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[Sports]
Schroll, Breidinger make mark
women’s basketball
Guevara calls win ‘not pretty’
Seven CMU track athletes win individual events By Josh Berenter Staff Reporter
CMU limits Ohio’s Poff to eight points By Aaron McMann Staff Reporter
It was not pretty, coach Sue Guevara said afterward, but the CMU women’s basketball team found a way to win Saturday. Instead of the run-and-gun style of play CMU prefers, its 59-56 win against Ohio was one that required the team to battle until the end and grind out a win. Ohio’s defense helped set the tempo, forcing 12 turnovers and limiting CMU to 20 shot attempts in the first half. “They came out really aggressive and we were kind of complacent in the zone (defense),” junior forward Kaihla Szunko said. “We weren’t cutting hard in places and getting open.” Once CMU found itself behind by double-digits with six minutes to play in the half, the team went on a 10-0 run to tie the game while holding Sue Guevara the Bobcats to 0-for-6 shooting and two turnovers. Senior sparks For the second consecutive game, senior guard Kendra Holman helped spark the team’s comeback efforts, scoring on two consecutive possessions to cut OU’s lead to two points. “She gives us some energy, can push the ball and, defensively, has been doing a pretty nice job since we’ve been
Matthew Stephens/Senior photographer
Senior guard Kendra Holman scored 10 points off the bench Saturday at Rose Arena.
mixing up our defenses,” Guevara said. The game was a back-andforth affair — there were six lead changes and seven ties — that came down to several plays made by Holman and fellow senior guard Heidi Warczinsky. A 3-point field goal from Holman with 4:18 remaining in the game put CMU up 51-46, its largest lead of the game. Following a 7-0 Ohio run that gave the Bobcats a 5351 lead with 1:41 remaining, Warczinsky grabbed and laid in an air ball from 3-point range by junior forward Shonda Long. Warczinsky also helped seal the game for the Chippewas. While holding on to a 5554 lead with just more than a minute remaining, she took a charge that gave CMU the ball. On the next possession,
Warczinsky issued an assist to a cutting Szunko, who laid the ball in — a basket that proved to be the game-winner. “She brings that intensity and passion when she comes on the floor,” Guevara said. “She’s one our best interior passers.” Poff Prevention A big part of the CMU defensive effort was its ability to limit Ohio senior guard and leading scorer Jenny Poff (11 points per game) to eight points on 2-of-11 shooting. Poff, a native of St. Johns who had family and friends in attendance, was held scoreless in the first half. “Our kids did a good job of keying on her, knowing where she was and making it difficult (for her) to get shots off,” Guevara said. sports@cm-life.com
CMU 59, Ohio 56 - Final statistics Score by half Ohio Central Michigan
1 28 26
2 28 33
Total 56 59
Team totals
CMU
FG-FGA Field Goal % 3-Pt. FG-FGA 3-Point % FT-FTA Free Throw % Rebounds Blocks Assists Turnovers Fouls Steals
21-45 46.7 6-19 31.6 11-16 68.8 30 0 9 21 16 11
WOMEN | continued from 1B
at 53. After Ohio’s Kamille Buckner made one of two free throws, Long hit two free throws to put CMU back in front by one. On the next Ohio possession, Warczinsky drew an off-the-ball charge that led to a Szunko lay-up, putting CMU up by three
Central Michigan Life || Monday, Jan. 25, 2010 || 3B
Ohio
20-59 33.9 6-27 22.2 10-18 55.6 39 1 12 19 20 8
with 37 seconds remaining. “The team is finding a way to win down the stretch,” Guevara said. “Heidi is a very emotional player. She brings that intensity and that passion when she comes onto the floor.” With the victory, it also gives the team five wins in a row at Rose Arena, and the four-game winning streak is the longest by CMU since 2006-07. “We have our fans here
Game leaders Points
Jennifer Bushby (Ohio) G 16 points Kaihla Szunko (CMU) F 12 points Shonda Long (CMU) G 12 points Kendra Holman (CMU) G 10 points Britni Houghton (CMU) G 10 points Rebounds
Kamille Buckner (Ohio) F 10 rebounds Kaihla Szunko (CMU) F 8 rebounds
and we have the support on our back,” Szunko said. “Today wasn’t a pretty game and everyone knows that, but you know what? It’s a win.” The team now turns its attention to Kent State (4-2 MAC), who it plays Wednesday in Kent, Ohio. “It is a battle night in and night out. In our conference, you have to respect everyone, but you fear no one.” sports@cm-life.com
The CMU men’s and women’s track and field teams had seven event wins this weekend in the Simmons/Harvey Invitational at the University of Michigan. Several athletes won field events in the non-scoring meet Friday, followed by more of the same with the running events Saturday. “I’m very excited for the athletes that have been putting in the work,” said coach Willie Randolph. “They’re getting some results for the work that they have done since the fall.” Senior Marcus Breidinger won the pole vault competition, clearing a career-best 17 feet, 4.5 inches. “He’s been working really hard, and I’m excited for that young man,” Randolph said. “He’s definitely one of our team captains.” Breidinger’s jump earned him an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Another winner for the men was freshman Kevin
Bacon, who won the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 7.5 inches. Bacon, who started training as a hurdler, has Marcus Breidinger competed in multiple events this indoor season. Sophomore David Ashcraft won his first event of the season in the 400-meter dash with a season-best 50.23 seconds. He had a fourth-place finish last week at Eastern Michigan. “David is our top returning 400-meter runner,” Randolph said. Women’s team Senior Erika Schroll won the high jump competition for the second consecutive
week, clearing 5 feet, 9.75 inches. “She’s been really consistent. We need to start calling her Miss Consistency,” Randolph said. Other winners for the women were senior Tanisha Johnson, who took the triple jump competition with a 39-feet, 4-inch leap, and senior Charity Sunderman, who won the weight throw with a distance of 56 feet, 4.75 inches. Junior Danielle Dakroub won the 800-meter race for the women with a time of 2 minutes, 15 seconds. CMU will host the Chippewa Open next weekend at the Jack Skoog Track in the Indoor Athletic Complex. Randolph said there are a lot of things he is looking forward to. sports@cm-life.com