At about the six-minute mark of the third quarter, Central Michigan women’s basketball was locked in a battle with Western Michigan. After the Broncos hit a 3-pointer to bring CMU’s lead down to just five, the Chippewas needed an answer.

Responding to the Western Michigan basket, freshman guard Madi Morson knocked down a jumper, starting what would become a 13-2 run that the Chippewas would use to get the better of their rivals.

Riding on the coattails of a hot start from Morson, the Chippewas took an early lead that they never surrendered on the way to a 56-43 win.

Morson, who has been on a heater since the team played Western the first time this season a month ago, ended the game with 26 points. Morson has scored 20+ points in five of her last eight games and credits practice with her recent success.

“I would say just getting in the gym more,” Morson said. “Before, my three-ball wasn't my best asset, and it's still not, but it's been paying off that I've been making like even two or three in a game. Then my mid-range, I've just been still working on that, and they just fall in more.”

Both teams began the game playing stingy defense, forcing each other to hit tough shots. Still, Morson caught fire in the opening minutes of the match, scoring nine of the Chippewas first 13 points and starting the game 4-6 from the field before the first media timeout at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter.

With time winding down in the first, senior guard Jess Lawson knocked down a 3-pointer to add to the Central Michigan lead. Western Michigan hit a free throw to end the quarter, but it was the Chippewas with the slight 16-11 lead heading into the next period.

It was a rocky second quarter for both sides as neither squad could find any sustained momentum to build off of. Turnovers began to hurt the Chippewas as they turned the ball over four times in the first two minutes of play. Despite several chances to score, both teams failed to convert on their chances. The Chippewas went 3-9 from the field in the second while the Broncos went 3-10.

Despite seven turnovers in the second quarter alone, Central Michigan carried a 26-20 lead into the locker room as both teams geared up for the second half.

Coming out of halftime, Western Michigan drilled a 3-pointer, cutting the Chippewas lead to just three. Morson, however, responded with her own shot from deep before sinking a jump shot on the following possession to put CMU up 31-23.

With about four minutes left in the third quarter, two free throws from Morson gave Central Michigan an 11-point lead, its largest of the game to that point. Shortly after, freshman forward Ayanna-Sarai Darrington scored two quick layups on back-to-back possessions to increase the lead and pressure the Broncos into taking a timeout, seizing the momentum.

Western Michigan went without a bucket for almost three minutes before finally hitting a 3-pointer with less than a minute left in the third. However, the damage was done as the Chippewas were able to take a 45-33 lead into the final quarter of play.

Western Michigan continued to fight in the fourth quarter, bringing the Chippewa lead to nine with about five minutes to go in the game.

Despite the effort from the Broncos, Central Michigan held onto its lead and earned its twelfth win of the season.

Head Coach Kristin Haynie applauded her team’s work both on defense and on the glass in the win. Western Michigan’s leading scorer, junior guard Marina Asensio, was held to just six points throughout the afternoon.

In terms of rebounding, at halftime, the teams had almost the same number of boards, CMU with 16 and WMU with 17. The second half was a different story, as the Chippewas finished the game with 47 rebounds, 17 more than the Broncos.

With the win over Western, CMU completed the season sweep of the Mid-American Conference teams in Michigan, having beaten both the Broncos and the Eastern Michigan Eagles twice.

“It means a lot,” Haynie said. “We talk about being the best MAC team in Michigan, and we did that this year. (I’m) proud of our players, I mean, they've been preparing well and not getting too ahead of ourselves. (I’m) just super proud of them for being coachable and for buying in.”

The Chippewas will be tasked with again defending home court this Wednesday as they take on Ball State at McGuirk Arena at 6:30 p.m.