Central Michigan University Athletics
Wednesday, January 9
Athens, Ohio
7:00 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
at
Ohio
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Early Road Showdown For Chippewa Women
1/8/2019 4:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Unbeaten Ohio Awaits CMU In Athens
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – True, there is a long way to go, and championships aren't won and lost in January.
That said, it's never too early to for a good ol' fashioned showdown.
Such is the case as the Central Michigan women's basketball team travels to Ohio on Wednesday (7 p.m.) to take on the surprising Bobcats in a Mid-American Conference game.
Both teams won their respective league openers and while Wednesday's result could prove to be of little significance in the long term, it might also set the tone as the Chippewas look to defend their MAC regular-season and tournament championships against a team that, at 12-0, is off to the best start in program history and clearly itching to knock the crown off the head of the reigning champions.
"It's a bloodbath is what it is," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "It's two really good basketball teams going at each other. We get their best game and hopefully we give them our best game. … They a very hungry team."
The Bobcats are ranked fifth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25; the Chippewas are sixth. Both teams are receiving votes in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
SETTING THE SCENE
The Chippewas are 10-3 after downing Akron, 94-71, on Saturday in their conference opener. CMU has done nothing in the two months since the season began but continue to build on its reputation as one of the nation's best mid-major programs.
The Chippewas' losses have come to Louisville, South Dakota State and Tulane. The Cardinals were ranked third when they beat the Chippewas by four points, and they are now 14-0 and ranked second. SDSU is 14-3 and ranked fourth in the Mid-Major Top 25. Tulane is 11-3.
CMU was picked to win the MAC regular-season and tournament championships after returning three starters from a team that swept the league titles a year ago, won a program-record 30 games, and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
"It's the resiliency of this team," Guevara said. "They buy in, they understand what needs to be done. We know that we're going to get everybody's best game. I talk about this all the time, our nonconference schedule got us ready for the MAC."
Ohio has perhaps been the surprise team in the MAC as evidenced not only by its unblemished record, but by its 74-71 overtime victory over Buffalo last weekend in its MAC opener. Buffalo, CMU's primary competition for the top of the MAC heap over the past two years, was picked to win the MAC East in the preseason poll after reaching the Sweet Sixteen alongside CMU a year ago.
Ohio finished third in the MAC East in the preseason poll. The Bobcats returned most of their players from a squad that placed third (9-9) in the MAC East and 16-15 overall last season.
SCOUTING
The Bobcats are led in scoring by sophomores Cierra Hooks and Gabby Burris. Hooks ranks sixth in the league at 16.9 points per game, while Burris is eighth (15.8).
Hooks last season earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and on Tuesday was named the MAC East Player of the Week for her 21-point, seven-steal, four-assist performance in the Bobcats' victory over Buffalo.
All five Ohio starters average in double figures. Three of the five Bobcat starters are underclassmen.
FIREWORKS
Wednesday's game pits the league's highest-scoring offense – Ohio at 84.2 points per game – against its third-highest scoring offense (CMU averages 79.2 per game).
THE CHIPPEWAS
Guard Presley Hudson and forward Reyna Frost continue to lead the Chippewas. Hudson is third in the MAC in scoring at 21.3 points per game, while Frost is fourth at 18.0. Frost, who last week became the career leading rebounder in MAC history, is averaging a league-best 11.1 boards per game. She ranks 21st nationally in that category.
On Tuesday, Frost was named the MAC West Player of the Week for the third consecutive time and the fourth time this season.
CMU sophomore guard Micaela Kelly is 11th on the conference in scoring at 15.1 points per game.
The Chippewas are knocking down 3-point attempts at a 41.6-percent clip, ranking third nationally in that category.
EARLY TESTS
While the Chippewas are unquestionably the red-letter date for all of their MAC opponents, the early portion of the league schedule is no cakewalk.
The Chippewas withstood an early push from Akron, which entered the game 9-2, in Saturday's league opener and then exerted control to win going away. Ohio will, unquestionably, pose a stiff test, particularly in its own gym. And then CMU is scheduled to go to Northern Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 12, and then return home to face Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday, Jan. 16.
NIU is 9-4, 1-0, and unbeaten (6-0) at home. Miami is 9-3, 0-1.
"It's just like when we had to go on the road and play Quinnipiac," Guevara said, "when we had to go on the road and play Virginia, we had to go on the road and play Vanderbilt, we went on the road and played good Tulane and good Miami teams. It's not like we don't know how to compete on the road against good basketball teams."
