Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich.– The Western Michigan women's basketball team (11-15, 4-8 MAC) rolled over Central Michigan (10-15, 2-10 MAC), 80-66, Wednesday night at University Arena for the program's 500th all-time win and head coach Ron Stewart's 100th-career MAC win. Senior Carrie Moore scored 29 points and recorded 11 field goals to break the all-time career points and field goals records.
“It's a relief to have it (breaking the record) over with,” Moore said. “I tried not to think about it, but it's hard not to. Coach has done a really good job not putting pressure on me and we haven't really talked about it that much. He has just let it come to me. It feels good.”
Moore used a power dribble to the basket off a Nicole Watkins entry pass to become the school's all-time leading scorer with 12:25 left in the game. The lay up pushed Moore past former teammate Casey Rost, who had established the record of 2,061 a year ago. It was Moore's ninth bucket of the game, also breaking the career field goals made record of 700 set by former WMU standout and coach Pat Charity more than 25 years ago.
“For Carrie to break Casey Rost's record is unbelievable, and we still have four-plus games to play,” Stewart said. “She studies things, she works hard at it. She is letting the game come to her more now than she has in the past few weeks, and it is a pretty thing.”
The win marked WMU's first victory over a West Division opponent this season, and the Broncos' second straight-MAC win, a first for 2006-07.
Moore got a little help from her friends, in particular from sophomore point guard and high school teammate Tiera DeLaHoussaye. DeLaHoussaye paced the Bronco attack, dishing out 14 assists, a career-high and the third-best single-game effort in WMU history. The number also set a conference high for the season.
Lindsey Brown chipped in 19 points, and after hitting four threes a game ago, freshman Molly Dwyer continued her hot shooting, going 3-for-3 from deep for nine points.
Moore sparked the offense with 12 of the Broncos' first 22 points in the opening 10 minutes, en route to a 22-9 WMU lead. Central Michigan fought back with 10 straight points, but Sara Vest sank a jumper, setting off an 8-0 Bronco run. The Brown and Gold went on to hold a 10-point lead at intermission, 38-28.
CMU hit a three-pointer to open the second half, and cut the lead to seven, 38-31, but WMU rattled off 10 unanswered points, and the Chippewas would not get any closer. The Broncos built as much as a 22-point second-half advantage. The 14-point victory improved the Broncos' home record to 8-3.
Sharonda Hurd led the Chippewas with 21 points and seven rebounds. The Broncos held CMU's starting post players to just four points on the evening.
Western Michigan will look to make it three in-a-row, taking on Ball State this Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m., at University Arena. The game will be televised live on Comcast Local.
“This team right now is ready to play,” Stewart said. “The practices are better, they have to understand we can't let up.”
