RENO, Nev. - Losing their final game of the Nugget Classic in Reno, Nev. on Dec. 1 to the Central Michigan University Chippewas 70-61, the Southern Utah University women's basketball team drops to 1-8 on the season. CMU jumps to 2-5 after beating the Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds this weekend.
Head Coach Tracy Mason Said:
"I thought we started the game better than we have been. We need to shoot the ball better and string more possessions together. We have some freshmen doing some good things for us and getting some really good experience."
Top T-Birds
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Jaeden Brown pieced together a double-double, scoring 15 points and bringing down 13 rebounds.
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Sydney Gandy poured in a team-high 16 points and five assists, while Daylani Ballena added 13 points.
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The Thunderbirds shot a perfect nine of nine from the charity stripe.
Game Recap
First Half
SUU started the game strong, with a triple from Ballena kicking off the first quarter. A spread attack led by Gandy and Ballena continued to see success through the period, putting the Thunderbirds up 17-11.
The Chippewas came barging back to open the second on an 11-0 run, but back-to-back Thunderbird threes stalled the momentum and evened out the game. After CMU began to pull away, Brown hit a three to draw the team within five, sending Central Michigan to the locker room up 33-28.
Second Half
Brown carried her momentum into the third, dominating the paint and scoring on three layups, but a strong Chippewa offense pushed the score further out of Southern Utah's favor in a 53-44 game.
SUU strengthened their offense in the fourth quarter, with Ballena and Brown continuing their strong outings. In the last five minutes of the game, freshman Denver Anderson strung together six points, but the Thunderbird effort wasn't enough as CMU closed out the game up 70-61.
Highlights
Up Next
The Thunderbirds won't play again until Saturday, Dec. 7, at 1:00 p.m., when they'll face the University of Colorado on the road. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Tickets
Season tickets, mini packages, and single-game tickets are now available! Get yours today by visiting tbirdtickets.com.
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