Falcon Fodder

MAC men's power rankings - Feb. 29

Written by Toledo beat writer Ryan Autullo

The final week of the regular season is upon us, so there is no more projecting where a team will be at the end of the season. This is the end of the season. If Miami, Ball State or Central Michigan were going to make a push they would have done it by now. If Akron, Ohio or Kent State were going to take a nosedive, it would have happened. And in the case of Kent State, it might have. 

So here is a look at the league’s 12 teams, with rankings based on performance – and projected development – during the final days of the regular season. Here we go. …

1. AKRON (20-9, 12-2 MAC) (LW #1): Hard to believe any team in this league is capable of beating Akron by 24 points, but that's exactly what happened Sunday at Ohio. That result might weigh heavily when we make our tournament predictions, but for now, not enough has changed for us to strip the Zips of their top ranking. As an aside, every good team with the exception of Akron seems to have a MAC player of the year candidate. No Zip plays more than 25 minutes a night, which is just as odd to write now as it was the first time. RPI: 58.

Tournament road: vs. Buffalo, at Kent State

 2. OHIO (23-6, 10-4 MAC) (LW #4). We were ready to sell OU earlier this month when they traveled to this area and lost back to back games at Toledo and Eastern Michigan. In fact, we dropped them to fifth in the rankings. Since then, the Bobcats have rolled off four straight wins, three of them against MAC contenders Bowling Green, Buffalo and Akron. Take your pick which is more impressive: an 11-point road win at Buffalo or a 24-point home win over Akron. RPI: 78

Tournament road: at Kent State, at Miami

 3. BUFFALO (17-9, 10-4 MAC) (LW #2): When Buffalo lost at home to Ohio last week, it also lost the seeding tiebreaker to the Bobcats. That's big because the Bulls no longer control their own destiny to secure an automatic semifinal berth. If a road match up Wednesday at Akron goes bad, and Ohio wins at Kent State, the Bulls won't be getting three byes. I think so, anyway. RPI: 93

 Tournament road: at Akron, vs Bowling Green

 4. KENT STATE (19-9, 9-5 MAC) (LW #3): We're hearing rumblings Kent State is an internal mess right now in the wake of three straight losses. We considered dropping them down further, but one spot is enough for now. With two home games left, the Flashes have a chance to get untracked. Having said that, they also have a chance of falling below the 4th seed in the league tournament and not getting a bye to the quarterfinals. Which way will they go? RPI: 107

Tournament road: vs. Ohio, vs. Akron

5. BOWLING GREEN (15-13, 8-6 MAC) (LW #5): Was the win over a Kent State a reflection of the Golden Flashes being in a state of disarray or a reflection of BG tightening up for a postseason push? Maybe somewhere in the middle. BG can still get a top 4 seed, thus securing two byes to the quarterfinals. If that happens, this is a team that could make noise. RPI: 142

Tournament road: vs Miami, at Buffalo

 6. EASTERN MICHIGAN (13-16, 8-6 MAC) (LW #7): It's time to start giving the MAC West champions some credit. The Eagles have put together an impressive season despite lacking much talent. Winning an outright West championship is possible, with the Eagles needing to win one of two remaining games. RPI: 227

Tournament road: at Western Michigan, at Toledo

 7. TOLEDO (15-14, 6-8 MAC) (LW #8): The Rockets have avenged three earlier losses to West foes and can make it four on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. That match up could be for a share of the West championship. At any rate, UT is not a team anyone will look forward to playing in the MAC tournament. The Rockets have improved more than anyone in the league and are playing with a lot of confidence. RPI: 244

Tournament road: at Northern Illinois, vs Eastern Michigan

8. WESTERN MICHIGAN (12-17, 6-8 MAC) (LW #6): The Broncos haven't been able to build any kind of steam this conference season. It's a shame for them, because they're as talented as anyone in the West. Their best league win is at home against Toledo and their best road win is at, well, they only have one and it's at Northern Illinois. Expect an early exit in the tournament. RPI: 189

Tournament road: vs Eastern Michigan, at Central Michigan

 9. MIAMI (9-18, 5-9 MAC) (LW #9): The RedHawks are assured of finishing last in the East division. Now the question becomes whether they will even achieve double digit wins. On a better team Julian Mavunga might win MAC player of the year, but it's hard to foresee that happening given Miami's state. RPI: 232

