Mid-American Conference

Sunday's MAC Women's Basketball Results
Central Michigan 74, Oakland 69
Stony Brook 59, Western Michigan 55
Drexel 71, Miami 54

Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments

Central Michigan 74, Oakland 69
Boxscore

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Jessica Green and Crystal Bradford scored 20 points apiece and Kerby Tamm added 13 Sunday as the Central Michigan women's basketball team held off determined Oakland, 74-69, in a non-league game at McGuirk Arena.

The win lifted CMU to 5-5. Oakland is 6-6. The Chippewas had lost four of their previous five games. They play host to Dayton on New Year's Eve at 1 p.m. in their final non-leaguer. They go to Kent State on Jan. 3 for their Mid-American Conference opener.

The Chippewas overcame a poor shooting day by making 75 percent of their free throw attempts (21-of-28) and finding a way to wrestle the game away from the Grizzlies.

"As a team we had been shooting 62 percent from the free throw line and today, shooting 75 percent from the free throw line was the only reason that we won this basketball game," CMU coach Sue Guevara said. "And the fact that we were able to get some rebounds down the stretch."

The Chippewas led by 15 points with under 14 minutes to play, but a 22-7 Oakland run tied it at 59-all with 6:22 left.

The Grizzlies led by one, 69-68, with under a minute remaining when Bradford took an inbounds pass from under the CMU basket, made a quick move to the basket and scored from close range to put the Chippewas ahead for good, 70-69, with 47 seconds left.

Tamm, a senior guard, made all four of her free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds to ice it.

"It's an isolation one-on-one," Guevara said of the set inbounds play to Bradford. "I said, `CB, we're down one, the ball's coming to you, just get it up on the glass.' It was that simple.

"Kerby Tamm, she's somebody who has ice in her veins and she hit four big free throws for us."

While Bradford hit the shot from in close when the Chippewas most needed it, CMU struggled from close range - and, in fact, long range -- throughout the day. They made 25-of-74 (33.8 percent) of their field goal attempts overall, and were just 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

In the second half, the Chippewas were just 10-for-36 (27.8 percent) from the floor and failed on all seven of their triple tries.

"We shoot 33 percent (from the floor) and 17 percent from the three and we're not supposed to win this game," Guevara said.

But we had 22 offensive rebounds, 49 total, and 21-for-28 from the free throw line and that's basically why we won."

The Chippewas' inconsistency from in close has been a continual source of frustration, Guevara said.

"I have challenged certain people on this team to use the backboard," she said. "I get very, very frustrated with finger-rolls. I get very, very frustrated with teardrops. I say `You guys are shooting teardrops and they're bringing be tears of sorrow and frustration, not happiness.'

"It's a basic fundamental of basketball to use the backboard, to not go over the top, but get an angle on the right or left side.

"I read this quote a couple days ago about shooting percentage, and it said your shooting percentage is about decision making, not just form. It's the kind of shots that you're taking. The kids are frustrated, I'm really frustrated. I just think if we have this offensive system put in place that allows you to have layups and jumpers in the red zone, scoring 70 points isn't enough.

"It's just not enough because we should be shooting the ball better. And it's got to start in practice."

Lorreal Jones led CMU with 10 rebounds, while Bradford had nine and Jas'Mine Bracey added eight.

Bradford added four assists and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line, but her shooting line - 7-for-22 from the field - perhaps symbolized Guevara's greater concern.

"If you look at 7-for-22, that's not good enough," Guevara said. "With the amount of shots and the type of shots that she took, CB could have easily been 15-for-22. I'm happy with the rest of her numbers.

"She gets it, she'll be the first to tell you she gets it. She's got to play herself into shape because she wasn't able to do a lot early. But she's close. She's real close."

Bradford continues to work herself back into shape after offseason knee surgery.

"My shooting wasn't great, but that happens," she said. "Got to keep shooting. I think it's because I need to get back in better game-shape, which I'm headed towards. I'm pretty proud of my free-throws today."

Nola Anderson scored 21 points, including 15 in the second half, to lead the Grizzlies. Oliva Nash added 16 and Elena Popkey had 12.

Stony Brook 59, Western Michigan 55
Boxscore
STONY BROOK, N.Y.- Western Michigan let a nine-point second half lead slip away as host Stony Brook rallied behind Sabre Proctor and Kori Bayne-Walker, defeating the Broncos 59-55 at the Seawolves Holiday Classic Presented by the Hilton Garden Inn. Proctor scored a game-high 20 points in the victory, while Bayne-Walker pumped in 17 points, including 13 in the second half.

Despite the loss, Western Michigan’s 6-4 record is the best for the program since the 1998-98 team posted a 7-3 record over its first 10 games.

Western Michigan played well enough to win against Stony Brook but came up short in one major area - rebounding. The Seawolves pulled down 17 more rebounds than the Broncos and were plus nine on the glass in the second half. Among those were three consecutive offensive boards that resulted in a layup pushing Stony Brook’s lead to six with 5:37 left in the game.

“Rebounding as well as ball-screen defense, which was our number two key, were our major disappointments,” said WMU head coach Shane Clipfell. “We are too good of a team to get hammered on the boards like that. We have to figure out a way to get that fixed.

