Hustle Belt - 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament: Follow The MACMAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2014-03-28T08:00:03-04:00http://www.hustlebelt.com/rss/stream/52831612014-03-28T08:00:03-04:002014-03-28T08:00:03-04:00BGSU Downs Michigan To Reach WNIT Quarterfinals
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<p>The Falcons used fantastic shooting to beat the Wolverines for the second time this season. They will now host a quarterfinal game against Rutgers on Monday night.</p> <p>The Bowling Green Falcons earned a spot in the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals with a 63-53 victory over the Michigan Wolverines on Thursday night at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. The victory is the second for BGSU against Michigan this season and extends their school record for home wins in one season to 16.</p>
<h5><a href="http://bgsufalcons.com/documents/2014/3/27/032714Michiganbox_pbp.pdf?id=4337">BOX SCORE</a></h5>
<h5><a href="http://www.womensnit.com/photos/bracket41.pdf">UPDATED WNIT BRACKET</a></h5>
<p>One of the significant aspects of this game was the contributions from two of BGSU's three seniors in comparison to their output during the second round. Against St. Bonaventure, Alexis Rogers and Jill Stein combined for just two points and seven rebounds, and the two points were not scored until the final two minutes of the game. Against Michigan, the pair fared far better.</p>
<p>Rogers played more than twice the minutes that she had in the previous game, and the Falcons were rewarded with 20 points and six rebounds. She made seven of her eight shots, including two 3-pointers, as well as all four of her free throws. Stein posted a double-double for the sixth time this season by scoring 10 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. She also gave out five assists.</p>
<p>The other important take-away from this victory was Bowling Green's clutch ability to shoot the ball. The team shot 48 percent during the first half, but that would be considered paltry compared to their second half performance. The Falcons attempted 18 shots in the second half and made 12 of them (66.7%). That includes four makes in seven tries beyond the arc. Overall, they put through 56 percent of their attempts and drilled nine 3-pointers.</p>
<p>Michigan and BGSU played ping-pong with the lead during the opening minutes of the game. There were four lead changes and five different ties, the last of which was 19-19 with 7:03 left in the half. To that point, neither team held more than a three-point lead.</p>
<p>From that point, however, the Falcons dominated the remainder of the period. Jasmine Matthews broke the final tie and gave BGSU the lead for good with a 3-pointer as the clock ticked towards the six-minute mark. One minute later, Michigan scored their final field goal of the half, but Alexis Rogers answered that with a 3-pointer of her own. After a basket by Matthews and a free throw from the Wolverines, Stein closed the half with a pair of layups for a 31-22 BGSU lead. Michigan missed their final seven shots of the half.</p>
<p>The Falcons turned up the half-court offense and bled the clock during the second half. That, coupled with their high-percentage shooting, kept Michigan from cutting into the Bowling Green lead despite the fact that Michigan shot 50% during the second half and created several second-chance opportunities.</p>
<p>The Wolverines made the opening bucket of the second half to pull within seven and were still within shouting distance, down 52-43, with seven minutes to go. At that point, BGSU finally put the game away with a 9-0 run fueled completely by the Falcons' contingent of seniors. The 61-43 lead held through the final three minutes, although Michigan cut it to 10 by the time the horn sounded.</p>
<p>The final score of this game (63-53) was nearly identical to that of the first meeting between these two teams on November 8th (63-52).</p>
<p>In addition to the heroics of Rogers and Stein, fellow senior Jillian Halfhill dropped in 18 points and sank four 3-pointers. Jasmine Matthews made a trio of treys to contribute 11 more points. For Michigan, Nicole Elmblad scored 15 and pulled down seven rebounds, while Cyesha Goree finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.</p>
<p>BGSU improves to 30-4 and will host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Monday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Rutgers is coached by C. Vivian Stringer, who owns over 900 career victories. They are 25-9 this season and went 12-6 during American Athletic Conference play. Four of those six losses were against either undefeated Connecticut or defending NCAA champion Louisville.</p>
