CMU women's basketball takes down Buffalo in final seconds
With the crowd on the edge of their seats, graduate student guard Mikayla Hall hit the go-ahead jumper to give Central Michigan women's basketball a 72-71 lead with seven seconds left. With the help of the energetic crowd, the Chippewas were able to get the game-winning defensive stop against Buffalo on Saturday.
"Today I thought we'd kept our composure and we made crucial stops and scores at the end of the game," head coach Heather Oesterle said.
In the first quarter, both teams went back and forth offensively. Early in the quarter, the Chippewas found success with freshman guard Bridget Utberg who returned after missing three games due to injury and Hall who each had five points.
"She (Hall) did a really nice job for us and now I can move her off the ball and set some screens for her to get open, which is you know, beneficial for us because she can shoot the ball so well and she can score," Oesterle said.
Later in the quarter, the Bulls found success scoring off of CMU's turnovers. The Chippewas shot 9-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the three-point line. CMU also outrebounded Buffalo 13-6. CMU bounced back scoring 12 points in the paint in the first quarter. Going into the second quarter, the Chippewas had a 22-18 lead.
Buffalo scored two quick back-to-back baskets to tie the game up at 22 to start the second quarter. The Chippewas answered right back going on an 8-0 run. Later in the quarter, the Bulls went on a 7-0 run to give them a 36-34 lead. In the final minute of the quarter Hall drained a three-pointer to give CMU a 37-36 lead going into halftime.
Hall and junior center Rochelle Norris led the Chippewas in scoring with eight points in the first half. CMU shot 15-for-33 from the floor and 3-for-7 from the three-point line.
Hall started off how she closed the first half by draining back-to-back three-pointers to give the Chippewas a 43-40 lead. The Bulls answered right back with a 7-2 run of their own to take the lead, 47-45.
Then Utberg took over the quarter. Down 49-45 she made a three-pointer to cut the Bulls deficit down to one. On the next possession she made a layup to tie the game 51. The Chippewas would finish the rest of the quarter on a 7-2 run to take a 58-53 lead going into the fourth.
CMU started off the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run as Norris scored four of the six points to take a 64-53 lead. Buffalo would crawl back into the game going on a 9-0 run to take the lead 71-70. With 7.2 seconds left, Hall hit a jumper to give the Chippewas a 72-71 lead. With the crowd on their feet, CMU was able to get a last-second stop on defense to secure the win.
"That wasn't how it was drawn up at the end," Oesterle said. "We were going to Bridget at the end of the game, but they just denied everywhere. It ended up in Mikayla's hands and you know she's gotten some confidence these last two games to take that shot at the end of the game."
Utberg led the Chippewas as she finished the game with 20 points with Hall right behind her at 16 points.
Norris secured her second-straight double-double scoring 17 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.
"I wanted some balanced scoring ... now with Bridget back and Mikayla we need at least three to four in double figures," Oesterle said. "That shows me we can win without Syd (Sydney Harris) scoring. I'll give Buffalo credit they packed it in whenever she (Harris) posted up. She had three people around her, they tried to deny her the ball everywhere, they did a nice job on her, but we have other weapons."
The Chippewas will look to gain momentum as they host Miami (Ohio) at McGuirk Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
