RebKell's Junkie Boards

[mzonefan]

CMU committed just 6 turnovers in their game. Very impressive - especially considering their youth. CMU faces EMU at approximately 2:20 today. The Chippewas took both over the Eagles this season, 66-65 and 78-70.

[Joe Foss]

The other semifinal game today starts at noon, and has #5 Akron vs. #8 Buffalo. Akron swept the regular season series 2-0.

Both of today's games are supposed to be carried on ESPN3. The quarterfinal games were supposed to be ESPN3 games too, but as it turned out none of them were. Let's hope for better work from the MAC today.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[Joe Foss]

Buffalo punches its ticket to the finals by defeating Akron 88-87. That was a fun one to watch, between unwelcome interruptions at work.

And it is being reported that Kent State has severed ties with head coach Danielle O'Banion.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[Joe Foss]

Central Michigan came up with a big second half to run away from Eastern Michigan 86-71. The threes were really falling today for the Chips, particularly from Cassie Breen. Reyna Frost missed the game with what head coach Sue Guevara said was an ankle injury, but may be able to play tomorrow.

Final tomorrow starts at 1:00 P.M., and is an ESPN3 game. Buffalo won the only meeting in the regular season, 67-61.

The Bulls really showed a lot of depth today, especially after their PG Stephanie Reid fouled out just three minutes into the second half. She picked up her fourth foul on a reach-in, immediately followed by her fifth when she said something in Australian. Freshman Gabe Bade stepped in and really played well at the point. That depth may serve Buffalo well tomorrow, playing in their fourth game in six days.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[shadowboxer]

The no#12 seed in the MAC men's bb tourney won the MAC Tournament. Our newspaper talks about the outcomes as reflection of parity in the MAC.
Another take is that the Cleveland arena is an NBA arena, with smaller nets, etc...which initially takes adjustments for teams.

Would still like to see at least the Women's MAC back in Toledo, at our new downtown arena, but politics will never allow an option which would ensure packed games for all the MAC team games.

Besides, they love to fill the WNIT with MAC teams.

Personally, I am preparing myself for the eventual movement of all mid majors to only the WNIT option, or something similar. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but with not only the 5 major conferences monopoly, but the radically changing media dispersion with the massive streaming options, not sure where mid majors may eventually land.

[mzonefan]

[Joe Foss]

Buffalo earns its first trip ever to the NCAA tournament with a 73-71 OT win over Central Michigan!

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[Joe Foss]

6 teams from the MAC will enter post-season play. Although I'm sure Buffalo would have preferred to play at Syracuse, I didn't think their assignment to Columbus to play Ohio State was all that bad. It's close enough to draw some fans from Buffalo, and Ohio State stumbled due to injuries down the stretch. I think the Bulls have a puncher's chance there.

Five teams made the WNIT. A surprising omission was Toledo, the league's #4 seed, who has drawn well in the WNIT in past years. Three home games - Ohio hosts Marshall; Akron hosts Bucknell; and Central Michigan hosts IUPUI. Ball State goes to Iowa, and Eastern Michigan travels to California to play St. Mary's.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[Joe Foss]

The MAC is 2-2 so far in post-season play, with EMU set to play tonight in California against St. Mary's.

Ohio 76, Marshall 68
IUPUI 63, CMU 55
Bucknell 74, Akron 70
Ball State 77, Iowa 72

Intense game in Athens tonight, as they usually are against former MAC member Marshall, which is less than a two hour drive away. Good crowd of about (my guess) 1200, with about a third of it from Marshall. I was worried that the Bobcats would suffer a hangover from their early exit from the MAC tournament, but they came out engaged and energetic, as did Marshall. Ohio ran out to a 14 point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Marshall slowed them down by switching to a 3-2 zone and starting hitting their shots to even things up. It stayed pretty even until midway through the third quarter, when Kiyanna Black started hitting threes that barely moved the strings, and Ohio jumped out to a double digit lead. They managed to hold on with good free throw shooting as Black finished with 32. Kelly Karlis was big off the bench with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Marshall was led by Leah Scott (transfer from CMU) with 17 and 6. Ohio gets another home game on Sunday -- this time against Virginia Tech.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[BallState1984]

Ball State took out Iowa 77-72. They were up by 16 at one point, but a sense of urgency by the Hawks in the 4th and foul trouble on Hosea, Frazier and Monaco cut the lead to two. Cards get Saint Louis and I hope it is a home game. I am giving a LOT of thought to making the drive to Missouri and getting credentials if it does not work out that way.

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Terminally afffected with Our Girl Syndrome and proud of it!

[mzonefan]

I watched the second half of Central's game online and wondered if the loss to Buffalo in the last three seconds of the MAC final killed their mojo. No energy on the bench, couldn't hit their shots and just looked out of sync.

The play by play in the EMU game shows St Mary's took the lead at :14 and then EMU got three shots off in the last :08(!) with the winner finally going in for Chanise Baldwin with :01 on the clock.

[shadowboxer]

Congrats to OU and Ball St! Will continue watching your competitive representation of the MAC! Didn't mean to leave out EMU, just caught results!

[Joe Foss]

Final Ohio 64, Virginia Tech 57. Nothing like having a P5 team come to town to put a little edge in the crowd, and the 1131 that showed today got their teeth into this game. Ohio led wire to wire, but it wasn't three-pointers that got them the win -- the Bobcats only hit five of them today. It was instead the ability to blow past Hokie defenders on the drive by Quiera Lampkins (23 points) and Yamonie Jenkins (10), combined with a solid defensive effort led by Jasmine Weatherspoon, who had 11 boards. Ohio fended off a couple of Va. Tech runs and had a 14 point lead after three quarters. They managed to bleed the clock in the fourth and hit enough shots to take the win.

This one may have come at a cost, as Kiyanna Black twice injured her shoulder, and did not return after the second one. It's anybody's guess at this point as to her availability for the next game.

As of today, the MAC is 4-4 in postseason play, with Ohio and Ball State still alive. Buffalo lost on Friday to Ohio State in the NCAA tournament (88-69), and EMU lost to TCU last night in the WNIT (85-81). Ohio plays in the WNIT Sweet Sixteen at Temple on Thursday, and Ball State plays its second round game tomorrow at St. Louis.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[shadowboxer]

Congrats on moving on to third round, OU!

Sorry about Ball St's loss to St. Louis last night, BST84.

Have been adding MAC WNIT updates on twitter, periodically.

[Joe Foss]

Ohio lost to Temple tonight in the WNIT, 75-61. Temple was clearly the better team. Owls players were bigger, faster and stronger than the Bobcats, and played with a relentless intensity that should set the standard for Ohio's players to follow. Ohio was behind by 16 in the first quarter, and made several runs to close the gap, but Temple kept them at arm's length the rest of the way.

Good game for Quiera Lampkins, who scored 20 points by getting to the rim against a tough defense. But Ohio could not overcome a 3 for 21 shooting night from three. Kiyanna Black played hurt, but missed on all five of her three-point attempts.

The MAC finishes the post-season at 4-6.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[shadowboxer]

They really gave it a run for the money, Joe. So proud of what they did accomplish to keep moving the MAC in the right direction. It will always be difficult in terms of recruiting for us to secure "the bigger, faster, stronger" players. You are correct, however, that bringing "a relentless intensity that should set the standard" will enable not just OH, but all MAC teams to compete at a consistently higher level.