<p>Michigan concludes their season with a 20-14 record.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/28/5556596/2014-womens-nit-bowling-green-advances-past-MichiganMatt Daley2014-03-25T09:18:09-04:002014-03-25T09:18:09-04:00Falcons Blow Past Bonnies To WNIT Third Round
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<p>The Falcons stormed to a huge lead in the first half then withstood a furious comeback by the Bonnies. BGSU advances to the third round of the WNIT for the second straight year.</p> <p>The Bowling Green Falcons advanced to the third round of the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament on Monday night with a 76-65 victory over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. Four Falcon players scored in double figures, as the team stormed to a huge first half lead then withstood a stirring comeback attempt in order to earn the victory.</p>
<h5><a href="http://bgsufalcons.com/documents/2014/3/24/032414StBonaventurebox_pbp.pdf?id=4324">BOX SCORE</a></h5>
<p>Bowling Green dominated the first half almost from the very start. Jillian Halfhill missed a 3-pointer on the opening possession, but Jasmine Matthews sank one after an Emily Michael turnover to give BGSU a 3-0 lead just 1:08 into the game. Matthews drilled another trey just over one minute later, and on the next possession, Erica Donovan put down a third.</p>
<p>Down 9-0, the Bonnies finally a small bit of offense going on baskets from Katie Healy and Nyla Rueter. They were able to climb to within 11-5, but that's as close as they would get. BGSU ripped off a 20-0 run an eight-minute span to claim a gigantic 31-5 lead. St. Bonaventure missed 13 straight field goals and three free throws during the stretch, and they turned the ball over an additional four times. Six different players scored for the Falcons, and Erica Donovan led the way with six of those 20 points.</p>
<p>Healy finally ended the run with a layup for St. Bonaventure, but Donovan scored four straight for Bowling Green to give the Falcons a 35-7 lead with just 3:42 remaining in the first half. That's where the Bonnies' comeback started. Hannah Little finally got on the scoreboard, and she took over the final few minutes of the half. Little scored four additional points, pulled down four rebounds and added a block. Her effort helped St. Bonaventure pull within 35-15, and the only point BGSU would score in the last 3:42 was on a split pair of free throws with 34 seconds left.</p>
<p>Donovan led the BGSU effort during the first half with 13 points, and it was important that she played well, because Alexis Rogers only played six minutes. Rogers picked up an uncharacteristic three fouls and scored no points.</p>
<p>St. Bonaventure opened the second half with five consecutive points to reduce their deficit to 16 points (36-20). However, Donovan and Halfhill answered a pair of 3-pointer, and the Falcons were able to keep the Bonnies from cutting into the lead further during the first 10 minutes of the second half. With eight minutes left, a score by Oney Harrison pulled SBU to within 13, but the Falcons answered again with back-to-back layups.</p>
<p>The Bonnies were down 17 and just 6:54 remained, but they weren't out of the game. They went on a 14-5 run, and that was capped by consecutive scores from Healy. SBU had somehow closed the gap to 65-57 with four minutes still on the clock. They missed on two chances to cut the lead even further, and Donovan finally ended the comeback bid with one last 3-pointer with 2:51 left. BGSU made six straight free throws during the final two minutes to seal the game, and Rogers scored her first (and only) points of the game on Bowling Green's last field goal of the night.</p>
<p>Bowling Green shot 41 percent from the floor but made nine 3-pointers and 17 free throws. Their defense held St. Bonaventure to only 21 percent in the first half. SBU rallied to make over half their shots in the final 20 minutes but finished the game 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. The Bonnies out-rebounded the Falcons 44-40 overall and 17-12 on offense, but they were out-scored 11-8 in second-chance points. BGSU committed only six turnovers and forced 10.</p>
<p>Donovan made seven of her 12 shots and led Bowling Green with 22 points. Miriam Justinger nearly posted a double-double in 33 minutes off the bench with 17 points and nine rebounds. Halfhill added a strong night with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. St. Bonaventure was led by Healy's 22 points, while Little posted a double-double by securing 17 points and 18 rebounds.</p>
