CMU women’s basketball ranked 20th in final poll

It was a season that will be remembered forever.

The 50th season of Central Michigan University women’s basketball proved to be one for the record books.

As it was the 2017-18 Chippewas opened the campaign as the favorites to win the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles. More often than not living up to such lofty preseason prognostications is a stretch, yet the Chippewas did exactly that over the course of the past five months as they won the MAC regular-season title by going 17-1. From there they won three-straight MAC Tournament games to clinch the tourney title.

CMU then went on a run in the NCAA Tournament as the 11th seed. The Chippewas beat sixth-seeded LSU 78-69 for the first NCAA Tournament win in program history and then crushed host Ohio State, which was seeded third and ranked 10th, by a final of 95-78 to advance to the Sweet 16. In the end they fell to second-seeded Oregon 83-69 to close the season out with a program-best record of 30-5.

On Monday the final notation to the best season in program history was filed away as the Chippewas finished the season ranked 20th nationally in the USA Today coaches poll.

This season-ending ranking is the best in program history.

“I appreciate the fact that the coaches recognized us, we have a pretty good program here,” said CMU head coach Sue Guevara, who was named ‘MAC Coach of the Year.’ “I haven’t slowed down too much yet to reflect on (the season), but to be in the top 20 is great recognition for our program and what we’ve done. We’re the highest ranked school in the state of Michigan.”

Additionally, CMU garnered the highest ranking of any mid-major school in the rankings, besting 21st-ranked Buffalo and 25th-ranked Florida Gulf Coast. Notre Dame finished the season ranked No. 1 while Mississippi State finished ranked No. 2.

The USA Today poll is voted on by 32 Division I head coaches.