TWO EARN BYES TO CLEVELAND:
Western Michigan and Kent claimed two of the three byes to quarterfinal
action at Public Hall in Cleveland after each team won over the weekend.
The Broncos wrapped up the first spot with a 78-64 win over Ball State on Saturday,
which also gave WMU at least a share of the regular season title in the West Division.
Western Michigan, though, is guaranteed of at least a No. 1 or No. 2 seed because it swept
Toledo during the regular season and can wrap up the division title with a win at Miami
Monday. Kent, meanwhile earned its bye with a 66-61 victory at Northern Illinois on Sunday.
The Golden Flashes' magic number for the East title is two and they can clinch the title
with a win on Thursday against Miami.
MAC TV GAME OF THE WEEK:
Western Michigan travels to Northern Illinois on Saturday for the league's
television game of the week. Bill Needle (play-by-play) and former Ohio head coach
Amy Prichard (analyst) will call the action from Evans Fieldhouse for the 6:05 p.m.
(EST) game, which can be seen live on Fox Sports Net Ohio, Fox Sports Net Chicago and
WMU EduCable.
THAT'S THE TICKET:
Tickets for the 2000 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament
March 2-4 at Public Hall are now on sale and can be purchased by contacting
Ticketmaster at (216) 241-5555. Prices for an all-session ticket (good for all seven games)
are $30 for adults and $20 for students 18 and under and for seniors 55 and older for reserved
seats, while general admission seats are $25 for adults and $15 for students/seniors. Single
session tickets begin at $5 for general admission and $6 for reserved seats. To purchase
tickets for a specific school section, please contact that institution's ticket office.
THE NON-CONFERENCE LOOK:
The Mid-American Conference completed the regular season with a 62-75 non-conference
record, which translates into a .453 winning percentage. That mark also includes a 1-8
record against nationally-ranked opponents. Last year, the MAC's record in non-conference
play was 59-66 (.472).
A LOOK AT THE RPI:
In the weekly installment of the College Basketball News Women's RPI Report
(through games of Feb. 13), the Mid-American Conference was ranked No. 17 among the 31
Division I conferences and is also ranked No. 16 according to the Women's Basketball Coaches
Association. The MAC had five schools in the top-150 in both RPI reports.
School CBN WBCA
Kent 45 45
Western Michigan 87 89
Buffalo 117 122
Miami 134 135
Toledo 143 144
A LOOK AT THE TOURNAMENT:
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, there is still a large element of
the unknown in the air as schools position themselves for the tournament. Two of the
three available first-round byes have been solidified by Kent and Western Michigan, while
the others attempt to solidify either the final bye or host a game on Feb. 28. Below is a
look at the conference record of each school and where they rank as of Feb. 14.
School W-L Games Left
Kent 11-1 4 (2H, 2A)
Western Michigan 11-1 4 (1H, 3A)
Miami 7-4 5 (3H, 2A)
Toledo 7-5 4 (2H, 2A)
Buffalo 7-6 3 (2H, 1A)
Ball State 6-6 4 (3H, 1A)
Eastern Michigan 6-7 3 (1H, 2A)
Akron 5-7 4 (3H, 1A)
Central Michigan 5-7 4 (2H, 2A)
Ohio 5-7 4 (2H, 2A)
Bowling Green 4-8 4 (2H, 2A)
Northern Illinois 4-8 4 (2H, 2A)
Marshall 1-12 3 (0H, 3A)
WHAT A YEAR FOR THE ROOKIE:
Western Michigan freshman center Kristin Koetsier is having a rookie campaign
most people only dream of. Koetsier leads the league in scoring (20.2), is third in
rebounding (9.5), field goal percentage (.559) and blocked shots (1.35) and fourth in
free throw percentage (.815). In addition, she also leads the MAC in double-doubles (11)
and defensive rebounds (6.87), and has been named the offensive player of the week twice
and the defensive player of the week three times. She is also vying to become the first-ever
freshman to lead the league in scoring.