<p>BGSU (29-4) is one of 16 remaining teams in the WNIT field. They advance to the third round, where they will play Michigan. The game against the Wolverines will be at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio at 7:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 27. If they advance to the quarterfinals, their opponent would be either Rutgers or Seton Hall.</p>
<p>St. Bonaventure ends their season with a 24-11 record.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/25/5545480/2014-womens-nit-bowling-green-soars-past-st-bonaventureMatt Daley2014-03-21T10:51:01-04:002014-03-21T10:51:01-04:00BGSU Advances In WNIT, Cards And Chips Lose
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<p>The Cardinals blew a lead on the road while the Chippewas dropped a home game for their third loss in a row. The Falcons found a way to win, though, and will continue to carry the flag for the MAC in the WNIT.</p> <p>Three Mid-American Conference teams earned entry into the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). All played on Thursday night, and two of them were at home. However, only one emerged victorious, and those Bowling Green Falcons will now be the MAC's sole representative in the tournament going forward. Below are brief recaps for each of the three games. Click on the links to retrieve box scores for each game.</p>
<h4><a href="http://bgsufalcons.com/documents/2014/3/20/032014HighPointbox_pbp.pdf?id=4312">BOWLING GREEN 72, High Point 62</a></h4>
<p>The Bowling Green Falcons overcame an early 10-point deficit to defeat the High Point Panthers 72-62 in the opening round of the WNIT in Bowling Green, Ohio on Thursday night. This is the third consecutive year in the tournament for BGSU and the second year in a row that they have advanced past the first round.</p>
<p>Miriam Justinger came off the bench to post the best game of her career for the Falcons. She scored a career-high 22 points in 33 minutes of action and added three rebounds, four assists and four steals. BGSU sank just three 3-pointers during the game, and Justinger owned them all. She was a total of 7-of-16 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the free throw line.</p>
<p>BGSU's starters also had very good nights. Alexis Rogers made five of her eight shots and all four of her free throws to earn 14 points, most among the Falcon starters. She pulled down nine rebounds and also contributed three assists and three steals. Erica Donovan and Jasmine Matthews complemented Rogers' effort with 11 and 10 points respectively. Jill Stein scored only six points, but she had her customary big night on the boards with 12 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive end. Stein also posted four rebounds, two blocks and a steal.</p>
<p>Bowling Green did not have a particularly hot shooting night, as they ended the game with a field goal percentage of 39.1. In fact, the Falcons were only 3-of-17 from beyond the arc, and the team was 0-of-10 outside of Justinger. However, they made their free throws (especially critical ones in the second half), created turnovers, and dominated on the inside. On the turnover front, BGSU forced 20 miscues by High Point, and those led to 27 points. On the boards, Bowling Green owned a 44-37 edge, including 18-11 on offense. They also outscored High Point 42-24 in the paint.</p>
<p>The first half was full of runs from both teams. High Point began the game by outscoring BGSU 14-4 during the first eight minutes, but the Falcons responded over the following seven minutes with a 19-8 run that gave BGSU its first lead of the game (23-22). The Panthers roared right back with nine straight points to reclaim an eight point lead (31-23) with 1:29 left in the half. However, a trey by Justinger sparked a strong finish for the Falcons, who scored 10 points in the final 70 seconds of the period. Bowling Green carried a 33-32 lead into halftime.</p>
<p>The first 11 minutes of the second half were much more back-and-forth than the first half was, and the two teams exchanged the lead four times and were tied on five occasions. Bowling Green briefly held a five-point lead just before the midpoint of the period, but otherwise, the margin was just one possession during those early minutes.</p>
<p>With the game tied at 52, Justinger and Matthews led Bowling Green on an 11-1 run that allowed the team to take control of the game. Matthews posted a pair of layups during the stretch and scored seven points, while Justinger added four. By the end of the run, BGSU held a 63-53 lead with just five minutes left. A pair of threes by High Point pulled them to within four with two minutes to go. However, the Falcons made five more free throws while the Panthers missed their final four shots, and BGSU emerged the winner.</p>