“We never were in synch defensively on our ball screens which really allowed Proctor and Bayne-Walker to be more efficient than they normally are.”

After spending most of the first half on the bench due to foul trouble, Bayne-Walker was the difference-maker for Stony Brook in the second half. She converted a pivotal three-point play and attacked the basket for critical points that kept her team on top in the final minutes of the game.

Alex Morton did her best to counter for Western Michigan hitting back-to-back three’s down the stretch, the second of which pulled the Broncos within two, 55-54, with 2:48 remaining. Over the next minute, Bayne-Walker and WMU’s Miracle Woods exchanged baskets, as Stony Brook maintained its two-point lead. WMU came up with a defensive rebound and called a timeout with 13.2 seconds left on the clock. Woods missed a shot going to her left off the inbounds play and the ball fell loose among a crowd. WMU was called for a foul on the scramble, sending Proctor to the line for a pair of free throws with three seconds left. She buried both to put Stony Brook up by four and seal the win for the Seawolves.

Western Michigan held a six-point lead, 29-23, after A.J. Johnson drilled a deep three-pointer at the halftime buzzer. The Broncos battled from three down with a strong 11-2 run over the final three minutes of the first half.

The Broncos continued to add on their advantage out of the break pulling ahead by nine, 34-25. Stony Brook came back swinging with a 13-2 run that pulled the Seawolves back in front, 38-36, midway through the second half. The run was briefly slowed by a three-pointer by Michelle O’Brien, but Stony Brook’s momentum carried through thanks to their playmakers.

Morton tied a career-high with her two-three pointers and led Western Michigan with 15 points. She also added five assists and two steals. Woods finished with 15 points, followed by 12 points from Johnson, who also made a pair of three’s. Freshman Teagan Reeves came off the bench to grab four of WMU’s 10 first half rebounds, which tied Michelle O’Brien’s four rebounds for a team game high.

Western Michigan shot 43.1 percent for the afternoon just a shade below Stony Brook at 45.5 percent.

“We have to respond tomorrow, playing a team in Holy Cross that is better than their record says,” Clipfell continued. “I still like our mental makeup in our lockerroom and our kids are resilient and I think they are going to bounce back.”

Western Michigan closes out the classic tomorrow against Holy Cross at noon. It will be the final non-conference game of the season for the Broncos which opens the Mid-American Conference schedule with back-to-back home games against Akron (Jan. 3) and Ohio (Jan. 7).

Holy Cross defeated Norfolk State in game one on Sunday, 63-62, and enters Monday’s contest against the Broncos with a 4-8 record.

Drexel 71, Miami 54
Boxscore
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Miami University women’s basketball team made a couple of large runs to try and close a large early deficit, but it was unable to finish the comeback off as Drexel pulled away for a 71-54 victory. The game opened up the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Virginia. The RedHawks fall to 2-8 overall, while the Dragons improve to 6-4.

The loss spoiled a career game for senior point guard Courtney Larson. She helped keep Miami in it by draining five shots from behind the arc for a career-high 15 points. She also tied a career high with seven rebounds.

It was a slow start offensively for Miami as only junior forward Hannah McCue was able to put in a layup while Drexel jumped to a 10-2 lead. The Dragons kept up the strong defense, allowing the RedHawks only four free throws as they pushed the advantage to 21-6 with 7:24 left in the period before MU began to make a run.

Larson sank a three-pointer to get the offense going. That started a 9-0 stretch for the RedHawks as Larson hit one more triple, while freshman guard Baleigh Reid added one of her own to pull Miami to within six at 21-15 with 5:41 left in the half and force the Dragons to call timeout. After the break Drexel readjusted its defense and closed the period on a 10-3 run to take a 31-18 lead into halftime.

McCue drained a couple of layups, while Larson hit another three-pointer to make it 40-28 with 15:24 left in the second half. The Dragons answered with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to record their largest advantage at 47-28, before the RedHawks began another run.

Back-to-back layups from McCue and Reid started the comeback attempt. A three-pointer from Larson cut the Miami deficit to 12. Freshman guard Kayla Brown hit a layup despite being fouled, and converted the free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play. Larson’s fifth three-pointer of the game made it a 13-0 run and closed the ‘Hawks to within six at 47-41 with 10:29 to go.

Miami’s shot went cold over the next eight minutes as Drexel was able to regain control with a 20-6 run. Redshirt sophomore forward Tamira Ford hit a layup, while Brown drained a pair of shots, but the Dragons were able to finish off a 71-54 victory.

In addition to Larson’s 15 points, McCue recorded 10, while Brown and Reid had eight each. Miami finished the game shooting 39.1 percent (18-for-46), while holding Drexel to a 37.9 percent (22-for-58) shooting percentage. The RedHawks held a 40-30 rebounding advantage over the Dragons, but were hurt by 23 turnovers. Drexel was led by Rachel Pearson, who finished with 25 points.

Miami completes play the Cavalier Classic when it takes on Davidson on Monday at 4:30 p.m. Tim Bray has the call and it can be heard live on Miami All-Access for those who have a subscription.