Central Michigan University
NIU
Chippewas Steamroll Northern Illinois
2/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan women's basketball team does it again.
… and again … and again.
From halftime points to blocks, records seemed to be breaking left and right for CMU on its way to a 109-86 Mid-American Conference win against Northern Illinois on Wednesday at McGuirk Arena.
The win, which gave CMU a season-long seven game win streak, lifted the MAC West-leading Chippewas to 21-6, 13-2 MAC. The Huskies fell to 18-8, 11-4 and dropped to third place in the West following a Ball State win against Western Michigan on Wednesday.
Tinara Moore and Presley Hudson combined for 57 points, leading the Chippewas to their 14th win at home, which ties the program record for most in a season. The CMU women's basketball team hasn't won that many consecutively at home since 1983-84.
"Staying with what we have to do," CMU coach Sue Guevara said, looking ahead to Saturday's (2 p.m.) game at Ball State. "We get to enjoy this one till tomorrow, then we have Ball State."
Hudson had her third double-double of the season with 33 points and 11 assists, one shy of her career high. Twenty-seven of her points came in the first half, during which she made 11 of 15 field goal attempts including 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
Moore recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 24 points and 15 rebounds. She also dominated defensively with a program-record nine blocks. The previous record, seven, was held by Moore (2015), Denise Didley (1996) and Crystal Bradford (2014).
Moore now has 60 blocks this season, and she needs just three more to surpass Ann Skufca (2006-07) for the most by a Chippewa in a single season. CMU finished with 11 blocks on the night, which ties for the most in a game in program history.
"They just weren't calling fouls tonight. That was pretty great, so shout out to the refs," Moore said jokingly of her record.
The Chippewas took the lead quickly and didn't just run with it - they sprinted.
They went on a 12-0 run at the end of the first quarter to put them up 37-12, their highest-scoring quarter of the season.
A steal by Amani Corley and jumpshot by Hudson with 47 seconds left swelled the lead to 40, 72-32, at halftime. The 72 points in a half was the most in program history, surpassing the 68 CMU scored against Western Michigan in 2014 and against Northern Illinois in 1984.
"You might have a 40-point lead, but that goes down to 20 pretty quick," Guevara said. "I talked to (the team) about not looking at the score. It's not about the score. This is how champions have to play, they don't look at the score."
Cassie Breen added 19 points and Reyna Frost had 11 for the Chippewas. Their need never dipped below 20 points in the second half.
The 109 points matched CMU's season-high -- the first time they scored that many came in their first victory over the Huskies on Feb. 8 -- and it marked the fourth time this season CMU has scored 100 or more. The 109 ties for the sixth-highest total in a single game in program history.
Ally Lehman scored 21 points and had nine rebounds for the Huskies, while Courtney Woods and Kelly Smith added 17 points apiece.
Central Michigan leads Ball State, 19-8, 12-3, by one game in the MAC West. The Chippewas hold the best record in the MAC, while the Cardinals are second.
A win Saturday would clinch a share of the MAC West title for CMU, and would guarantee that it will finish the regular season at least tied for the best conference record.
The Chippewas have won two of the last three MAC West titles.
