by The Rockets came in 13-17 and a steep underdog as they took on the top seeded Central Michigan Chippewas. The overcame a small 39-35 halftime deficit to explode in the third to take a commanding lead, after a 15-0 run grasp firm control of the upset.
The Rockets had to stand tall, and avoid a furious late rally by the Chippewas to seal the deal and advance to the final four of the Women’s MAC Championship tournament with a 78-71 victory.
The Rockets did two things very well, and it helped them play a near perfect game for the big upset. They only turned the ball over 10 times, which is a season low. They also passed well, handing out 13 assists. It was smart and unselfish ball that helped them seal the win.
The Chippewas cut the lead to 73-70, but the Rockets nailed 5 fouls in the last 39 seconds to pull away for good and advance to Friday.
Leading the Rockets was Tanaya Beachman with 14 points and 7 boards while her teammate Nakiah Black with 13 points and 3 rebounds. Chipping in with a dozen points was Sara Rokkanen with 12 while Tatyana Davis and Quinesha Lockett had 11 each.
With five players reaching double digits, it was a total team effort from the Rockets to get the job done. Coming up big for Central Michigan in a losing effort was Kyra Bussell with 23 points and Micaela Kelley had 21.
The Rockets will now play Ohio who defeated Western Michigan 85-74.
