Trio of double-doubles secure women's basketball 109-83 victory over Zips
Three women's basketball players recorded double-doubles as they cruised to a 109-83 win against Akron on Thursday.
This was their second test in Mid-American Conference competition, bringing their conference record to 2-0 after a victory against Toledo on Jan. 4.
Senior Taylor Johnson and juniors Jas’Mine Bracey and Crystal Bradford reached double-digits in points and rebounds, while four other players tallied double figure scoring nights. Bracey had the biggest game as she tied her career-high 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 25 minutes of action.
Akron (7-6, 1-1 MAC) controlled the game early and took a 16-11 lead behind a Hanna Luburgh 3-pointer in the first quarter.
Central Michigan (6-8, 2-0 MAC) went on a run of its own and eventually took a two-point lead after senior Niki DiGuilio hit a shot from behind the arc at the 11:36 mark in the first quarter. DiGuilio finished with 17 points and hit 3-of-7 shots from long-range. The Chippewas then went on a seven-point run spurred on by Bracey.
CMU's advantage would grow to 11 points with seven seconds remaining in the first half, before a pair of Luburgh free throws cut Akron's deficit to 52-43 going into the break. CMU shot 51 percent from the floor in the first half hitting 20-39 shots.
Bracey took over in the second half. She hit all seven of her shots in the second half and brought down nine rebounds.
The Chippewas stayed accurate in the second half, hitting 20-of-34 shots including 4-of-10 from 3-point range. The accuracy led to an 11-0 run for CMU and ultimately a 24-point lead that the Zips were unable to overcome from.
Bradford scored six points and grabbed two rebounds during the run. She finished the night with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The win is the second time the Chippewas have scored triple digits this season. They hope to carry their momentum into their next conference game against Buffalo at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Amherst, N.Y..
