ESPN+. The toughest thing about this game is that you drive all the way up there on Tuesday and then after the game you get a shower and spend most of the night on the bus, then have to get up and go to class the next day. This is not a group which is familiar with how to do this and stay healthy and fresh and ready for another road game Saturday. How well can you sleep on a bus?
Miami is now 8-17 (5-9) and has gone 4-2 in February. Central is 5-19 ( 3-11) including a forfeit. They have not won a MAC game or come close since they beat us. All time the Chips lead 38-34.
They do lead the MAC in rebounds per game and outrebounded us badly the first time. They are not a good shooting team, but they shot well against us. Karrington Gordon, Tamara Ortiz, and Tiana Tempe were all hitting and combined for 45 points that night. They do have a 6-5 Sr Center in Rochelle Norris. Amber Tretter had a big night the first time, scoring 26 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Katey Richason did not play that night, but is back now. Once again, this is a must win to keep our chances of getting to Cleveland alive. If we play our game, we will win, but we must overcome the tough travel schedule.
You are so correct…that long trip sucks! Athletic Director Shrider had some serious beef with hotels in Mount Pleasant so he made the Miami teams go 30-45 minutes further north to a quaint Mom and Pop hotel just because he could and it was cheaper. A responsible adult college athlete must understand the importance in getting some sleep on the way there and back. A side note though, if our region does ever get high speed rail, can you imagine the positive impact on getting student athletes to some of the Ohio Valley schools faster?! But good ol’ Mount Pleasant…probably will have a rail system just so far and then rent a bus rest of the way.
Hockey kids def learn how to sleep on buses - whether in juniors or in college. My kid played at Hamilton College. His Freshman year they had just completed the two game road trip from Clinton, N.Y. to Waterville and Brunswick, Maine to play Colby and Bowdoin. That’s a 16 hour round trip. They had one more home game on Wednesday before the NESCAC championship series began the following weekend. A win or a tie and they hosted game one. Well, they lost the Wednesday game in OT and had to bus 7 hours right back to Bowdoin on Friday for a round one game. They stayed overnight, played the game on Saturday, lost a close one, and bused 7 hours right back home.
At the 5 and under TO it is Central Michigan 5 Miami 0. We have played 9 girls already and are 0 for 8. Tamara Ortiz has all 5 points for Central. Lakresha Edwards is playing after missing the last 11 games.
17-17 at the 5 and under TO. Refs are letting post players be physical and there are basically no points being scored inside. Tretter is 0 for 4 with 4 rebounds.
32 to 26 Central at the half as the Chips got really hot and are now 6 for 10 on threes. Wardell hit 3 in a row late in the half. Richason has 12, Luu-Brown 8 , Lard 4, and Jaydyn Scott 2. Central is winning the rebounding battle 23-16 and has also blocked 4 shots. Tretter and Scott have been totally stymied.
48-39 Central at the end of 3. It was up to 13. Brown hit 3 threes that quarter, 4 for the game. Chips are 9 for 16 on threes. Tretter has 4 points and 11 rebounds. Richason did not score in the third. Lard is up to 10 points.
We make a little run and it is 52-48 with 7 minutes to go, TO Chips. All of a sudden Tretter and Jaydyn Scott have come alive, plus Brown picked up her 4th foul for Central.