Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, December 14
Brookings, SD
3:00 p.m.
Central Michigan University
5-3,0-0MAC
79
at
74
South Dakota State
7-5,0-0Summit League
1
2
3
4
F
Central Mich.
17
25
14
23
79
South Dakota St.
21
15
18
20
74
Micaela Kelly scored a career-high 38 points on Saturday to lead the Chiippewas to a victory at South Dakota State.
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Big, Big Road Win For CMU Women
12/14/2019 5:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kelly's career-high 38 leads Chippewas past South Dakota State
BROOKINGS, S.D. – A career best for Micaela Kelly, and another sit-up-and-take notice win for the Central Michigan women's basketball team.
Kelly scored a career-high 38 points on Saturday as the Chippewas outbattled South Dakota State, 79-74, before 1,369 at the Jackrabbits' Frost Arena.
It was the fifth-consecutive win for the Chippewas, who won a showdown between two of the nation's top mid-major programs. CMU (5-3) entered the game ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, while the Jackrabbits (7-5) were 12th.
"I told (my players) today at the shootaround, 'The tougher team wins today, and the more physical team wins,'" first-year CMU coach Heather Oesterle said. "We battled in there, we battled for rebounds. It's buying into what we're telling them, and I think we came out as the tougher team today."
How It Happened
Kelly, who hit a career-high seven 3-pointers on eight attempts, knocked down her final triple of the day with 2:02 to play to put CMU in front for good, 71-69. That sparked an 11-5 game-closing CMU run.
Kelly and Molly Davis went a combined five for six from the free throw line over the final 33 seconds to ice it.
The game, as expected, was tight all the way, featuring 13 lead changes and four ties.
Leaders
Kelly's 38 points eclipsed her previous career best 29, which came against Dayton on Nov. 21 and started CMU's win streak.
The junior guard from Detroit finished 12 of 18 from the field and made seven of her eight free throw attempts.
CMU freshman guard Molly Davis added 20 points, one shy of her career best, and was four for six from 3-point range. The four 3-pointers are a career best.
"They had to pick their poison," Oesterle said of the Jackrabbits, who were forced to switch off defensively on the Kelly-Davis combination because of Chippewa screens. "We took advantage of that switch. I was just happy that we executed the game plan."
Kyra Bussell hauled down a game-high 10 rebounds and added nine points for the Chippewas.
Key Stat
Kelly and Davis spearheaded a 12-for-22 3-point performance by the Chippewas. They finished 54.5 percent from long range, by far their best mark of the season. The 12 triples are the most by the Chippewas since they knocked down 15 in their season-opening double-overtime loss to Green Bay.
CMU made 50.9 percent of its field goals overall, which was also their second best of the season. They hit 51.4 percent against Green Bay.
Big Win
The win was yet another indicator that CMU has not taken a step back in Oesterle's first season as coach and the loss to graduation of standouts Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost.
It was the first home loss for South Dakota State, which had won seven of its previous nine games. The losses had come to No. 3-ranked Oregon and by one point to Florida Gulf Coast, which is ranked fifth in the mid-major poll.
The Jackrabbits are a perennial Summit League and mid-major power, and last year they reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Kelly scored a career-high 38 points on Saturday as the Chippewas outbattled South Dakota State, 79-74, before 1,369 at the Jackrabbits' Frost Arena.
It was the fifth-consecutive win for the Chippewas, who won a showdown between two of the nation's top mid-major programs. CMU (5-3) entered the game ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, while the Jackrabbits (7-5) were 12th.
"I told (my players) today at the shootaround, 'The tougher team wins today, and the more physical team wins,'" first-year CMU coach Heather Oesterle said. "We battled in there, we battled for rebounds. It's buying into what we're telling them, and I think we came out as the tougher team today."
How It Happened
Kelly, who hit a career-high seven 3-pointers on eight attempts, knocked down her final triple of the day with 2:02 to play to put CMU in front for good, 71-69. That sparked an 11-5 game-closing CMU run.
Kelly and Molly Davis went a combined five for six from the free throw line over the final 33 seconds to ice it.
The game, as expected, was tight all the way, featuring 13 lead changes and four ties.
Leaders
Kelly's 38 points eclipsed her previous career best 29, which came against Dayton on Nov. 21 and started CMU's win streak.
The junior guard from Detroit finished 12 of 18 from the field and made seven of her eight free throw attempts.
CMU freshman guard Molly Davis added 20 points, one shy of her career best, and was four for six from 3-point range. The four 3-pointers are a career best.
"They had to pick their poison," Oesterle said of the Jackrabbits, who were forced to switch off defensively on the Kelly-Davis combination because of Chippewa screens. "We took advantage of that switch. I was just happy that we executed the game plan."
Kyra Bussell hauled down a game-high 10 rebounds and added nine points for the Chippewas.
Key Stat
Kelly and Davis spearheaded a 12-for-22 3-point performance by the Chippewas. They finished 54.5 percent from long range, by far their best mark of the season. The 12 triples are the most by the Chippewas since they knocked down 15 in their season-opening double-overtime loss to Green Bay.
CMU made 50.9 percent of its field goals overall, which was also their second best of the season. They hit 51.4 percent against Green Bay.
Big Win
The win was yet another indicator that CMU has not taken a step back in Oesterle's first season as coach and the loss to graduation of standouts Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost.
It was the first home loss for South Dakota State, which had won seven of its previous nine games. The losses had come to No. 3-ranked Oregon and by one point to Florida Gulf Coast, which is ranked fifth in the mid-major poll.
The Jackrabbits are a perennial Summit League and mid-major power, and last year they reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Team Stats
CMU
SDSU
FG%
.509
.455
3FG%
.545
.500
FT%
.813
.615
RB
28
34
TO
16
17
STL
11
7
Game Leaders
Pts
38
FGM
12
3FGM
7
FTM
7
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballG
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