KENT'S STREAK ON THE LINE:
Kent will attempt to extend its school-record 29-game home winning streak this week as
the Golden Flashes entertain Miami on Thursday. Kent owns the second-longest winning streak
in Division I, trailing Grambling's 64 straight. The Golden Flashes' current streak is also
the second-longest in MAC history, behind Toledo's 31.
TWO MORE REACH 1,000 POINTS:
Add two more players to the growing list in the conference of players who reached
the 1,000 point barrier in their careers, as Buffalo's Tiffany Bell and Akron's Abby Hoy
joined four other active players to accomplish the feat. Bell and Hoy join Akron's Cheryl
Bowles and Central Michigan's Shelly Woods, who both reached the plateau earlier this season,
and Western Michigan's Shelsea Erving and Kent's Dawn Zerman, who topped the barrier last year.
Two others should join the group this week as Miami's Jamie Stewart is four points shy of
becoming the 12th player in RedHawk history to accomplish the feat, while Western Michigan's
Danielle Mueller is 16 short.
BRONCOS END UT STREAKS:
The Broncos ended some impressive streaks with their 77-70 win at Toledo Feb. 9.
Western Michigan ended a 12-year winless drought at Savage Hall, posting their
first triumph there since 1988. WMU also completed its first season sweep of the Rockets
since the 1987-88 campaign. The Broncos also ended Toledo's 19-game MAC home winning streak
with the victory.
GLOVER HANDS AKRON WINS:
Akron senior Erica Glover was a key part in the Zips picking up two critical wins
over Buffalo and Central Michigan. Glover had a career-high 23 points as Akron defeated
the Bulls on the road, then followed that with 21 points and five steals versus the Chippewas.
The Zips have won four of their last five contests and remain in the hunt to host a first round
contest.
BOWIE IS A STAT-SHEET STUFFER:
Ball State freshman Tamara Bowie registered her fourth straight double figure scoring
performance with 23 points at Western Michigan Saturday. She scored 19 points and grabbed
a career-high 16 rebounds - including 10 boards in the first half - in BSU's 70-53 win at
Marshall (Feb. 9). In her last four games, Bowie is averaging 17.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and
2.5 blocks.
ZERMAN IN SELECT COMPANY:
Senior Dawn Zerman collected her 1,500th career point in Kent's 74-72 loss at Miami
Feb. 2. By reaching that milestone she became the first player in Kent history and the
second MAC player ever to have 1,500 career points, 400 career assists and 250 career steals.
The only other player to accomplish this feat was two-time MAC Player of the Year Kim Knuth
(2,509 points, 484 assists and 368 steals) from Toledo.
MASKA IS BACK FOR EMU:
After going through a up-and-down season, Eastern Michigan junior guard Kristy
Maska has helped spark the Eagles late in the season. In the last five games, Maska has
averaged 18.6 points and hit over 38 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. She posted
a season-high 25 points at Central Michigan and has been in double digits in each of the last
five games.
EMU AIRS IT OUT VERSUS BG:
Eastern Michigan went 16-for-39 from beyond the three-point arc against Bowling
Green on Saturday and became the third school this season to tie the league record for
treys made in a game. The 39 attempts also set a MAC record for shots in a league contest.
Both are attempts and makes are new school records, while Stephanie Smiley and Kristy Maska
each tied the school record for three-pointers made in a game with six. Smiley posted new
career-bests with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
BG'S ALL-CENTURY TEAM NAMED:
At halftime of its game with Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Bowling Green announced
its all-century team following a ballot which appeared in the Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune.
Named to the first team were Jackie Motycka, Chris Tuttle, Megan McGuire, Sara Puthoff and
Paulette Backstrom. The second team consisted of Lori Albers, Angie Bonner, Susie Cassell,
Sue Pokelsek and current head coach Dee Knoblauch.
TRIO LEADS UT IN MAC PLAY:
Junior Kahli Carter, senior Adriane Bryant and sophomore Courtney Risinger have
been Toledo's offensive leaders during league play. The trio combined for 57 of UT's 69
points in a 69-68 overtime win at Buffalo. The trio - Carter (12.8), Bryant (11.6) and
Risinger (10.9) - are the only UT players averaging in double figures and are also the
only Rockets shooting 40 percent or better from the field.
