Central Michigan University
Akron
Hudson, Moore Lead Chippewa Romp
1/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Picked to win the Mid-American Conference, the Central Michigan women's basketball team treats every one of 'em like a championship game.
So far, all good. Really good.
Presley Hudson and Tinara Moore combined for 64 points Wednesday as the Chippewas throttled Akron, 89-62, in a MAC game at McGuirk Arena. The win lifted CMU to 10-4, 2-0 MAC. Akron is 7-6, 0-2.
"We're very humble," Moore said of the Chippewas' 2-0 start in league play. "We don't let it get a big head about it. We're very confident and we're poised."
Hudson scored 35 points just four days after she poured in a career-high 36 in a MAC-opening win over Kent State. Moore added a season-high 29. The pair combined to finish a scorching 23-for-38 from the field and 12-for-13 from the free throw line.
Hudson made six of her nine 3-point attempts and had 25 points at halftime. She sat down with more than six minutes remaining and the Chippewas leading by 30, 85-55.
Hudson finished just five points shy of the program record 40 points, set by current CMU video coordinator Shonda Long in 2011.
"People mentioned (the record) after I came out," said Hudson, a sophomore guard and the reigning MAC West Player of the Week. "I just play for my team. I try not to really think about that, just focus on our team getting better each game.
"I'm just playing, just having fun. I try to focus on just having fun, playing the game I love."
Hudson finished with five assists, four steals and five rebounds. Reyna Frost hauled down 13 rebounds as CMU held a 41-29 edge on the boards. Moore added eight boards.
Sue Guevara, who is in her 10th year as the Chippewas' coach, said she was unaware that Hudson was so close to the program scoring mark. In fact, she said, she didn't even know what the standard was.
"I didn't know, plus we're up 30," she said. "She's pretty special though. I think what I'm most pleased about is the fact that since we started conference play she's shooting the ball. She's doing a better job of making reads of how the defense is playing her."
The Chippewas made 50.8 percent of their field goal attempts and held Akron to 38.6 percent from the field. Hannah Plybon scored 14 points to lead the Zips.
CMU never trailed and built a 50-38 halftime lead, and then outscored the Zips, 24-12, in the third quarter and 25-12 in the fourth to win going away.
"I was most pleased with our defense in the second half," Guevara said. "To hold them to 12 points each quarter and then we cut down our turnovers, we went from 12 to five (in the second half) and some of those were at the end. Overall it was a good home opener for us."
The Chippewas play host to Buffalo on Saturday. The Bulls, who lost at Ohio, 83-55, on Wednesday, are 11-2, 1-1. They defeated the Chippewas in overtime, 73-71, last March in the MAC Tournament championship game.
"I think our team knows," Guevara said. "We lost in overtime in the championship game. Every game we're playing though is, 'OK, this is the championship game.'
"So when we played today it was a championship game and now that game's over. Now the championship game's Saturday. What kind of effort are we going to have in practice tomorrow to get ready for Saturday?"