<p>Stacia Robertson led High Point (22-11) with 15 points and 13 rebounds.</p>
<p>Bowling Green (28-4) now advances to the second round, where they will face the either Charlotte or St. Bonaventure. The game between the 49ers and Bonnies is on Friday night, and after that game, the site, date and time of the second round contest will be determined.</p>
<h4><a href="http://www.cmuchippewas.com/pdf9/2662320.pdf?ATCLID=209439902&SPSID=46441&SPID=4211&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=10500">IU-PU-Indianapolis 72, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 66</a></h4>
<p>The Central Michigan Chippewas concluded their season with a 72-66 home loss to the IUPUI Jaguars on Thursday night in the opening round of the 2014 WNIT. The defeat ended an 11-game winning streak at home and extended the program's all-time postseason futility to 0-6.</p>
<p>CMU owned an early lead in the game, and although they gave that up after five minutes, the Chippewas remained basket-for-basket with IUPUI for several more. With nine minutes left in the first half, they trailed just 16-15. However, the Jaguars proceeded to go on a 14-0 run in less than three minutes, and Central Michigan could never completely recover from the 30-15 deficit.</p>
<p>The Chippewas were able to get the deficit down to 11 points by halftime, but IUPUI began the second half with a 12-2 run to build a game-best 19-point lead (51-32) with 13:36 left. CMU finally began to cut into the lead, but the process was very slow. The Jaguars still led by 10 as the clock ticked under five minutes, and Central Michigan could not get within two possessions until Kerby Tamm's 3-pointer made the score 70-64 with just 36 seconds left. After that, IUPUI split four free throws, and that was good enough to seal the win.</p>
<p>Central Michigan shot just 32.9 percent from the floor and even worse (27.6%) from beyond the arc. They sank eight triples, including five from Tamm, but needed 29 attempts to get there. They out-rebounded IUPUI 49-45 but allowed the Jaguars to shoot 43.8 percent overall and better than 54 percent in the second half.</p>
<p>Tamm finished the game with a team-best 15 points. Jas'Mine Bracey added 14 points along with 13 rebounds. Jessica Green scored 13, while Jewel Cotton contributed seven points and 11 rebounds off the bench. IUPUI's DeAirra Goss led all players with 19 points, and both Nevena Markovic and Akilah Sims earned double-doubles.</p>
<p>CMU ends their season with three consecutive losses and a 20-12 record. IUPUI is now 23-9 and will play Northwestern in the second round of the WNIT.</p>
<h4><a href="http://www.nusports.com/sports/w-baskbl/stats/2013-2014/032014.html">NORTHWESTERN 69, Ball State 65</a></h4>
<p>The Ball State Cardinals bowed out of the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament with a disappointing 69-65 loss against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Ill. during the first round of the 64-team tournament.</p>
<p>During the first half, the Cardinals jumped out to an early 9-5 lead before the Wildcats responded with a 14-0 run that gave them a 19-9 lead. Ball State helped that run along with seven straight missed shots and four turnovers, and Northwestern held their biggest lead of the game at that point. Undaunted, the Cardinals responded with a 27-10 burst over a 10-minute span. Brittany Carter and Shelbie Justice each drained a pair of 3-pointers, and Shelby Merder added another.</p>
<p>The run gave BSU their biggest-lead of the game, seven points, with 2:45 left in the half. They maintained that lead until NU's Lauren Douglas drilled a triple just before the buzzer to cut Ball State's lead to 38-34 at halftime.</p>
<p>The second half wasn't as back-and-forth, but the score was incredibly close throughout. Neither team held more than a five-point lead at any point during the game's final 20 minutes. Northwestern reclaimed the lead on a 3-pointer by Ashley Deary three minutes into the half, and although the score remained close, they controlled action for the remainder of the game. A three by Carter did give BSU a brief 61-60 lead with 4:30 remaining, but the Wildcats answered with a three from Maggie Lyon and would not give up the lead again.</p>