That said, it's never too early to for a good ol' fashioned showdown.
Such is the case as the Central Michigan women's basketball team travels to Ohio on Wednesday (7 p.m.) to take on the surprising Bobcats in a Mid-American Conference game.
Both teams won their respective league openers and while Wednesday's result could prove to be of little significance in the long term, it might also set the tone as the Chippewas look to defend their MAC regular-season and tournament championships against a team that, at 12-0, is off to the best start in program history and clearly itching to knock the crown off the head of the reigning champions.
"It's a bloodbath is what it is," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "It's two really good basketball teams going at each other. We get their best game and hopefully we give them our best game. … They a very hungry team."
The Bobcats are ranked fifth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25; the Chippewas are sixth. Both teams are receiving votes in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
SETTING THE SCENE
The Chippewas are 10-3 after downing Akron, 94-71, on Saturday in their conference opener. CMU has done nothing in the two months since the season began but continue to build on its reputation as one of the nation's best mid-major programs.
The Chippewas' losses have come to Louisville, South Dakota State and Tulane. The Cardinals were ranked third when they beat the Chippewas by four points, and they are now 14-0 and ranked second. SDSU is 14-3 and ranked fourth in the Mid-Major Top 25. Tulane is 11-3.
CMU was picked to win the MAC regular-season and tournament championships after returning three starters from a team that swept the league titles a year ago, won a program-record 30 games, and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
"It's the resiliency of this team," Guevara said. "They buy in, they understand what needs to be done. We know that we're going to get everybody's best game. I talk about this all the time, our nonconference schedule got us ready for the MAC."
Ohio has perhaps been the surprise team in the MAC as evidenced not only by its unblemished record, but by its 74-71 overtime victory over Buffalo last weekend in its MAC opener. Buffalo, CMU's primary competition for the top of the MAC heap over the past two years, was picked to win the MAC East in the preseason poll after reaching the Sweet Sixteen alongside CMU a year ago.
Ohio finished third in the MAC East in the preseason poll. The Bobcats returned most of their players from a squad that placed third (9-9) in the MAC East and 16-15 overall last season.
SCOUTING
The Bobcats are led in scoring by sophomores Cierra Hooks and Gabby Burris. Hooks ranks sixth in the league at 16.9 points per game, while Burris is eighth (15.8).
Hooks last season earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and on Tuesday was named the MAC East Player of the Week for her 21-point, seven-steal, four-assist performance in the Bobcats' victory over Buffalo.
All five Ohio starters average in double figures. Three of the five Bobcat starters are underclassmen.
FIREWORKS
Wednesday's game pits the league's highest-scoring offense – Ohio at 84.2 points per game – against its third-highest scoring offense (CMU averages 79.2 per game).
THE CHIPPEWAS
Guard Presley Hudson and forward Reyna Frost continue to lead the Chippewas. Hudson is third in the MAC in scoring at 21.3 points per game, while Frost is fourth at 18.0. Frost, who last week became the career leading rebounder in MAC history, is averaging a league-best 11.1 boards per game. She ranks 21st nationally in that category.
On Tuesday, Frost was named the MAC West Player of the Week for the third consecutive time and the fourth time this season.
CMU sophomore guard Micaela Kelly is 11th on the conference in scoring at 15.1 points per game.
The Chippewas are knocking down 3-point attempts at a 41.6-percent clip, ranking third nationally in that category.
EARLY TESTS
While the Chippewas are unquestionably the red-letter date for all of their MAC opponents, the early portion of the league schedule is no cakewalk.
The Chippewas withstood an early push from Akron, which entered the game 9-2, in Saturday's league opener and then exerted control to win going away. Ohio will, unquestionably, pose a stiff test, particularly in its own gym. And then CMU is scheduled to go to Northern Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 12, and then return home to face Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday, Jan. 16.
NIU is 9-4, 1-0, and unbeaten (6-0) at home. Miami is 9-3, 0-1.
"It's just like when we had to go on the road and play Quinnipiac," Guevara said, "when we had to go on the road and play Virginia, we had to go on the road and play Vanderbilt, we went on the road and played good Tulane and good Miami teams. It's not like we don't know how to compete on the road against good basketball teams."
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballWBB Annual Golf Outing
Friday, September 12
WBB Practice
Friday, July 04
MAC WBB Tournament Press Conference
Wednesday, March 12
Video Podcast: Amy Folan Connection-Women's Basketball March Madness and the Growth of the Game
Wednesday, March 12