Women’s basketball hosts WMU, attempts to snap losing skid
Senior forward Lorreal Jones contains Toledo forward Ana Capotosto during a matchup Feb. 11, 2015 in McGuirk arena.
Attempting to snap a four-game losing streak, the Central Michigan University women’s basketball team hosts rival Western Michigan University on Saturday.
The four-game skid is the longest Mid-American Conference losing streak the Chippewas have had since they lost seven straight in 2007.
WMU defeated CMU, 69-64 in Kalamazoo on Feb. 7.
“We got better, but we still lost,” Head Coach Sue Guevara said. “I talk to the team about keeping their heads up and believing in the process. We have to have the same type of effort, but better execution.”
The Chippewas have lacked consistency from the very beginning of the season.
“We've got one or two guns that are working and the other ones are misfiring,” Guevara said. “When we can get maybe four out of five of our guns hitting, then it’ll come together for us.”
CMU has had seven different players, including four freshmen, score more than 10 points during the losing streak.
“Our freshmen are getting a lot of minutes,” Guevara said. “I just know, it’s going to pay off.”
Defensively, the Chippewas will look to stop one of the MAC’s best players, Miracle Woods.
The Fort Wayne senior ranks ninth in the conference with an average of 14.8 points per game. Woods is an accurate shooter; making 52 percent of the shots she takes.
Woods scored 27 points and brought down 14 rebounds in WMU’s defeat of CMU earlier this season.
The Broncos’ second-best scoring option is another senior, guard A.J. Johnson. Averaging 9.6 points per game, Johnson is hitting 41 percent of the shots she takes.
Free throws will also be crucial for the Chippewas during their matchup with the Broncos. In the two teams’ last meeting, WMU hit 12-of-15 free throws while CMU knocked down 8-of-13.
The Bronco’s are ranked third in MAC in free throw efficiency, shooting 71 percent from the line this season. Meanwhile, the Chippewas are shooting 65 percent from the line so far.
--Staff reporter Greg Wickliffe contributed to this report
