CMU Women Welcome Loyola for Thursday Matinee
11/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes: Central Michigan | Loyola
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- With the 2016-17 season still in its infancy, the Central Michigan women's basketball is starting to find its groove.
Winners of three straight, the Chippewas (4-2) return home on Thursday aiming for continued improvement as they play host to Loyola of Chicago (0-5) in a nonconference game at noon at McGuirk Arena.
The game tips off at noon, a rarity for a weekday contest. Some 3,000 elementary school students will be in McGuirk for the game as the Chippewas host Hoops for Hunger. Donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted prior to tipoff.
"It's always a great atmosphere," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "For some of those kids it's their first time on a college campus. They'll be excited and loud and will cheer for both teams and good plays. They have a lot of energy that our kids will be able to feed off of."
After battling through inconsistency and poor shooting from many key scorers in the first four games of the season, the CMU offense showed signs of improvement last weekend in defeating Utah Valley, 71-62, and North Dakota State, 77-55, in the Cal Poly Tournament.
"I'm seeing a more-confident basketball team, especially on the offensive end of the floor," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "I saw more of a mindset change and the ball finally started to go in the hole.
"We've talked about how many shots they have made during the course of the summer, and having it not pay off, you then start to go into games frustrated and that's tough. It's been about confidence and knowing the ball is going to go in instead of hoping it does."
Sophomore guard Presley Hudson was one of the several Chippewas who broke out of an early season shooting slump last weekend.
After scoring in double figures just once in CMU's first four games, Hudson, CMU's leading scorer last season, scored 15 points against Utah Valley and 11 against North Dakota State.
"She's the one I had to tell to stop hoping and start knowing," Guevara said. "She watches tape every day and puts in the work; sometimes you just need to have the confidence to let it pay off for you."
The Chippewa offense has been anchored by senior forward Jewel Cotton and junior guard Cassie Breen who share the team lead at 15 points per game.
Cotton is third in the Mid-American Conference and eighth nationally with a .672 field goal percentage. Breen leads the team with a .353 3-point field goal percentage
Sophomore Reyna Frost leads the Mid-American Conference and ranks No.10 nationally on the glass with 12 rebounds per contest.
The Chippewas will see a Ramblers team that has struggled under first-coach Kate Achter.
"(Achter) is implementing a new system with new kids and anytime you do that, it takes a minute," Guevara said. "I do know that they play hard, they get after it and have a couple really good shooters. They're going to come in with a little bit of fire in their belly looking for their first win."
Loyola is lead by Katie Salmon, who averages 9.6 point per game as well as a team-leading five rebounds per game.
