MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (Interstat) — In a game defined by its frantic final seconds, the Central Michigan women’s basketball team survived a fierce in-state challenge from Western Michigan, securing a 70-67 victory in a Mid-American Conference contest Saturday at McGuirk Arena.

The Chippewas, who led for only 10 minutes and 28 seconds of game time, completed a regular-season sweep of their rivals by executing in the final minute and overcoming a 22-point first-quarter outburst from the visiting Broncos. A crowd of 1,616 watched as the teams traded the lead 12 times in a contest that was not decided until the final possession.

Western Michigan, which fell to 7-16 overall, started with blistering efficiency, hitting four of its first five 3-point attempts. Guard Kailey Starks of Evanston, Illinois, and Spanish guard Nile Muguira Orbe connected from deep to fuel a 22-point first quarter, giving the Broncos a 10-point lead.

Central Michigan, now 16-8, spent the rest of the game methodically chipping away. The Chippewas tightened their defense in the second quarter, holding Western Michigan to 11 points, and took their first lead at 25-23 on a layup by Madi Morson with 4:39 left in the first half. The home team carried a 30-33 advantage into halftime.

The third quarter saw the Chippewas extend their lead to as many as nine points, powered by Morson, a guard from Canton, Michigan, who finished with a game-high 25 points. But the Broncos refused to fade. Guard Alli Carlson of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who led Western Michigan with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes, hit a 3-pointer late in the third to keep the deficit manageable at 51-47.

The fourth quarter became a tense back-and-forth affair. With 1:10 remaining, Central Michigan’s Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, a forward from Lexington, Kentucky, scored inside to put her team ahead 66-62. Western Michigan answered immediately, as forward D’Myjah Bolds of O’Fallon, Illinois, converted a three-point play to cut the lead to one with 54 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Central Michigan’s Morson was fouled and made both free throws with 40 seconds remaining, pushing the lead back to 68-65. The sequence set the stage for the game’s decisive and controversial final 22 seconds.

After a timeout, Western Michigan designed a play for Muguira Orbe, who drove to the basket but had her layup attempt blocked by Central Michigan’s Demetria Prewitt of Madison, Wisconsin. The Broncos retained possession, and Starks missed a follow-up layup. Central Michigan secured the rebound and called timeout with 23 seconds left.

The critical moment came when Western Michigan’s Muguira Orbe fouled Central Michigan guard Rylan Buschell, sending her to the line for two shots with 22 seconds on the clock. Buschell, who had not attempted a free throw all game, calmly sank both, extending the Central Michigan lead to 70-65.

Western Michigan had one last chance. Carlson grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Starks with five seconds left and scored a quick putback to make it 70-67. The Broncos immediately fouled, but only 0.9 seconds remained. Central Michigan’s inbound pass was deflected and time expired, sealing the Chippewas’ victory.

Beyond Morson’s scoring, Central Michigan received 14 points from Darrington and a pivotal all-around performance from Taylor Anderson of South Lyon, Michigan, who tallied seven points, eight rebounds and five assists. Prewitt added nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks, including the crucial late rejection.

For Western Michigan, Starks finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double. Muguira Orbe scored 13 points, and De’Ahna Richardson of Bolingbrook, Illinois, contributed nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block.

The game’s most important part was undoubtedly the final minute, where Central Michigan’s composure at the free-throw line and a key defensive stop proved the difference. The Chippewas, who were projected as heavy favorites by advanced metrics, were pushed to the limit by a Broncos team seeking revenge for a 20-point loss just three weeks prior. The victory keeps Central Michigan in the upper tier of the MAC standings, while Western Michigan’s late-game execution fell just short in a contest that featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes.