties the school record held by Denise Didley (1996) and Crystal Bradford (2014).
Junior forward Jewel Cotton finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Reyna Frost added nine points and eight boards off the bench. Chippewa guards Presley Hudson and Da'Jourie Turner combined for 23 points and 10 assists.
"I think it was really good for us," Turner said of CMU's start. "We were chose fifth in the MAC, we're overlooked a lot and for us being so young it's a great accomplishment."
Ty Petty scored 13 points to lead Middle Tennessee.
CMU never trailed and led 40-30 at halftime. The Blue Raiders trimmed their deficit to one, 48-47, with under three minutes to play in the third quarter, but a 12-2 Chippewa run spanning the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth put CMU up 11, 60-49, with eight minutes to play.
The Chippewas, up 63-54, closed the game with an 18-5 surge to win going away.
The Chippewas go to Chicago next week for games with Loyola Chicago on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and with Illinois Chicago on Friday, Nov. 27.
