Central Michigan University
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
CMU Women Clinch West Title Share
2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Central Michigan women's basketball team reached a significant milestone Saturday, locking up a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title with a 73-61 win over Western Michigan at the Broncos' University Arena.
The West crown is the second in program history and second in Sue Guevara's nine seasons at the helm of the Chippewas. The first came in 2014.
With the win the Chippewas move to 19-8 overall, 13-3 in the league. The Broncos are 15-13, 7-9.
CMU can claim the outright West championship with a win at Toledo (16-11, 11-5) on Wednesday (7 pm.) or at home over Eastern Michigan on March 5. Saturday's win also guaranteed CMU a bye to the quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament.
CMU trails Ohio (22-5, 14-2) by one game in the overall league standings. The Bobcats hold the tie-breaker over the Chippewas, having beaten CMU in their lone head-to-head meeting this season.
"I have been saying this the whole year, this conference right now, anybody can beat anybody," Guevara said. "This is the most parity I have seen (in the MAC) and this is my ninth year, so I think that's a really good thing for our conference."
Presley Hudson, held scoreless in CMU's 67-66 win over Ball State on Wednesday, scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Chippewas, while Reyna Frost had 11 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
The Chippewas broke from a 35-35 halftime tie, hitting five 3-pointers during an 18-4 spurt to open the third quarter and seize a 53-39 advantage midway through the period.
Western crept to within five, 56-51, to open the fourth quarter, but the Chippewas used a quick 7-0 spurt to up the lead to 12, 63-51, midway through the final period. Western never got closer than nine the rest of the way.
"I was not very happy when I went into that locker room at half," Guevara said. "I talked to them about accountability and sticking to our game plan."
CMU finished the day shooting 50 percent from the field (26-52), including a 44.4-percent clip from 3-point range (8-for-18).
Da'Jourie Turner and Cassie Breen added nine points apiece, while Tinara Moore added 10 rebounds.
"I think that's one of the beauties of our team, that anybody can step up for us, but when we get the balance with inside and outside like we did today it helps," Guevara said. "We got good screens, we executed and had 3-point shooters that scored for us tonight and (Hudson) was able to penetrate and get to the basket."
Breanna Mobley led the Broncos with 20 points and 16 rebounds.