<p>For Ball State, the loss came down to an inability to make baskets during the second half. The team pulled down nine offensive rebounds and forced nine turnovers after halftime, and that led to a 35-22 advantage in shots taken. However, Northwestern led 14-8 in shots made. Yes -- Ball State took 13 more shots but made six fewer. While the Wildcats were making 63.6 percent of their shots in the second half (including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc), Ball State shot just 22.9 percent.</p>
<p>Carter led the Cardinals in the losing effort with 17 points. She made a trio of 3-pointers and added three rebounds, four assists and two steals. Justice converted four 3-pointers for 12 points, and she secured seven rebounds. Nathalie Fontaine provided 12 points and nine rebounds, but she made only three of her 17 attempted shots. Nia Coffey and Lauren Douglas led Northwestern with 17 points apiece.</p>
<p>The Cardinals conclude their season with an 18-17 record. Northwestern (16-15) advances to the second round of the WNIT and will face IUPUI in that game.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/bgsu/2014/3/21/5532898/2014-womens-national-invitation-tournament-bowling-green-advancesMatt Daley2014-03-18T10:01:44-04:002014-03-18T10:01:44-04:00Chippewas Begin WNIT At Home Versus IUPUI
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<p>The CMU Chippewas make a WNIT appearance for the third time in four years. Can they finally earn their first postseason tournament win?</p> <p>The Central Michigan Chippewas will play in a postseason game for the fourth consecutive season after receiving a bid to play in the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). It will be their third appearance in the event in the last four years (2011, 2012), interrupted only by last season's trip to the NCAA Women's Tournament.</p>
<p>CMU will host IUPUI on Thursday, March 20th at a time to be determined. Should they win their first-round game in the 64-team tournament, they would face either Ball State or Northwestern. Yes, their second round WNIT game could be a third matchup with their nemesis, the Cardinals. The first two games the Chippewas played against BSU in 2014 both ended in overtime after large comebacks by CMU.</p>
<p>In the event that Central Michigan advances to the third round, they would play either Indiana State, Marquette, Indiana or Belmont. Is a third game with the Bowling Green Falcons possible? Yes, but not until the championship round. BGSU is on the opposite side of the bracket.</p>
<p>The Chippewas are 20-11 thus far in the 2013-2014 season. They were 4-8 in the non-conference portion of their schedule, which was among the most difficult in the country. They earned huge wins over Massachusetts (44 points), Xavier (26), and Prairie View A&M (24). However, their most notable win prior to MAC play was a 94-91 victory over Dayton that came on a buzzer-beater by Crystal Bradford. CMU's losses were to a veritable "who's who" of NCAA powers, including Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Notre Dame, Purdue and Dayton.</p>
<p>That brutal trip through November and December prepared CMU well for the rigors of conference play, and they won 16 of their first 17 games, often in dramatic, comeback fashion. They split their season series with Bowling Green and defeated Akron once and Ball State twice. However, they closed the regular season with a difficult loss to Eastern Michigan. Then, prior to the MAC Tournament, Crystal Bradford suffered a serious knee injury, and the Chippewas ultimately bowed out in their first tournament game, a semifinal loss to Akron.</p>
<p>It doesn't appear likely that Bradford will be able to play in the WNIT, so CMU will need to rely on others for offense and leadership. Fortunately, they aren't lacking in either category. Niki DiGuilio and Jessica Green both average over 30 minutes per game. DiGuilio scores an average of 13.5 points and has drilled 99 3-pointers this season. Green scores 11.8 per game and shoots 42 percent from the floor. In addition, Jas'Mine Bracey provides 10.8 points and 10.5 rebounds on average, as well as a total of 23 blocks for the season. MAC Sixth Player of the Year Taylor Johnson will also likely see a heavier workload.</p>
<p>The Jaguars of IUPUI are 22-9 overall and finished 11-3 in the Summit League. Their non-conference schedule included 20-point losses to Purdue and East Carolina, as well as closer losses to Cleveland State (overtime), Indiana (6 points) and Northwestern (5). They also defeated Western Michigan by 15 in Kalamazoo. Their 11-3 record was good enough to earn the second seed in the Summit League tournament, but the Jaguars suffered a huge upset loss to 9-23 Denver in the semifinals.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/18/5521036/2014-womens-nit-central-michigan-will-host-iupuiMatt Daley2014-03-18T09:30:02-04:002014-03-18T09:30:02-04:00Falcons Host High Point In WNIT First Round