Tournament road: at Bowling Green, vs Ohio

 10. BALL STATE (13-14, 4-10 MAC) (LW #10): The number of consecutive league losses has reached nine for the Cardinals, who were once 4-1 in the MAC. This might be the MAC's worst team, and we'll find out soon if that's the case when they play teams ranked 11 and 12. RPI: 249

Tournament road: vs Central Michigan, vs Northern Illinois

11. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (9-19, 4-10 MAC) (LW #11): The Chippewas avoided dropping to the bottom of the power rankings with a 10-point win over Northern Illinois. Trey Zeigler is a fine sophomore, and Derek Jackson and Austin McBroom are solid. There's no good reason CMU should be this bad.  RPI: 285

Tournament road: at Ball State, vs Western Michigan

12. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (3-24, 2-12 MAC) (LW #12): The Huskies are still playing hard, but this is by far the least talented team in the league. Unless they win another game, they'll finish with a worst record than the Toledo teams of the past two seasons.  RPI: 339

Tournament road: vs Toledo, at Ball State

MAC women's hoops -- Setting up the 2012 tournament

Here's a look at the bracket for the 2012 Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament, beginning with pairings for first-round games (at campus sites on Saturday, March 3) and the pairings for the rest of the tournament, which begins Wednesday, March 7, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland ...

SATURDAY'S FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS

Game 1: No. 12 BALL STATE at No. 5 CENTRAL MICHIGAN, 2 p.m.

Game 2: No. 9 KENT STATE at No. 8 Ohio, noon

Game 3: No. 10 WESTERN MICHIGAN at No. 7 NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 3:05 p.m.

Game 4: No. 11 BUFFALO at No. 6 AKRON, 2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY'S SECOND-ROUND PAIRINGS

Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, noon

Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 2:30 p.m.

THURSDAY'S QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS

Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. No. 4 MIAMI, noon

Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. No. 3 TOLEDO, 2:30 p.m.

FRIDAY'S SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS

Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. No. 1 BOWLING GREEN, noon

Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. No. 2 EASTERN MICHIGAN, 2:30 p.m.

SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Game 11: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.

MAC Tournament info: Click here for a copy of BG's MAC tournament ticket order form. Click here for a copy of the flyer for the bus transportation to the tourament BG is sponsoring.

BiG look at women's Kent State victory

The BG women's basketball team earned the Mid-American Conference's regular-season title and top seed in the MAC tournament in convincing fashion, pounding Kent State 91-48 at the MAC Center Tuesday. It was the Falcons' most lopsided league win of the season, and it was relatively easy after a big early start. Let's take a closer look at the victory ...

BiG TWITTER POST: Falcons earn MAC regular-season title & top seed in league tourney by hammering Kent State 91-48 at MAC Center Tuesday

BiG GAME STORY: The Falcons took command of this game early, using a 13-point run that featured seven points by Jillian Halfhill to lead 20-6 with 13:06 still left in the first half. BG dominated the rest of the contest, never leading by fewer than 14 points in the first half and building a 41-19 lead at the break. Bowling Green was never threatened in the second half as the Falcons scored the first 12 points of the period to lead 53-19. From that point the Golden Flashes came no closer than 28 points, and BG led by as many as 47 before settling on the final 43-point margin.

BiG OVERVIEW: The Falcons got a tremendously balanced scoring effort in the win, as 11 different players scored for BG, with four players reaching double figures. Leading the way was Jillian Halfhill with 17 points off the bench, followed by Alexis Rogers and her double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Also in double figures were Danielle Havel and Noelle Yoder with 10 points each. Yoder's production also came off the bench; BG's reserves outscored KSU's entire team 49-48. BG outrebounded the Flashes 41-27 thanks to Rogers and a total of nine people grabbing at least one rebound, including Havel and Jill Stein with five apiece. The Falcons also had 21 assists on 33 baskets, with Jessica Slagle and Chrissy Steffen leading the way with four apiece.

BiG PLAY: OK, I'm not going to kid anybody and say one play makes the difference in a contest where BG held a double digit lead for all but five minutes and never trailed by less than 25 points after the first basket of the second half. So let's use this note to extol the virtues of the BG defense in the first half. Kent State had 36 possessions in that period, and scored on only eight of them (22.2 percent), making their offensive efficiency just 0.527 points per possession (which is horrible. Most teams try to average one point per possession). The Falcons forced KSU to turn the ball over on 15 of those possessions (41.7 percent), meaning the Golden Flashes managed to take a shot -- good or not -- on a little more than half of their possessions, which also is great defense. When BG had a run of good possessions -- it scored on 6-of-7, including a trio of 3-pointers, in the run that made the score 20-4 -- the game was essentially decided.

