Women's basketball lose in MAC Championship
In a last-second finish in the Mid-American Conference tournament championship game the Central Michigan women’s basketball team lost to Eastern Michigan 72-71 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
It was the Chippewas (20-15) game to lose as they scored with 13.7 seconds left off a bucket from freshman guard Crystal Bradford to take a 71-70 lead and then MAC Player of the Year senior guard Tavelyn James traveled with 11 seconds left.
Freshman guard Jessica Green was fouled with nine seconds left and went to the line for the one-and-one. Green missed the front end of it and Eagles (23-8) senior guard Paige Redditt converted on a last second layup and CMU had no time to answer.
“James is the best player in our league. I think sometimes the best player gets protected, and we were worrying about James and it allowed Watkins to get to the basket,” head coach Sue Guevara said.
It was the Chippewas first trip to the MAC Tournament championship game since 1991. A win would have put CMU in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984, and only second time ever.
The Chippewas were led by sophomore forward Taylor Johnson with 20 points and seven assists while the freshman trio shinned as well.
Freshman guard Crystal Bradford had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists while freshman guard Jessica Green had 12 points, all in the second half, adding five assists and three steals. Freshman forward Jas’Mine Bracey added six points and seven rebounds.
CMU shot 51 percent including 36 percent behind the arch, but the team was haunted by 20 turnovers including 11 steals by EMU.
“Turnovers early was big but we cut them down in the second half,” Guevara said. “When you’re in the championship game those are the things you have to control.”
The loss does not necessarily bring an end to the Chippewas season.With its run in the MAC Tournament it looks as if the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) could be in the future for the team for the second season in a row.
“I think the experience of being here was good for the team. Now we know how it feels and I know our team never wants to feel this way again,” Johnson said. “We did not feel any fatigue. We had this game. It still doesn’t feel real.”