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<p>The BGSU Falcons have to settle for a consolation prize with an automatic berth into the 2014 WNIT. Last year, they advanced to the third round. Can they go deeper this season?</p> <p>The Bowling Green Falcons have accepted a spot in the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). It will be their third consecutive appearance in the event and fifth in the last seven years. When you include their five NCAA Women's Tournament invitations, this is a MAC-record 10th consecutive season during which the Falcons have competed in a post-season tournament.</p>
<p>BGSU will open the 64-team tournament with a home game on Thursday, March 20th against the High Point Panthers. Game time has not been announced at present. Should the Falcons advance, they would play the winner of the Charlotte at St. Bonaventure game. The second-round contest would take place between March 22nd and March 25th. In the third round, Bowling Green would be faced with a potential rematch against Michigan, or they could play Stony Brook, Duquesne or Mount St. Mary's.</p>
<p>The other two Mid-American Conference schools in the field, Ball State and Central Michigan, are on the opposite side of the bracket. The Falcons would not be able to face either of those teams until the championship round. The same applies a potential game against the Indiana Hoosiers, who are led by former BGSU head coach Curt Miller.</p>
<p>The Falcons are currently 27-4 and were recently ranked as high as 25th in the country in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. BGSU went 10-2 in non-conference play and owns victories over Michigan and Ohio State. They also earned a road victory over Iona, who finished as co-champion of the MAAC in the regular season. Their only non-conference losses were to Marist and Purdue, both of whom are playing in the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>Bowling Green did even better in the MAC schedule, as they compiled a 17-1 regular season record and won the outright MAC regular season championship. Their only loss was in overtime at Central Michigan, and they earned two victories each over Akron and Buffalo, as well as a rematch with CMU. However, in the conference tournament, the Falcons dropped their opening game in the semifinals, 73-55, against Ball State.</p>
<p>The calling card for BGSU is defense, and the team allows just 56.5 points per game. Their offense, while not flashy, is multi-faceted and efficient. It averages 70.2 points per game, and the leading scorers are seniors Alexis Rogers (14.7) and Jillian Halfhill (13.3). Rogers adds 8.3 rebounds per game. Jill Stein is a fantastic complement to Rogers and Halfhill, and while she averages just 6.7 points per game, she also earns 8.4 rebounds on average and has 31 blocks this season.</p>
<p>High Point currently owns a 22-10 record. They finished 16-4 in the Big South Conference and were the regular season champions, but they lost to Winthrop in their tournament championship game. The Panthers' two most notable non-conference opponents were Virginia and North Carolina, and they lost those games by large margins. Their three wins outside of league play came against South Carolina Upstate (17-14), William & Mary (8-21), and Davidson (16-16).</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/18/5521040/2014-womens-nit-bowling-green-will-host-high-pointMatt Daley2014-03-18T08:30:01-04:002014-03-18T08:30:01-04:00Cardinals Play Northwestern In WNIT First Round
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<p>The Ball State Cardinals will play on after all. They've accepted a bid to the 64-team Women's NIT and will take on Northwestern on Thursday.</p> <p>The Ball State Cardinals may have lost to Akron in the 2014 MAC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game, but their season isn't over. The Cardinals found out Monday night that they've received a bid to play in the 2014 Women's National Invitational Tournament. They will face Northwestern in Evanston on Thursday, March 20. A time has yet to be announced.</p>
