Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Chippewa Women To Face Iowa In NCAA Tournament Opener
3/15/2021 9:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – It's off to San Antonio for the Central Michigan women's basketball team. The opponent: Iowa.
The Chippewas are seeded 12th in the NCAA Tournament's River Walk Region and will take on the fifth-seeded Hawkeyes on Sunday, March 21 (noon). The winner will play either Kentucky or Idaho State for a spot in the Sweet 16.
"Right now, we're just excited and enjoying the moment," senior guard Maddy Watters said. "This is the goal; this is always the goal every year. We're happy to be here and we'll get to work on Iowa. Very exciting, very rewarding."
It is the Chippewas' third-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and several players on this year's team have been in the pressure cooker of the tournament, including Watters and fellow seniors Micaela Kelly and Kyra Bussell.
"We've been there, we've been on the big stage, and we're excited to compete," second-year CMU coach Heather Oesterle said. "I'm excited about where we are as a program. The Big Dance is something everybody strives for and we're excited to be going down to Texas and playing against Iowa.
"It's all about making sure that you're fresh at this point in the season and playing your best basketball and I think we're there right now."
The Chippewas earned their tournament berth by winning the MAC Tournament on Saturday, knocking off top-seeded Bowling Green, 77-72, behind 29 points from Kelly, who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.
The Chippewas (18-8) have won five-consecutive games, a streak that started with a double-overtime victory at Ball State. They beat Ohio in overtime in a MAC Tournament semifinal game and they are playing their best basketball of the season, remarkably with just eight healthy players.
"I saw a complete change in us when we went to Ball State and won in two overtimes," Oesterle said. "Just the fight we saw out of our team. We got down, we were up, and we just battled, and we've been battling ever since. I really do feel good about where we are right now.
"I got really emotional after the MAC Tournament championship because we've been through a lot of adversity this year. Like everybody. We went through some slumps, we went through some tough times; we finally came together and it's that much more rewarding to be able to cut down the nets.
"There's times where we could have folded this year; times where we lost three games in a row or two games in a row and tough ones at home that we don't usually lose. They handled that adversity really well. Really came together as a team handling those situations."
The Hawkeyes
Iowa (18-9) is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 20 years. The Hawkeyes finished sixth in the Big Ten and then reached the league-tournament championship game where they bowed to Maryland, 104-84. The Terrapins are ranked seventh nationally and received a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won the league scoring title at 27.4 points per game. Monika Czinano, a 6-foot-3 junior, averages more than 18 points per game. The Hawkeyes rank second in the nation, to Maryland, in scoring at 86.6 points per game.
"Obviously the Big Ten is a great basketball conference and whatnot," Watters said. "We're just focused on the game and us and being our best. We also have some experience playing Big Ten schools. Luckily coach had a good schedule for us to get ready for moments for us."
Watters on the Big Stage
Watters, who has been a steady and consistent force throughout her Chippewa career, was selected to participate in next month's State Farm Slam Dunk & 3-Point Contest.
She follows former CMU teammate Presley Hudson, who won the event as a senior in 2019.
"It's exciting," Watters said. "(Hudson) definitely gave me some big shoes to fill, but I'm excited to be a part of it. Focusing on next week first."
Watters ranks eighth in CMU program history with 181 career 3-pointers.
"She was excited," Oesterle said of Watters after she and director of player development Reyna Frost delivered the news of her selection to the senior from Rockford. "She was a little nervous. I'm like, 'Don't worry; we've got time to prepare.' She'll be good.
"It's great for our program to be on the national stage, ESPN2, Central Michigan on the screen is big-time."
Tournament Tested
The Chippewas were an 11 seed in 2018 when they knocked off sixth-seeded LSU and then topped third-seeded Ohio State to earn a berth in the Sweet 16. In 2019, the Chippewas were the eighth seed and then fell to ninth-seeded Michigan State, 88-87, in a first-round game.
Watters, Kelly and Bussell played in all of those games, while two current Chippewa reserves, Kalle Martinez and Sophia Karasinski, were also on those teams. Forward Jahari Smith and guard/forward Anika Weekes were part of the 2019 team that played MSU in the tournament.
In short, the only Chippewa who will dress for Sunday's game against Iowa who has not experienced an NCAA Tournament game is sophomore guard Molly Davis.
Watters said the key to handling the tournament atmosphere lies in "being able to channel (the emotions) in the right ways. Hopefully I can pass down my experience to the ladies who haven't been here before and then just have fun with it. March is a fun time."
Experience on the Bench
Oesterle was a longtime assistant and then associate head coach at CMU under Sue Guevara. The pair got the Chippewas to the NCAA Tournament in 2013, '18 and '19. Sunday's game will Oesterle's first as a head coach in the tournament.
She has by her side associate head coach Gail Goestenkors, whose unmatched resumé includes four trips to the Final Four and two national-championship game appearances when she was the head coach at Duke.
"She's been big for me," Oesterle said. "The Monday before we went to the MAC Tournament she came into my office and was asking where my head was. I've been a little stressed, a little bit on edge, but she kind of talked to me about how I need to approach the team and the eight (players) that we're going with and that I need to be positive.
"She's been there, done that; it's good to always hear (her) feedback and she's been on the national stage."
Coaching Connection
Former Chippewa assistant and player Raina Harmon is in her third year as assistant on Iowa coach Lisa Bluder's staff.
Harmon played at CMU from 2001-04 and coached under Guevara and Oesterle from 2012-17.
