CMU Women Host Good Duquesne Team Thursday
12/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — CMU women's basketball coach Sue Guevara has been around the game long enough to know that finishing a season undefeated is a near impossible feat.
After suffering its first loss of the season last weekend at Illinois-Chicago, the 4-1 Chippewas get a chance to respond Thursday (7 p.m.) when they entertain Duquesne (5-1) at McGuirk Arena.
"I thought we responded pretty well for the most part," Guevara said after practice on Monday. "I talked today about consistency out of our post players and to be more efficient offensively."
Duquesne is coming off a 78-69 win over New Mexico in the championship game of the New Mexico Thanksgiving Tournament. That snapped the Lobos' home winning streak at "The Pit," their legendary home arena, at 16 games.
Senior guard April Robinson poured in 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds - both career-highs - in leading the Dukes over New Mexico. She earned the tournament Most Valuable Player Award and was named the Co-Atlantic 10 Player of the Week.
Robinson is the second-leading scorer in the A-10, averaging 17.8 points per game. The Dukes average 74.5 points per game and have five players who score in double figures.
"They a very good basketball team and we are going to have our hands full," said Guevara. "They have a few good post players and shoot the three ball very well. I know that they like to penetrate-kick, get up and down the floor, and they can score points."
The Chippewas point guard tandem of Presley Hudson and Da'Jourie Turner will be tasked with defending Robinson, who set the Duquesne single-season record with 87 3-pointers last season.
Guevara stressed the importance not letting Robinson find her rhythm.
"It's just going to be a matter of making sure we know where she is and getting a hand up in her face and making her put it on the floor," Guevara said.
The Chippewas have been no slouch themselves in the scoring department, averaging 81.4 per outing, a number that leads Mid-American Conference schools and ranks 22nd nationally. The Chippewas are knocking down 3-pointers at a 38.5-percent rate, which tops the MAC.
Hudson leads the Chippewas in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game and has a team-high 15 steals. Turner is second in scoring at 11.2 and leads CMU in assists at 4.6 per game.
CMU ranks fourth in the MAC in rebounding margin at plus 7.2. They were outrebounded for the first time this season in their 66-63 loss at UIC last Friday.
"When you're playing people a little bit more physical than you are, you have to beat them to the spots before they get there, and box out," Guevara said. "It's a matter of using our quickness and our athleticism to counter size."
Freshman forward Reyna Frost leads CMU in rebounding, averaging 8.2 per game. Junior Jewel Cotton is second with 8.0.
The Chippewas will have the weekend off and will be back in action on Saturday, Dec. 12, when they go on the road to take on Big Ten opponent Illinois (4-1).
