Inside Job: Chippewa Women Surge Past Ball State

Wednesday, February 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

7:00 p.m. ET

Central Michigan University

16-5, 7-2MAC

Ball State

7-14, 2-7MAC

Ball State

Central Michigan

2/6/2019 10:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CMU scores season-high 60 points in the paint in downing Cardinals

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Can't hit the 3? Try going inside.

The Central Michigan women's basketball team scored 60 of its points in the paint on Wednesday and overcame a sluggish first half in downing inspired Ball State, 81-63, in a Mid-American Conference game before 1,879 at McGuirk Arena.

The win lifted CMU to 16-5, 7-2 MAC as it stretched its lead to two games in the West Division over Toledo and Northern Illinois. Ball State is 7-14, 2-7.

The Chippewas trail Ohio, which is 8-2 in league play, by one-half game in the overall MAC standings. The Bobcats (19-2) visit Mount Pleasant on Saturday (1 p.m.).

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas trailed, 34-33, at halftime, then took the lead for good, 39-38, on a Reyna Frost layup with 8:40 to play in the third quarter. CMU upped its advantage to 10, 52-42, with under 3 minutes to play in the third and then started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 spurt to seize a 63-49 advantage.

Ball State never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way as the Chippewas extended their lead to as many as 22. CMU outscored the Cardinals, 48-29, in the second half.

"The difference was a mindset," CMU coach Sue Guevara said of her halftime message to her team. "I thought (the Cardinals) were the much tougher team in the first half. They were getting 50-50 balls, they were knocking the ball out of our hands, I thought we were soft when we had it.

"I said, 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard; and we're just not working hard enough.'"

LEADERS
Frost posted her 18^thdouble-double of the season with 28 points and 20 rebounds. Frost, who on Monday was named the MAC West Player of the Week for the sixth time this season, made 13 of her 17 field goal attempts. She had 28 points and 21 boards in CMU's win over Buffalo on Saturday.

Presley Hudson added 21 points and nine assists, while Kyra Bussell came off the bench to score 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

Oshlynn Brown scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Ball State.

GOING INSIDE
The Chippewas were held to a season-low three 3-pointers, making just 15.8 percent of their triple tries.

The 60 points in the paint, 36 of which came in the second half, were a season high.

"We have to continue to keep shooting the 3 ball," Guevara said. "We can score 81 points shooting 15 percent from the 3. When that 3 ball starts going, watch out."

The Chippewas made 34 of their 62 field goal attempts for 54.8 percent, their third-best shooting night of the season. That number is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that they were subpar, by their standards, from long range.

CMU was a blistering 31 for 43 (72 percent) from 2-point range on the night.

NUMBERS GAME
With her 21 points, Hudson moved into second place in Central Michigan basketball history with 2,065 career points. She passed legendary Dan Majerle, who scored 2,055 points from 1984-88. Hudson needs seven points to pass another legend, Melvin "Sugar" McLaughlin, who scored 2,071 from 1980-83.

HALFWAY HOME
The Chippewas are at the midway point in the MAC season and stand alone at the top of the West. They are seeking their fourth consecutive MAC West title and third straight overall MAC regular-season crown.

"I'm in such a tunnel with the one game," Guevara said. "If I start looking ahead, I lose my focus and I can't do that. I have to make sure our team understands it's one game at a time. We're at mile 13 (of the marathon); we can't beat thinking about mile 26, let alone the .2 that goes with that. Right now we have to think about mile 14, how are we going to get to mile 14."