COLUMN: Win over WMU was crucial
For the past week, Central Michigan University women’s basketball head coach Sue Guevara said her team needed to keep the vision, and focus on the process of winning.
Chippewa fans got to see exactly what the rewards of that process looked like Saturday.
For one of the first times since senior guard Jessica Green’s season-ending injury, CMU had a strong team performance for a whole 40 minutes. All the players contributed in the minutes they were given, while contributing at different times.
While this game will most likely be remembered for the career performances from guards Da’Jourie Turner and Kerby Tamm, it was also contributions from the other players that made the win possible.
Take for example freshman Aleah Swary’s contributions. Her six points and three rebounds don’t necessarily jump off the stat sheet, but they came at pivotal moments of the game.
Early in the second half, Western Michigan had just taken an eight-point lead. Ten seconds later, Swary hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to five. If the Broncos could have taken a 10-point lead early in the half, the outcome of the game could have changed.
Freshman guard Cassandra Breen also found a way to make an impact on the game in her limited minutes.
CMU trailed by one with 10 minutes remaining when she made one of her two defensive rebounds. On the next possession, Turner was fouled and hit two free throws to take the lead. Western was never able to regain the lead following this series of plays.
While this play may have seemed routine at the time, it was another way for a player to contribute and help influence the outcome of a pivotal game.
The Chippewas showed a new toughness and sense of urgency that we had not see earlier in the season. Central Michigan seemed like they wanted this game more than Western Michigan. This is emphasized in second chance points.
During the course of the four-game losing streak, the Chippewas scored an average of 2.25 more second-chance points than their opponents. On Saturday, CMU outscored WMU 17-3 in second-chance opportunities.
In a game that was decided by 12 points, the 14 points CMU earned through extra effort won it the game.
In a combination of teamwork and effort, CMU is now 7-7 in the Mid-American Conference with four games remaining in the regular season.
Now the Chippewas must use this blueprint to success and improve on it to allow them to be playing their best basketball come March.
