Short-Handed WBB Delivers Big Victory

Wednesday, January 26

Mount Pleasant, MI

7 p.m.

Central Michigan University

4-14,2-7MAC

Miami (Ohio)

6-10,2-5MAC

Miami (OH)

Central Mich.

1/26/2022 11:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Katherine Schultz, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Without head coach Heather Oesterle on the bench or leading scorer Molly Davis on the court, Central Michigan defied the odds.

In the snapping of a six-game loss streak, CMU defeated Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday, 70-59, in a Mid-American Conference women's basketball game at McGuirk Arena.

It was CMU's first victory since it defeated Northern Illinois on Jan. 1, and it lifted the Chippewas to 4-14, 2-7 MAC. Miami fell to 6-9, 2-4.

CMU is scheduled to play host to Akron on Saturday, Jan. 29 (1 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena. The Zips are 8-6, 5-3 after defeating Eastern Michigan, 68-64, at home on Wednesday.

"It's a 'next woman up' mentality," said CMU assistant coach Courtney Shelton, who led a Chippewa team with just eight healthy players on Wednesday. "I think they all did that; they all stepped their game up. We got production out of just about everybody who played today which was great to see, and that's a tough fought win."

CMU hit an even 50 percent from the floor and made five of its 16 3-point attempts. The Chippewas held the RedHawks to just 29 percent – a season low for a CMU opponent -- from the floor.

CMU led all the way but could not put away the RedHawks until the fourth quarter. Miami pulled to within two, 56-54, with under six minutes remaining, and then the Chippewas went on a 12-0 run highlighted by a second-chance 3-pointer from Tiana Timpe. CMU bumped its lead to 68-54 with under two minutes to play.

Without Davis or senior guard Kalle Martinez, CMU looked to veterans Jahari Smith and Anika Weekes for leadership.

"We really tried not to focus on the pieces we were missing (but) more on what we did have," Smith said. "We try to get everybody involved and get everybody touching the ball."

Smith hit a career-high 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. Weekes tallied her third season double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

"I think we achieved all of our goals," Smith said. "I thought everybody played aggressive and looked to score. Everybody was a piece of the puzzle."

Timpe and Lisa Tesson each scored 12 points. Timpe made five of eight attempts on the floor and five rebounds. Tesson finished one point shy of her career high.

Freshman guard Hanna Knoll finished with eight points with the delivery of six of 11 free throws and grabbed a career-high five rebounds.

"We talked last week, and I told the team that if everybody could give just give one percent more -- everybody as an individual, give me one percent more, and as a group that is going to go a long way, and they bought in," Shelton said.