"She's one of my best friends," Oesterle said. "She's an unbelievable person. She helped get this program where it is today, as a player and as a coach. Exciting to see her. … excited to play against her."
The Chippewas are seeded 12th in the NCAA Tournament's River Walk Region and will take on the fifth-seeded Hawkeyes on Sunday, March 21 (noon). The winner will play either Kentucky or Idaho State for a spot in the Sweet 16.
"Right now, we're just excited and enjoying the moment," senior guard Maddy Watters said. "This is the goal; this is always the goal every year. We're happy to be here and we'll get to work on Iowa. Very exciting, very rewarding."
It is the Chippewas' third-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and several players on this year's team have been in the pressure cooker of the tournament, including Watters and fellow seniors Micaela Kelly and Kyra Bussell.
"We've been there, we've been on the big stage, and we're excited to compete," second-year CMU coach Heather Oesterle said. "I'm excited about where we are as a program. The Big Dance is something everybody strives for and we're excited to be going down to Texas and playing against Iowa.
"It's all about making sure that you're fresh at this point in the season and playing your best basketball and I think we're there right now."
The Chippewas earned their tournament berth by winning the MAC Tournament on Saturday, knocking off top-seeded Bowling Green, 77-72, behind 29 points from Kelly, who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.
The Chippewas (18-8) have won five-consecutive games, a streak that started with a double-overtime victory at Ball State. They beat Ohio in overtime in a MAC Tournament semifinal game and they are playing their best basketball of the season, remarkably with just eight healthy players.
"I saw a complete change in us when we went to Ball State and won in two overtimes," Oesterle said. "Just the fight we saw out of our team. We got down, we were up, and we just battled, and we've been battling ever since. I really do feel good about where we are right now.
"I got really emotional after the MAC Tournament championship because we've been through a lot of adversity this year. Like everybody. We went through some slumps, we went through some tough times; we finally came together and it's that much more rewarding to be able to cut down the nets.
"There's times where we could have folded this year; times where we lost three games in a row or two games in a row and tough ones at home that we don't usually lose. They handled that adversity really well. Really came together as a team handling those situations."
The Hawkeyes
Iowa (18-9) is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 20 years. The Hawkeyes finished sixth in the Big Ten and then reached the league-tournament championship game where they bowed to Maryland, 104-84. The Terrapins are ranked seventh nationally and received a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won the league scoring title at 27.4 points per game. Monika Czinano, a 6-foot-3 junior, averages more than 18 points per game. The Hawkeyes rank second in the nation, to Maryland, in scoring at 86.6 points per game.
"Obviously the Big Ten is a great basketball conference and whatnot," Watters said. "We're just focused on the game and us and being our best. We also have some experience playing Big Ten schools. Luckily coach had a good schedule for us to get ready for moments for us."
Watters on the Big Stage
Watters, who has been a steady and consistent force throughout her Chippewa career, was selected to participate in next month's State Farm Slam Dunk & 3-Point Contest.
She follows former CMU teammate Presley Hudson, who won the event as a senior in 2019.
"It's exciting," Watters said. "(Hudson) definitely gave me some big shoes to fill, but I'm excited to be a part of it. Focusing on next week first."
Watters ranks eighth in CMU program history with 181 career 3-pointers.
"She was excited," Oesterle said of Watters after she and director of player development Reyna Frost delivered the news of her selection to the senior from Rockford. "She was a little nervous. I'm like, 'Don't worry; we've got time to prepare.' She'll be good.
"It's great for our program to be on the national stage, ESPN2, Central Michigan on the screen is big-time."
Tournament Tested
The Chippewas were an 11 seed in 2018 when they knocked off sixth-seeded LSU and then topped third-seeded Ohio State to earn a berth in the Sweet 16. In 2019, the Chippewas were the eighth seed and then fell to ninth-seeded Michigan State, 88-87, in a first-round game.
Watters, Kelly and Bussell played in all of those games, while two current Chippewa reserves, Kalle Martinez and Sophia Karasinski, were also on those teams. Forward Jahari Smith and guard/forward Anika Weekes were part of the 2019 team that played MSU in the tournament.
In short, the only Chippewa who will dress for Sunday's game against Iowa who has not experienced an NCAA Tournament game is sophomore guard Molly Davis.
Watters said the key to handling the tournament atmosphere lies in "being able to channel (the emotions) in the right ways. Hopefully I can pass down my experience to the ladies who haven't been here before and then just have fun with it. March is a fun time."
Experience on the Bench
Oesterle was a longtime assistant and then associate head coach at CMU under Sue Guevara. The pair got the Chippewas to the NCAA Tournament in 2013, '18 and '19. Sunday's game will Oesterle's first as a head coach in the tournament.
She has by her side associate head coach Gail Goestenkors, whose unmatched resumé includes four trips to the Final Four and two national-championship game appearances when she was the head coach at Duke.
"She's been big for me," Oesterle said. "The Monday before we went to the MAC Tournament she came into my office and was asking where my head was. I've been a little stressed, a little bit on edge, but she kind of talked to me about how I need to approach the team and the eight (players) that we're going with and that I need to be positive.
"She's been there, done that; it's good to always hear (her) feedback and she's been on the national stage."
Coaching Connection
Former Chippewa assistant and player Raina Harmon is in her third year as assistant on Iowa coach Lisa Bluder's staff.
Harmon played at CMU from 2001-04 and coached under Guevara and Oesterle from 2012-17.
"She's one of my best friends," Oesterle said. "She's an unbelievable person. She helped get this program where it is today, as a player and as a coach. Exciting to see her. … excited to play against her."
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