Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan
White-Knuckling Win For CMU Women
2/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Great teams are able to battle through adversity and find a way to win close games.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team found a way to accomplish both of those things Wednesday, holding off Eastern Michigan, 66-65, in a wild Mid-American Conference tilt at EMU's Convocation Center.
The Chippewas improve to 14-7, 8-2 MAC. It was their fifth consecutive victory and their seventh in their last eight starts. The Eagles are 13-8, 4-5.
A sloppy see-saw game in which CMU turned the ball over a season-high 25 times - against just seven for EMU - helped the Eagles to build a 44-34 lead with under four minutes left in the third quarter.
The Chippewas responded with an 18-5 surge over the final 3:06 of the period to take a 52-49 lead. CMU's lead reached nine points, 58-49, on a Reyna Frost jumper with just under seven minutes to play.
But back came the Eagles to tie it at 61-61 on a Cha Sweeney triple with just over five minutes left. Chanise Baldwin hit two free throws with 2:46 left to put Eastern up, 65-63.
Jasmine Harris, drawing her first start of the season in place of an ill Cassie Breen, drilled a 3-pointer - her third of the night on six attempts - with 2:15 left to put CMU in front for good.
The final frantic nail-biting two minutes featured several missed shots, turnovers and blocks - the last of which was delivered by Frost as time expired, snapping a three-game losing streak to EMU and giving the Chippewas their first win in Ypsilanti since March 6, 2013.
"It was a game of runs and we knew it was going to be that way," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "You look at this team and how young we are, to be able to pull this one out at Eastern, I couldn't be more proud of this team. Our defense held for us, we withstood our own turnovers.
"To maintain composure, to maintain poise, to believe in each other and help each other and to stay disciplined ... it's just a good confidence builder for our players to know that being 10 down it's one possession at a time. I think that's the biggest lesson learned."
Sophomore forward Tinara Moore led the way for the Chippewas, scoring 28 points and bringing down 15 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season.
Frost also finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 14 boards. CMU finished with a 52-36 edge on the glass.
"Our inside is the best that it has been in a long, long time," Guevara said. "We have two players (Moore and Frost) that can score for us and they are rebounding machines."
Harris finished with 11 points, while Presley Hudson added 10 for the Chippewas, who were also playing without junior Jewel Cotton, who remains sidelined with an injury.
"We were without our best 3-point shooter tonight in Cassie Breen, and Jasmine Harris did a nice job of coming in and stepping up," Guevara said.
Sweeney had 23 points and eight rebounds to lead Eastern Michigan, while Sheyna Deans had 16, and Baldwin added 14.
The Chippewas return home on Saturday to take on Bowling Green (8-10, 4-5) in a MAC matchup at 1 p.m. in McGuirk Arena. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Chippewas go to Ball State. The Cardinals, 15-5 overall, are 7-2 in the MAC, one-half game behind CMU in the West Division standings.
