Central Michigan University
Bowling Green
CMU Women End 20-Year Drought at Bowling Green
2/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jared Porter, CMUChippewas.com
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - For the first time since 1995, the Central Michigan women's basketball team defeated Bowling Green on its home court.
Junior Da'Jourie Turner had a breakout performance with a career-high 21 points to help the Chippewas grind out a 57-54 victory Wednesday at the Falcons' Stroh Center.
The win improved CMU to 11-9 overall and 6-3 in the Mid-American Conference.
The Chippewas continued their struggle offensively, going 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) from three-point range and 24-of-64 (37.5 percent) overall. But it was a strong defensive effort that allowed CMU to grind out the win.
"Grind, grind, grind. Our defense did it for us today," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "I gave the game ball to Da'Jourie Turner. I think she had one hell of a game for us today. She was 6-for-6 from the free throw line, which was huge, but I thought she had 35 really good quality minutes.
"If you look at the line of (Crystal Bradford and Kerby Tamm), they go 7-for 27, and we win a ballgame with two of our leading scorers really struggling to score the basketball.
"It was an all-around team effort. We had good minutes from (Tinara Moore), who was a presence for us inside today. The Purple Heart I gave to (Jas'Mine Bracey), because she's fighting stomach flu and still gave us quality minutes."
Bradford and Tamm were a combined 25.9 percent from the floor, but the rest of team finished 17-of-37 (45.9 percent) to make up for the off night from the Chippewas' two best scorers. Bradford finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Bracey had eight points and eight rebounds.
It marked the eighth double-double of the season for Bradford, and the 52nd of her career.
Rebounding was another facet that aided the Chippewas to the hard-fought victory. CMU outrebounded Bowling Green, 43-29. Eighteen of CMU's boards came on the offensive end.
"We knew that we were a bigger team and that we should have controlled the boards," Guevara said. "We had 18 offensive rebounds but only 10 second-chance points. So I think when we get those, we just have to keep going up strong and make them foul us.
"Our guards played a big part in our rebounds tonight. If they weren't rebounding, they were tipping the ball out for long rebounds. So I thought our guards did a great job of grabbing those and going the other way."
It was a see-saw game during which the lead changed hands 16 times and there were five ties.
A Tamm three-pointer with 7:01 remaining broke a 44-44 tie and triggered a 9-2 Chippewa run, after which they led, 53-46.
Bowling Green surged to within a point, 55-54, when Miriam Justinger hit a layup with 34 seconds left. Two Turner free throws with 23 seconds remaining gave the Chippewas the final margin.
Bowling Green (9-12, 2-8) got 19 points from Deborah Hoekstra and 14 from Justinger.
The Chippewas will complete their two-game road trip on Saturday at MAC West-leading Western Michigan (11-9, 7-3). The Chippewas are one-half game behind the Broncos.
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