Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewa Women Host Ball State in Home Finale
2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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GAME PREVIEW
• Central Michigan (23-4, 15-1) will host MAC West opponent Ball State (23-4, 12-4) in its regular season home finale on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in McGuirk Arena.
• The Chippewas will honor four seniors - Cassie Breen, Amani Corley, Tinara Moore and Aleah Swary - prior to tip.
• Central Michigan posted a 78-62 victory over in-state rival Western Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 24. Junior Presley Hudson posted a season-high 31 points, including seven 3-pointers.
• A Central Michigan win over BSU would give head coach Sue Guevara her 200th win at CMU.
• A win over Ball State would clinch a share of the Mid-American Conference regular-season title. Central Michigan concludes the regular season on Saturday at Toledo.
• Wins over the Cardinals and Rockets give CMU the outright MAC crown.
• The Chippewas won the outright regular-season title last year.
• This would be the first time in 33 years that CMU would clinch the regular-season title in back-to-back seasons. The 1983-84 and 1984-85 teams were the last to accomplish this feat.
• A CMU win would be the 24th victory this season which would be the most at CMU under 11th-year coach Guevara, and it would be the most for the Chippewas since the 1983-84 season, when they went 27-3 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
• The Chippewas lead the all-time series versus the Cardinals, 39-38. CMU won the first meeting the of the season, 69-65, on Dec. 30, 2017 in Muncie, Ind.
• CMU is 306-301 all-time in MAC games. The Chippewas recorded the program's 300th MAC win against Buffalo on Jan. 31, 2018.
• Since the 2015-16 season, the Chippewas have posted a 44-8 (84.7%) Mid-American Conference mark.
• Over the last three seasons, Central Michigan is 25-1 in home league games and 19-0 since Jan. 20, 2016 when it fell to Toledo in overtime.
• The Chippewas have used the same five starters -- Cassie Breen, Reyna Frost, Presley Hudson, Micaela Kelly and Tinara Moore -- in every game this season.
TRENDING
• Central Michigan ranks eighth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
• The Chippewas received 11 votes in the USA Today coaches poll and four votes in the Associated Press poll this week.
• The Chippewas rank fourth in the nation and lead the MAC in free throw percentage (79.9).
• CMU continues to lead the conference and ranks 10th among NCAA Division I with an average of 9.6 3-pointers per game. The next best MAC team is Northern Illinois (8.1).
• Central Michigan has drained 258 triples, which is good for first in the MAC and 16th in the country.
• CMU is the MAC's top scoring team at 83.6 points per game. They are sixth nationally in that category.
• CMU is making 39.2 percent of its 3-point tries (258-of-658), which leads the MAC and ranks 11th in the nation.
• Junior Presley Hudson is leading the MAC and ranks fifth in the nation with 3.9 triples per game.
• Hudson is sixth in the country and leads the league in free throw percentage. She is 77-of-84 (91.7 percent).
• Hudson has drained 105 triples this season, which leads the league and is good for sixth in the country.
• Hudson is shooting 47.3 percent from beyond the arc, which leads the league and ranks fourth in the NCAA.
• Junior Reyna Frost is dominating on the boards as she ranks ninth nationally in rebounds per game (12.0) and sixth in offensive rebounds per game (4.7).
• Frost is grabbing 7.3 defensive board per game, which leads the MAC and ranks 26th in the NCAA.
• Frost has recorded 13 double-doubles, which leads the MAC and ranks 33rd in the nation. She has 28 career double-doubles.
• Senior Tinara Moore is averaging a team-best 19.3 points per game, which ranks fourth in the MAC and 44th in the nation.
• Moore is shooting 58.2 percent from the floor (184-of-316), which ranks third in the MAC and 20th in the NCAA.
• Moore recorded two blocks against Northern Illinois on Jan. 18 to become CMU's program leader. She has 203 in her career. She passed Crystal Bradford (2011-15), who recorded 171.
• Moore leads the MAC and ranks 20th in the nation averaging 2.5 blocks per game.
• Senior Cassie Breen is 50th in the NCAA and fifth in the conference with 2.7 triples per game.
• Breen needs three 3-pointers to become CMU's career leader. NIki DiGuilio (2010-14) holds the record at 288. Breen has 286.
• Breen passed Shonda Long (2008-11) for second all-time after making six triples vs. Iowa State (11/25/17).
• Coach Sue Guevara recorded her 100th win at McGuirk Arena with an 88-84 victory over Kent State on Jan. 13.
THANK YOU, SENIORS
• We say thank you to four seniors - Tinara Moore, Cassie Breen, Aleah Swary and Amani Corley - who have been a part of 81 victories (including 51 in the MAC) since arriving in 2014-15.
• This foursome has won or shared three MAC West titles, one overall regular-season league championship, and has been to the Women's NIT the past two seasons.
LAST TIME OUT
• Presley Hudson scored a season-high 31 points on Feb. 24 as Central Michigan clinched the Mid-American Conference West Division title with a 78-62 win over rival Western Michigan at the Broncos' University Arena. It is CMU's third consecutive MAC West title.
• The Chippewas improved to 23-4, 15-1 MAC and are one game ahead of East-leading Buffalo, which improved to 14-2 in the MAC with a 70-53 win over Ohio on Saturday.
• CMU plays host to Ball State in a league game on Wednesday, Feb. 28, and then closes the regular season on Saturday, March 3, at Toledo. CMU can clinch an overall league title share with a win over the Cardinals on Wednesday.
• Hudson hit seven of her eight 3-point attempts - she was 5 for 5 in the first quarter - in upping her season total to a program-record 105. Hudson passed NIki DiGuilio, who made 100 3-pointers in 2013-14. Hudson was 10 for 13 from the floor overall, and made all four of her free throw attempts.
• Tinara Moore added 13 points for CMU and also shared the team-lead with Hudson for rebounds with eight apiece. Cassie Breen added 11 points for the Chippewas.
• Central Michigan took the lead and ran with it from the opening tip. Freshman Maddy Watters hit a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter to give the Chippewas their largest lead, 26 points, at 40-14.
• Western Michigan never got closer than 15 in the second half.
• The Chippewas dominated the boards with 46 rebounds to Western Michigan's 22.
• CMU drained 12 of 23 3-point attempts - the Chippewas were a blistering 9 for 11 in the first half - and finished 25 of 49 (51 percent) from the floor.
• Marley Hill lead the Broncos with 13 points.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
• Central Michigan will host Ball State on Wednesday, Feb. 28 for a 7 p.m. game in McGuirk Arena. CMU will honor its four seniors before tip.
• The Cardinals are 23-4 overall with a 12-4 mark in conference play. BSU is led by sixth-year head coach Brady Salle.
• BSU posted a 78-73 victory over Toledo on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Jasmin Samz led the team with 20 points, while Carmen Grande chipped in 17.
• Four Cardinals are averaging in double figures led by Moriah Monaco with 16.8 points per game, while Destiny Washington, Grade and Samz are adding 12.5, 11.8 and 11.6, respectively.
• Monaco has drained a team-high 75 triples, while Grande ranks second in the NCAA dishing out 9.4 assists per game.
• The Cardinals record 19.1 assists per game, which leads the MAC and ranks eighth in the country.
• Central Michigan leads the all-time series versus Ball State, 39-38.
UP NEXT FOR THE CHIPPEWAS
• Central Michigan will conclude the regular season at Toledo on Saturday, March 3 for a 2 p.m. matchup.
