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MAC Bandwagon Podcast, ep. 78: CMU wins in El Paso, and conference play heats up on the hardwood

Central Michigan earned a victory in the Sun Bowl under unprecedented circumstances. In hoops, we’re starting to separate the pretenders from the contenders as conference play gets into full swing

Illustration: James H. Jimenez; photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons, James H. Jimenez, Kenneth Bailey

Happy Friday folks! We hope your first week of 2022 was a good one. It was a busy week in the MAC, so we have a lot to cover!

To open up the show this week, Zach and Vannzee look back at Central Michigan’s 24-21 victory over Washington State in the Sun Bowl. The circumstances were unprecedented, with both teams scrambling to find an opponent after COVID issues forced Boise State and Miami (FL) to forego their bowl invitations. After this match up was thrown together with about 72 hours notice, the Chippewas used a strong first half performance to earn their first bowl victory since 2012.

In men’s hoops this week, the boys were both impressed with Ohio. The Bobcats have started 2-0 in MAC play, both wins being on the road, and have won six in a row overall. A key matchup awaits this weekend as Kent State visits Athens. Elsewhere, Northern Illinois finally gets to play its first conference game of the year after a COVID pause, and the three Michigan schools all look to earn victories this week over their in-state rivals.

In women’s hoops, it’s been a surprising start to conference play. After knocking off Penn State and UCLA in non-conference play, Kent State came into the MAC schedule full of confidence. The Golden Flashes have promptly lost their first three conference games. Dyaisha Fair continues to put up incredible numbers for Buffalo, leading the Bulls to an 82-66 victory over Bowling Green on Wednesday night with a 40 point performance.

As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Football may be over, but conference play is in full swing on the hardwood. We’re in for a fun few months! Have a great weekend folks, and we’ll see you back here next Friday.