Just 1:50 into the game, Central Michigan women’s basketball freshman guard Madi Morson found herself with a golden 3-point opportunity. Wide open in the corner, Morson nailed the shot from deep, grabbing early momentum for the maroon and gold. The 3-pointer began what would become a 15-0 run as the Chippewas exploded in the first half, dominating Ohio University.

It was all Central Michigan as the Chippewas hosted Ohio University in a midweek matchup on Wednesday evening. CMU used an explosive start to take a quick lead that they never relinquished. Behind strong performances from Morson, senior guard Jess Lawson and freshman forward Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, the Chippewas made short work of the Bobcats with a 75-48 win, their largest margin of victory so far this season.

" We just talk about the consistency and lately we've been starting the games out pretty well and then after halftime, we give up, we let up a little bit. So, it was good to see the third quarter continue with our defensive effort and then as well as scoring,” head coach Kristin Haynie said.

This win moves CMU to 9-13 on the season and 5-6 in Mid-American Conference play.

After the Chippewas surrendered the first basket of the game, Morson got the Chippewas on the board as she knocked down the early 3-pointer from the corner. Central Michigan seized the momentum almost immediately, and started the game with a 15-2 run, forcing a couple of key turnovers and playing efficient basketball.

The Bobcats struggled to get their offense going despite sinking the first basket, going 1-8 from the field before finally getting a basket to fall six minutes into the game. Meanwhile, the Chippewas were on fire, shooting 7-10 from the field and taking a 15-4 lead before the first media timeout of the game with 3:53 left in the first quarter.

After the timeout, Ohio continued to struggle to put the ball in the hoop. The Chippewas, however, kept the pedal to the floor as Morson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to hype up the crowd in McGuirk Arena and add to the growing lead.

With time winding down in the quarter, Chippewa freshman forward Riley Smith took a shot from deep, just missing. However, Darrington grabbed the miss and put it back up, beating the buzzer and capping off a dominant first frame from the home team, the score 25-10.

The Chippewas started off the second quarter with two steals on Ohio’s first two possessions, continuing to stifle the Bobcats on defense. Despite the early offensive miscues, Ohio was able to sink a shot from deep to start the scoring in the second frame.

With 2:15 left in the first half, Morson knocked down a 3-pointer while also drawing a foul. Morson converted the free throw to complete the four-point play, putting her team up 25 points.

Central Michigan went into halftime with a 48-22 lead after playing an explosive first half, finishing the second quarter with a 15-4 run. Utilizing the two big scoring runs of the half, the team shot 50% from the field and 41.7% from deep. Three Chippewas had reached double-digits in scoring by halftime, as Darrington scored 14, Morson scored 13 and Lawson scored 10 in the first half.

The Chippewas also played tight defense, holding the Bobcats to 34.5% from the field and only 11.1% from behind the arc.

”You (could) tell in our players' eyes that they were locked in from the jump and they kept that,” Haynie said. “So, we talk about the killer instinct and staying locked in every possession. We don't take possessions off. So, really proud of them for doing that tonight.”

After the break, Central Michigan came out of the locker room and picked up right where it left off. Morson continued to add to her point tally as she hit two free throws and another 3-pointer in the opening minutes of the quarter.

Just three minutes into the third frame, Lawson grabbed a rebound after a missed shot from her teammate and put it back up, completing the tough layup. The basket gave Central Michigan a 31-point lead and forced the Bobcats to take a timeout.

The Chippewas continued to dominate on offense while also limiting the Bobcats as the second half progressed. Having built a 35-point lead heading into the final quarter of play, the Chippewas coasted through the fourth to their ninth win of the season, their fifth in Mid-American Conference play.

Lawson was one of the stars of the game for the Chippewas, recording her first triple-double of the season, finishing with 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds.

”It's (the triple-double is) awesome,” Haynie said. “We've been working on our vision. And so, we watch a lot of film and she's now applying it. So, her vision's getting better. She's seeing the court better. So, we're very excited for that.”

Morson was the team’s highest scorer with 24 points, having now scored 20+ in four straight games. Darrington scored 21 points of her own, setting a new career high, as she shot 75% from the field while also grabbing 12 rebounds.

“ Madi (Morson) and Anna (Darrington), they're really good players,” Lawson said. “I'm so excited for them cause they're so young and they have so much more to develop in their game. It's just crazy how good they are right now. We're going to be really great once we put all four quarters together. It's going to be scary.”

As a team, the Chippewas took command of the offensive glass, grabbing 23 offensive rebounds compared to the Bobcat’s six. The team also had 19 assists while Ohio had only six.

Central Michigan will head on the road this weekend, looking to keep the positive momentum going as they take on the Marshall Thundering Herd in the second half of the MAC-SBC Challenge at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“ We really needed this win and this just gives us more confidence to know that we can play hard and play together, and we will get the next one on Saturday,” Lawson said.

Offensive explosion leads to CMU women's basketball victory

CMU women's basketball led in win against Ohio

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