No. 8 Ohio (14-17, 6-10) vs. No. 5 Central Michigan (17-14, 8-8)
Wednesday, March 7, Noon, Cleveland, Ohio, Quicken Loans Arena
(20,500)
MAC Tournament Second Round
Broadcast Information
Live Audio: cmuchippewas.com
Radio: 91.5 wmhw-fm
Preview
For the fourth-straight year the Central Michigan women's basketball team has won a postseason game following an 86-62 first-round Mid-American Conference Tournament win over Ball State on Saturday. The fifth-seeded Chippewas now have their sights set on eighth-seeded Ohio in a second- round matchup on Wednesday. The Bobcats advanced to the second round of the tournament following a 58-40 win over Kent State on Saturday.
CMU and OU met once earlier this season, with the Maroon and Gold claiming a 67-53 win. They have faced each other seven times in the MAC Tournament, with the Bobcats holding a 5-2 edge. The last time they saw each other in postseason play was in 2010 with the Chippewas snagging a 69-66 win. Under head coach Sue Guevara, CMU is now 5-2 over OU and holds a slight 28-27 edge in the all- time series.
The Chippewas finished the regular season with the conference's second-highest scoring offense at 71.5 points per game. They are second in steals at 11.9 per game, fourth in turnover margin (2.81), second in offensive rebounds (17), third in defensive rebounds (26.9) and third in three-pointers made per game (6.2).
Crystal Bradford finished 10th in points per game with 13.3 per game, eighth in rebounds per game (7.8), second in steals (2.6) and second in blocked shots (1.8). Niki DiGuilio finished sixth in free throws making 83.3 percent of her shots from the charity stripe. Taylor Johnson was the third best three-point field goal shooter at 42.2 percent.
|
Probable Starters |
|||||||||
| Name | Ht. | Yr. | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | Notes | |||
| (1) G | 3 | Jessica Green |
5-10 |
Fr. | 29-19 |
11.7 | 4.9 | 2.8 APG |
Last time against OU Green had 15 points and six assists. |
| (2) G | 4 |
Kylie Welch |
5-4 | So. | 23-20 |
1.4 |
0.4 |
1.4 APG |
Had three points and five assists against BSU, did not play against OU. |
| (3) G |
33 |
Brandie Baker |
6-0 | Jr. | 24-20 |
8.0 | 5.9 |
2.6 APG |
Scored 13 points along with four steals on Saturday. |
| (4) F | 32 | Jas'Mine Bracey |
6-2 | Fr. | 29-29 |
9.3 |
6.9 | 1.1 BPG |
Recorded 13 points and nine rebounds in the last outting with Ohio. |
| (5) F |
44 |
Taylor Johnson | 5-11 |
So. | 29-11 |
8.4 | 5.2 |
1.2 SPG |
Has scored in double figures in nine out of the past 13 games. |
News and Notes
Guevara in the Tournament -- Last year the Chippewas advanced to the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament for the third-consecutive season. They have won at least one MAC Tournament game in each of the last four seasons. Overall head coach Sue Guevara is 4-4 in the tournament.
Last year the Chippewas advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament for the first time since 1992. The last time they were in a championship game was in 1991.
For the second time during Guevara's tenure the Chippewas hosted a first-round home game, with the first coming in 2010.
At the Q -- The Chippewas are 2-5 all-time at Quicken Loans Arena, 16-26 all- time in the MAC Tournament.
Reaching 200 -- Guevara is now only four wins away from capturing win number 200 (currently at 196).
As the Fifth Seed -- The Chippewas have only been the fifth seed twice in the tournament (1990 and 2006). They have a 1-2 record as the fifth seed with the lone win coming on Saturday against Ball State.
Neutral Play -- The Maroon and Gold are 3-2 when playing at neutral sites this year. They have also had two of their five games go into overtime (lost, 86-80, to South Florida and won, 72-69, to the College of Charleston).
Peaking at the Right Time -- With the 86-62 win over BSU on Saturday, the Chippewas are now on a four-game winning streak, their longest since the five-game win streak they were on earlier this year that started against No. 12/14 Purdue. In the past four games they are averaging 71.5 points per game, while holding the opponent to 52.8. The Maroon and Gold are also out-rebounding their opponent by 1.5 and producing more assists. They are averaging 11.5 fewer turnovers and 10.5 more steals as well.
CMU is holding it past four opponents to only averaging 53 points per game, the least amount of points given up during any four-game span while under Guevara.
Writing the Record Books -- Crystal Bradford has 47 total blocks on the season placing her third on the CMU single-season block list. Niki DiGuilio currently has 119 three-pointers placing her fifth on the CMU career list. Brandie Baker currently has 320 total assists during her CMU tenure, placing her sixth.
Johnson Thrives During MAC Play -- Taylor Johnson has scored in double figures in nine out of the last 11 games, including the 13 points she recorded against BSU. Since conference play began she is averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She is also shooting 41.3 percent from the floor and 42.2 percent from the three-point line. Before conference play, she was only averaging 5.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 32.1 percent from the floor and only 30 percent from long range.
In 14 non-conference games Johnson hit only six three-pointers, but in the 16 conference games since she has hit 27. She led the team against Eastern Michigan making two from behind the arc.
Take Care of the Ball -- The Chippewas had only 10 turnovers against the Cardinals; their third lowest total of the season and the 11th straight game of that CMU has managed fewer than 20. The 11-straight games without more then 20 turnovers is the longest streak for the Chippewas while under Guevara.
Hit the Boards -- In the past two games CMU has claimed the advantage on the boards. When the Chippewas out-rebound their opponent this year they are 12-2.
In the win over the Cardinals the Chippewas had their highest second-chance point total at 23. They were also able to score 64 of their 86 points in the paint.
We Play Defense Too -- For the 17th time this year CMU held its opponent to under 40 percent from the floor (BSU shot 32.8 percent), making its overall record under Guevara when doing so 58-24.
High Scoring Offense -- CMU scored 86 total points in the win over BSU, making it the 17th time this season they have scored 70 or more points. When scoring 70 or more points this season the Chippewas are 11-6 and are 59-34 under Guevara. The Maroon and Gold have broken the 70-point barrier seven times during conference play.
The 90 field goal attempts tonight were the most attempted by the Chippewas while under head coach Sue Guevara.
Getting Some Bench Help -- For the second straight game the CMU bench out- scored the opponent's bench, 34-16. On the season the Chippewa bench is averaging 24.7 points per game, well above the opposing team's 17.
