Tournament Heartbreak

Saturday, March 23

SOUTH BEND, IND.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

25-8

Michigan State

21-11

Michigan St.

Central Mich.

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

3/23/2019 5:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Chippewas Fall To Michigan State in NCAA Tourney Opener

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Tears and memories and heartbreak and glorious, glorious times.

It has been all that and more for the Central Michigan women's basketball program for the past four years.

The end came on Saturday afternoon with a heartbreaking 88-87 loss to Michigan State in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at Notre Dame's Joyce Center.

The loss brought to an end the collegiate careers of Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost, a pair who will go down as two of the very best in program history. Hudson as the program's all-time scoring and assist leader, Frost as its career rebounding leader.

Together, the pair led CMU to 100 victories, four Mid-American West Division titles, three straight MAC regular-season crowns, a league tournament title, and a run to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

The pair, CMU coach Sue Guevara has said, changed the culture of the program.

"It's been a treat for me, it's been a blessing to be quite frank," Guevara said. "The legacy that they'll leave, what they've been able to accomplish. … Those seniors have made me a better coach the last four years."

Frost scored 34 points, sophomore guard Micaela Kelly had 24, and Hudson finished with 20 on Saturday against the Spartans, who got the game-winner on a drive from Shay Colley with 7.6 seconds remaining to pull ahead for good.

That came 13 seconds after Hudson hit a 3-pointer to put CMU in front, 87-86.

Kelly's jumper missed the mark, and it ended a game that featured five ties and 13 lead changes.

"That was a heck of a ball game," Guevara said. "My heart couldn't be happier with the effort that we gave. We were down 11 at one point and it would have been easy for a team to just pack it in and we didn't. We kept fighting. And we kept fighting. We had a great shot at the end."

Sidney Cooks scored 21 points to lead MSU, which advances to face Notre Dame on Monday. Five Spartans scored in double figures.

Said Frost: "I have a lot of memories to look back on and I'm just going to look back on the positive things and be thankful for what I've had over the past four years."