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Bowling Green, Miami Routs Set Up Crucial Showdown Thursday

The two remaining undefeateds in MAC womens basketball are BGSU and Miami, sitting atop the MAC East at 4-0. The divisional neighbors have to play each other at some point. That point is Thursday.

They both went on the road and won by 20. BGSU took care of Buffalo 79-59 while Miami dispatched rival OHIO 67-47. Neither team had a player score more than 20 points, but that just demonstrates the depth of either team. Although do be on the lookout for that: remember Miami's Courtney Osborn went for 48 points earlier this year.

I'm not going to blather on touting this as a women's basketball MAC Game of the Century. It isn't. But for those connoisseurs looking for one of your better MAC games, it's not going to get much better than this.

I wasn't even so sure BGSU was going to be a favorite this year given all the personnel turnover and especially after their 0-2 start. But since then they've won 14 of their last 15 games, the exception being a two-point loss to Creighton.

Then there's Miami, picked second in the MAC East in the preseason. They're not exactly flying under the radar but it does seem like they're playing a bit better right now. They're not only riding a 10-game winning streak but a seven-game streak of winning by double digits. Even in their overtime win over Akron (Osborn's 48-point game), they outscored the Zips by 10. Not since their first two games have MU been held under 60 points in a game.

And this is where you go with the whole immovable object/irresistible force allegory. BG's last 10 opponents have all been held under 10 points. Their 54.4 points allowed per game is 33rd in the country and their 0.76 points allowed per possession is 29th.

As for Miami, the scoring is more than just Osborn (who also leads the MAC in assists per game). Kirsten Olowinski averages 11.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, one of 28 women who average a double-double and the only MAC player.

But obviously they're both very good at scoring, playing smart and holding the opposition. It's why they're one-two in the MAC right now. We'll find out which order that is Thursday in Oxford.