<p>Ball State, a five seed in the 2014 MAC Tournament, had one of the more impressive runs on the conference tournament's history. The Cardinals won their first four games in the tournament by an average of 20 points a game, but fatigue finally caught up to the Cardinals Saturday against the Zips as they fell 79-68. Ball State's hot shooting streak hit a dry spell to start the game and Akron pounced. By halftime Akron led by 11. The Cardinals fired back in the second half, even making the game interesting in the final minutes of the second half, but ultimately their woeful 18 percent 3-point field goal percentage in the first half created a hole too big to climb out of and they had no answer for Akron's Rachel Tecca.</p>
<p>Still, the Cardinals are a (Frank's) red-hot team, having won seven of their last eight contests, and over some very good competition. Ball State beat No. 4 seed Buffalo in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals, than knocked off the No. 1 seed Bowling Green Falcons 73-55 in the MAC Semifinals.</p>
<p>The team features some excellent sharpshooters, namely junior guards Britanny Carter and Shelbie Justice who average 32 and 41 percent from 3-point range respectively. Justice had an extremely strong MAC Tournament. The team also features a pair of All-MAC players in guard Brandy Woody and forward Nathalie Fontaine. Fontaine leads the team with 16.5 and 6.4 rebounds a game. Woody is the pace-keeper of the offense, adding 10.4 points and 3.8 assists per contest.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/18/5519500/2014-womens-nit-ball-state-to-play-northwestern-in-evanstonBryan M. Vance2014-03-17T12:06:06-04:002014-03-17T12:06:06-04:00Who Will Akron Play In The 2014 NCAA WBB Tourney?
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<figcaption>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Akron Zips won the MAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Women's Tournament for the first time on Saturday. Will Bowling Green or Central Michigan join them and give the MAC multiple bids for the first time in 18 years?</p> <p>The 2014 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament bracket will be announced this evening at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. We know that, for the first time ever, the MAC tournament champion Akron Zips will have their names called. What we don't know is what seed they'll get, who their first opponent will be, and will any other MAC teams join them in the field of 64?</p>
<p>The Zips are 23-9, but in early January, the NCAA Tournament seemed as far away as it possibly could. They stumbled through a 6-5 non-conference season and then began the MAC campaign with a 1-3 record that included a loss to Miami, who eventually finished 4-14 in the MAC. Somehow, a team that began their season 7-8 turned it around to win 16 of their final 17 games, including a school-record 13 in a row. Their team features the 10th- and 13th-best per-game scorers in the country in Hanna Luburgh and Rachel Tecca. They will be a difficult out for anyone they face.</p>
<p>Are the Zips destined to be the MAC's lone representative? That depends on what the tournament selection committee thinks of the two teams that dominated the MAC during the regular season -- Bowling Green and Central Michigan. Those two teams went a combined 33-3 in the MAC, 2-2 against each other and 31-1 against the other 10 teams, and they earned the top two seeds in the MAC tournament. Then, in a flash, both were eliminated in the tournament semifinals without so much as winning a single game.</p>
<p>Central Michigan is currently 20-11 and (according to RealTimeRPI.com) owns an RPI of 40. They also put together one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country, and that included games against Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Notre Dame, Purdue and Dayton (twice). Unfortunately for the Chippewas, they went 4-8 outside of the MAC, and only their buzzer-beating home win over Dayton was truly momentous.</p>
<p>Bowling Green has had one of the best seasons in school history, and with their history, that's saying something. They're currently 27-4, and their only loss in the MAC prior to their defeat in the tournament semifinals was an overtime road loss against Central Michigan. In non-conference play, BGSU was 10-2. They defeated Michigan on a neutral court and Ohio State on the road. They beat the MAAC co-champion Iona on the road. They also won at Butler and manhandled lesser opponents at home. Their only losses were against MAAC tournament champ Marist (27-6) and on the road against 21-8 Purdue. Both of those teams will be in the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>The Falcons' strength of schedule overall isn't comparable to CMU's, but their RealTimeRPI is 31. BGSU is 2-3 against teams currently in the RealTimeRPI top 50 and 6-3 against the top 100. However, their MAC tournament loss to Ball State (RPI 128) is a killer.</p>
