Central Michigan University
Miami (Oh)
Chippewas Down Miami for Fourth Straight Win
1/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- It was a tale of two halves inside McGuirk Arena Saturday afternoon.
After scoring just 30 points in the first half, the Central Michigan women's basketball team exploded for 47 in the second lifting it to a 77-54 Mid-American Conference win over Miami (Ohio).
It was the Chippewas' fourth straight win and their ninth in 12 games. They are 13-7 overall, 7-2 MAC.
The RedHawks went 8-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half and guard Leah Purvis posted 14 points going 4-for-7 from behind the arc. The Chippewas led at the half, 30-26.
"When Miami came out and hit (three-straight three pointers), I said `wow we're going to be in for a long day'," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "I thought our players made some good adjustments at the half.
"We played a lot better defensively in the second half and we were more patient on offense and we stayed the course when the offense wasn't going."
CMU opened the second half on a 12-2 run and went 7-of-11 from 3-point range in the final 20 minutes. CMU finished the game with a 51.9 percent mark from the field and was 45.5 percent from behind the arc.
"When our shooters are on, boy our shooters are on," Guevara said. "It's not just one player either, and we used our bench."
The Chippewas dominated Miami on the glass, holding a 42-27 rebounding edge.
Junior guard Jasmine Harris paced the Chippewas, finishing with 17 points including a 5-of-7 performance from 3-point range. The five triples tied her career-high, and the 17 points was one shy of her career-high.
"The point guards were just finding me," said Harris. "My teammates were driving to the basket so I was open on the wing. Tinara Moore is a force down low so when she is drawing three or four defenders I have to make sure I hit the outside shot."
Harris' stellar day on the court was secondary in the satisfaction she gained from the pregame water donation for the Flint water crisis, an idea she spearheaded.
"It's the best feeling that we're really going to help people and I'm so happy that the community responded and I'm so thankful for that," Harris said.
Moore posted her 12th double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and bringing down 10 rebounds. Guards Presley Hudson and Da'Jourie Turner added 11 and 10 points, respectively - and combined for eight assists - and Reyna Frost led CMU with 13 rebounds
Purvis led the RedHawks (8-11, 2-6) with 18 points.
CMU will hit the road Feb. 3 for a MAC matchup at Eastern Michigan (13-7, 4-5). The Eagles dropped a 75-72 decision at Akron on Saturday.
