Saturday, January 4
Akron, OH
2:00 p.m.
Central Michigan University
8-4,1-0MAC
77
at
72
Akron
7-5,0-1MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Central Mich.
18
21
22
16
77
Akron
16
20
18
18
72
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
First MAC Win For Oesterle
1/4/2020 6:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Chippewas hold off inspired Akron; face East-favorite Ohio on Wednesday
AKRON, Ohio – Micaela Kelly put her well-rounded game on full display on Saturday.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team served notice that it hasn't gone anywhere.
Kelly scored 31 points as the Chippewas held off inspired Akron, 77-72, at the Zips' Rhodes Arena in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools.
The Chippewas, 8-4 overall, are seeking their fourth-consecutive MAC regular-season championship and their fifth-straight MAC West crown.
It was also the first conference victory for first-year coach Heather Oesterle, who served as an assistant and then the associate head coach to Sue Guevara for 12 years before taking over the program last July.
"I've been up since 4 o'clock this morning," Oesterle said. "I could not sleep last night. It's tough to go on the road in this conference and win games. I was just really proud of the way they played."
How It Happened
The Chippewas could never get comfortable against a veteran Akron team bent on knocking off the three-time reigning league champions.
Maddy Watters' only 3-pointer of the game put CMU up four points, 70-66. That big bucket came with just over three minutes to play, and the Chippewas outran the Zips to the finish line, getting a timely triple from Gabrielle Bird and four free throws from Micaela Kelly in the final 1:28.
Bird finished with 12 points.
CMU hit just eight 3-pointers (on 24 attempts) in the game. Seven of those makes came in the second half.
The Chippewas made 17 of their 18 free throw attempts for 94.4 percent, their best percentage in any game in which they had at least 10 attempts from the charity stripe.
Kelly, Again
Kelly, a junior guard from Detroit, made 13 of her 14 free throw attempts. The 13 makes are a career high, and her 31 points marked the third time in her last six games that she has surpassed the 30-point mark.
The three-time reigning MAC West Player of the Week Award winner moved past Jas'Mine Bracy and into 21st player in program history in career scoring with 1,176 points. Bracey scored 1,154 from 2011-15.
Next
The Chippewas face what shapes up to be an early season battle on Wednesday, Jan. 8 when they go to Ohio which, like the Chippewas, is 8-4, 1-0 MAC.
The Bobcats were picked to win the MAC East and the overall MAC regular-season title in the preseason poll of league coaches. The Chippewas were picked to win the West.
Ohio opened MAC play on Saturday with an 87-67 victory at home against Northern Illinois.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team served notice that it hasn't gone anywhere.
Kelly scored 31 points as the Chippewas held off inspired Akron, 77-72, at the Zips' Rhodes Arena in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools.
The Chippewas, 8-4 overall, are seeking their fourth-consecutive MAC regular-season championship and their fifth-straight MAC West crown.
It was also the first conference victory for first-year coach Heather Oesterle, who served as an assistant and then the associate head coach to Sue Guevara for 12 years before taking over the program last July.
"I've been up since 4 o'clock this morning," Oesterle said. "I could not sleep last night. It's tough to go on the road in this conference and win games. I was just really proud of the way they played."
How It Happened
The Chippewas could never get comfortable against a veteran Akron team bent on knocking off the three-time reigning league champions.
Maddy Watters' only 3-pointer of the game put CMU up four points, 70-66. That big bucket came with just over three minutes to play, and the Chippewas outran the Zips to the finish line, getting a timely triple from Gabrielle Bird and four free throws from Micaela Kelly in the final 1:28.
Bird finished with 12 points.
CMU hit just eight 3-pointers (on 24 attempts) in the game. Seven of those makes came in the second half.
The Chippewas made 17 of their 18 free throw attempts for 94.4 percent, their best percentage in any game in which they had at least 10 attempts from the charity stripe.
Kelly, Again
Kelly, a junior guard from Detroit, made 13 of her 14 free throw attempts. The 13 makes are a career high, and her 31 points marked the third time in her last six games that she has surpassed the 30-point mark.
The three-time reigning MAC West Player of the Week Award winner moved past Jas'Mine Bracy and into 21st player in program history in career scoring with 1,176 points. Bracey scored 1,154 from 2011-15.
Next
The Chippewas face what shapes up to be an early season battle on Wednesday, Jan. 8 when they go to Ohio which, like the Chippewas, is 8-4, 1-0 MAC.
The Bobcats were picked to win the MAC East and the overall MAC regular-season title in the preseason poll of league coaches. The Chippewas were picked to win the West.
Ohio opened MAC play on Saturday with an 87-67 victory at home against Northern Illinois.
Team Stats
CMU
UA
FG%
.448
.446
3FG%
.333
.353
FT%
.944
1.000
RB
35
34
TO
15
15
STL
8
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
31
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
13
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
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