CMU Women Set To Host Miami (Ohio)

Tuesday, December 15

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

2 P.M.

Central Michigan University

Miami (OH)

Senior guard Maddy Watters has made eight of her 12 3-point field goal tries this season.

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

12/14/2020 2:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Chippewas look to remain unbeaten at home, in the MAC

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan women's basketball team will look to extend its win streak and remain undefeated in the Mid-American Conference on Tuesday when it entertains Miami (Ohio) in a league game at McGuirk Arena (2 p.m.).

The Chippewas (2-1, 1-0 MAC) defeated a good Cincinnati team on Saturday at McGuirk, 79-62. That came three days after CMU opened MAC play with an 82-71 home win over Western Michigan.

Tuesday's game with the RedHawks (1-2, 0-0) is the Chippewas' last of the calendar year. They resume MAC play on Saturday, Jan. 2 at Ohio. CMU is scheduled to play two nonleague games before Christmas: Dec. 18 at Michigan State and Dec. 22 at Dayton.

CMU is ranked seventh in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The poll is released on Tuesdays.

Delivering
The Chippewas were picked to win the MAC title and the league tournament in the preseason poll after returning all five starters, including seniors Kyra Bussell, Micaela Kelly and Maddy Watters.

That trio has been a part of 80 victories in the 101 games the Chippewas have played since their arrival on campus for the 2017-18 season.

Starting Hot
As expected, the backcourt is leading the Chippewas offensively as sophomore Molly Davis is averaging 23.3 points per game, which ranks third in the MAC and 20^th nationally.

Kelly, the reigning MAC Player of the Year, is tied for 53^rd nationally with 20.0 points per game.

Watters, who missed CMU's season-opening loss at Michigan, has made eight of her 12 3-point tries in the two games she has played and is averaging 14.0 points per game. Bussell is averaging 12.0 points a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game.

The Chippewas are averaging 78.7 points per game, which ranks third in the MAC, and lead the league in field goal percentage (.456) and free throw percentage (.800).

Scouting
Tuesday's game is the MAC opener for Miami, which is 1-2 with losses to Notre Dame, 88-68; and to No. 17 Ohio State, 104-65. The RedHawks' victory came over Valparaiso, 67-49.

Guards Peyton Scott and Katie Davidson are the RedHawks' top-two scorers at 18.0 and 16.0 points per game, respectively. Scott scored 22 points and Davidson had a career-best 18 in the loss to Ohio State.

Scott earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team last season; Davidson had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Notre Dame.

Kelly McLaughlin, a 6-foot-3 senior, averages 10.3 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game and also leads Miami's regulars with a .706 field goal shooting percentage.

The RedHawks rank 10^th in the 12-team MAC in 3-point field goal percentage (28.6 percent) and are surrendering a MAC-worst 80.3 points per game.

History
Miami is one of two MAC teams to beat the Chippewas at McGuirk Arena since the start of the 2016-17 season. The RedHawks defeated the Chippewas, 70-67, on Jan. 16, 2019, ending CMU's 21-game home MAC win streak.

CMU is 35-2 at home against MAC opponents since the start of the '16-17 season.