CMU DUO DRAINING TREYS:
Central Michigan has the top three-point tandem in Jodi Culbertson and Molli Munz.
Culbertson, who set the CMU record for three-pointers in a season three weeks ago, has 60
to date and is second in the league, while Munz is right behind her teammate with 56.
KENT SETS RECORD IN WIN:
Kent enjoyed a record-setting night shooting the basketball as the Golden Flashes
defeated Central Michigan last Thursday, 94-55. The Flashes shot 64.9 percent (37-of-57)
overall, the second-highest single-game percentage in Kent history behind a 68.6 percent
(35-of-51) effort against Morehead State Nov. 22, 1980. It was also the second-highest
percentage involving a MAC team this year. In addition, the Flashes set a new school
standard with a 61.5 percent (8-of-13) shooting night from three-point range.
HAMILTON NEARING TOP FIVE:
Miami senior AuBree Hamilton enters this week's action needing one blocked shot
to enter the top five in league history. Hamilton, who swatted nine shots in her last
three games, has 122 blocked shots in her career, which also ranks her second all-time
in Miami history. Former Western Michigan player Melissa O'Mara presently sits fifth
with 123, while Miami record holder Amy Franz is fourth with 131.
BULLISH ON THE ROAD:
One of the league's surprise teams this year, Buffalo, has produced wins the hard
way, on the road. The Bulls became the first MAC school to record five league wins on the
road, and are one of three teams to have five road wins in conference play (Kent and Western
Michigan are the others). Buffalo, which is 5-2 in MAC play away from home, is 10-2 overall
on the road. Buffalo finishes the regular season with two of its last three games at home,
where the Bulls are 6-4. Its lone remaining road game is a date at Kent on Feb. 23.
PRESEASON POLL REVISITED:
Below is a comparison of the league's preseason poll, which was released back in
October, in relation to where the teams stand following games this past weekend.
East Division Pick +/-
Kent 1st even
Miami 3rd +1
Buffalo 5th +2
Ohio 6th +2
Akron 3rd -1
Bowling Green 4th -2
Marshall 7th even
West Division Pick +/-
Western Michigan 2nd +1
Toledo 1st -1
Ball State 6th +3
Eastern Michigan 3rd -1
Central Michigan 5th +1
Northern Illinois 4th -2
FEELING THE FEBRUARY BLUES:
Central Michigan is currently experiencing the February Blues after a rosy month
of January. The Chippewas were 6-3 last month but have yet to win a game in three tries
in February. CMU is coming off a stretch of four straight games facing a preseason all-MAC
player, which included playing divisional leaders Kent and Western Michigan in back-to-back
games.
NEGRELLI HELPS OU TO WINS:
Jacquie Negrelli helped the Bobcats win two games last week and move up in the
MAC standings. Against second-place Miami, she came of the bench and scored a career-high
32 points and added a career-high seven rebounds in an 87-68 blowout win. The 32 points
were the most by a Bobcat since the 1997-98 season when Marlene Stollings did it. She
also added four assists and three steals in the game and made a career-best 12-of-15
field goals. At Marshall, she scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out
six assists in a 79-68 win.
FALCONS LONG RANGE TACTICS:
Entering the week, Bowling Green is averaging 9.18 treys a game, which leads
the MAC and is also tops in the country. The Falcons are also chasing the national record,
which is 9.19 set by South Carolina in the 1993-94 season. In their last four games, the
Falcons have hit 46 treys, an average of 11.5 per game. Included in that was 15 against
Northern Illinois, which was a part of the Falcons' 86-50 win over the Huskies, the team's
largest margin of victory since a 76-38 win over Youngstown State in 1993.
REED SHINES FOR HERD:
Marshall freshman center Amy Reed showed flashes of things to come this week,
averaging a season-best 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Reed collected her first
double-double of the season versus Ball State, hitting for 20 points and grabbing 11 boards,
both career highs. She continued her strong inside play versus Ohio, scoring a team-best 15
points and getting eight rebounds. Reed shot 68.1 percent (15-of-22) from the floor in the
two games.