<p>So, what do the experts say?</p>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology">ESPN women's bracketologist Charlie Creme</a> says that only Akron gets in. He places them as the #13 seed in the South Bend region against #4 Penn State. The winner of that game would play either #5 Texas or #12 Pennsylvania, and those games would be on Penn State's campus. Bowling Green is listed as fourth in his list of "First Four Out". Central Michigan no longer appears on his page.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/womens-basketball/bracketology">CollegeSportsMadness.com released their final projection</a>n today, and they are more optimistic. They obviously have Akron in the field as a #12 seed against #5 seed Oklahoma State, with either #4 North Carolina or #13 Wichita State as a potential second-round opponent. However, unlike Creme, this site has Bowling Green in the field. The Falcons are listed as a #11 seed, and their initial opponent is projected as #6 seed Syracuse. The Falcons would be projected to play either #3 Texas A&M or #14 Florida Gulf Coast with a first-round win.</p>
<p><a href="http://realtimerpi.com/bracketology/bracketology_Women.html">RealTimeRPI.com has a projection that is most optimistic</a> of all, as it includes all three MAC teams. This was released on Saturday evening, so it reflects Akron's MAC title game victory. The Zips are placed as a #13 seed against #4 seed Nebraska in the first round. Iowa and James Madison are on the other side of that matchup. Bowling Green is projected as a #9 seed with a first-round opponent of #8 USC. Their possible second-round opponent would be #1 seed Duke. Finally, this bracket calls for CMU to be a #12 seed and face #5 seed DePaul in the first round.</p>
<p>What should we make of these?</p>
<p>ESPN's bracketologists are often accepted as the "creme" of the crop, but they're not infallible. On the men's side of things, for instance, Joe Lunardi had SMU in his final projectiion and five spots above the cut line, but they didn't make the field. Lunardi also had North Carolina State out of the tournament, seven spots away from the cut line, but they are in the field. So, could Creme be wrong about the MAC?</p>
<p>On the other end of the spectrum, it seems like the RealTimeRPI bracket goes too far the other way. Given Crystal Bradford's injury, CMU's final two games, and their overall non-conference performance, it seems exceedingly unlikely that they'll end up in the field. And while we believe that BGSU could still get in, placing them as a #9 seed is probably asking too much.</p>
<p>Right now, the projections of Akron being a #13 seed are probably the most likely ones to come true. Akron's RPI is in the 80s, and the MAC's RPI is 12th among all conferences. However, Akron's non-conference schedule provides no real signature wins, and they might get downgraded for being a first-time tournament team.</p>
<p>As for Bowling Green, we're going to be cautiously optimistic and say that they'll be rewarded for their entire season. If this comes to pass, they'll probably be one of the last four teams in the field and be relegated to a #12 seed.</p>
<p>If Central Michigan stands any chance of getting into the NCAA field of 64, it's exceedingly remote. The far more likely result is that CMU will end up in the <a href="http://www.womensnit.com/">Women's NIT</a>. The Women's NIT is a 64-team field (yes, 64 teams) that has been incredibly MAC-friendly in the last four years. The MAC has sent at least three teams to that tourney in each of the last four seasons. In 2011, four MAC teams participated, and last season, there were five in the field of 64.</p>
<p>In addition, the W<a href="http://www.womensbasketballinvitational.com/">Women's Basketball Invitational</a> is a 16-team tournament that will potentially give additional opportunities to MAC teams.</p>
<p>In all, outside of Akron, there are as many as six MAC teams that could get placed in a post-season tournament. Bowling Green and Central Michigan should expect to play in either the NCAA or WNIT. Buffalo, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Toledo are teams that could end up in either the WNIT or the WBI. If recent history is a good indication, the MAC should have at least four teams playing in a post-season tournament and possibly as many as five or six.</p>
<p>Check back with us throughout the evening, as we'll provide complete coverage as the announcements are made.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/17/5518258/2014-ncaa-womens-tournament-bracketology-akron-represents-macMatt Daley