BiG PLAYER OF THE GAME: There were several strong performances in this contest, including the double-double by Alexis Rogers. But Jillian Halfhill came off the BG bench early and sparked the offense, which got the rout rolling. Halfhill made 6-of-8 shots in the game, including 3-of-5 3-pointers, and also made two free throws for a game-high 17 points. She also added three rebounds and had three assists and two steals. In the first half she was the key to the Falcons' scoring, shooting 6-for-7 from the field, including 3-of-4 on 3-pointers, for 15 points.

BiG NUMBERS: The Falcons had been struggling with their 3-point shooting entering the Kent State contest, having made just 26.2 percent of their shots behind the arc in MAC play. But BG was red-hot on 3-pointers against Kent State, making a season-high 16 on 34 attempts for a 47.1 percent mark. What made the hot-shooting night even more comforting was that nine different Falcons made at least one 3-pointer, with Jillian Halfhill making three and five others -- Jasmine Matthews, Alexis Rogers, Danielle Havel, Deborah Hoekstra and Noelle Yoder -- connecting on two. The Falcons made 16 3-pointers, and Kent State made 17 baskets total.

BiG NOTE: The other deciding factor in the game was turnovers -- or, more specifically, Kent State's turnovers. The Golden Flashes turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, and Bowling Green turned those miscues into 18 points. Remember that KSU had just 19 points in the first half total. The Flashes finished with 22 turnovers, and the Falcons turned those turnovers into 24 points. Those 24 points off turnovers is tied for the fourth-highest mark for BG in that category this season.

BiG QUESTION: Can the Falcons win the MAC tournament? Bowling Green gave itself the opportunity to do so by winning the regular-season title and claiming an automatic berth in the semifinals. Will the nine days off between Tuesday's win and BG's first tournament game on Friday be a problem? Can the Falcons complete an impressive season by earning the MAC title and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament that goes with it? We'll find out in about a week's time, won't we?

MORE INFO: Click here to read the game story from the contest.

MAC Power Rankings – Feb. 28

Written by Bowling Green beat writer John Wagner

As the Mid-American Conference regular season comes to a close, there still are some seeding questions to answer. But it looks as if this season has split the MAC’s 12 teams up neatly into three groups of four teams –- the “bye” teams, the first-round hosts and the road warriors.

This final regular-season set of MAC Power Rankings for women’s basketball will look to set the stage for the league tournament, including teams to watch as the action unfolds starting Saturday.

Here is our look at how the league has shaped up entering Tuesday’s final set of games. …

1. BOWLING GREEN (23-5, 13-2 MAC) (LW #1): Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, especially after a disappointing loss at Ohio Wednesday in a situation where a win could have made the Falcons’ lives much easier. BG did bounce back with a solid victory over Miami that clinched the East Division title, but the Falcons still need to sweat out a contest at Kent State Tuesday to assure they will receive the top seed. If Bowling Green doesn’t win, they probably will topple all the way to third in the seedings -– and the road to a potential title will get much tougher. RPI: 60.

Tournament road: At Kent State.

2. EASTERN MICHIGAN (21-7, 13-2 MAC) (LW #2): The Eagles’ dominating win over Toledo last week solidified their hold on second – and EMU could easily make the case for being the league’s best team heading into the tournament. Not only has Eastern Michigan won nine in a row, the Eagles’ closest game –- closest game! –- is a 10-point win, with six of those victories by 20 points or more. Notice that EMU’s RPI now is better than BG’s –- a development that makes the Eagles’ loss at Ball State in the MAC opener the blemish that may cost EMU an outright league title. RPI: 57.

Tournament road: At Central Michigan.

3. TOLEDO (19-8, 12-3 MAC) (LW #3): The Rockets were squashed in their rematch with Eastern Michigan, and their two losses to the Eagles –- combined with a head-scratching loss in their MAC opener at Western Michigan –- likely will cost UT a spot as one of the top two seeds in the MAC tournament. If that’s the case, Toledo is going to have to figure out a way to beat Eastern Michigan if it wants to win the league, because it will be impossible for them to avoid the Eagles in the tournament semifinals. RPI: 80.

Tournament road: At Ball State.

4. MIAMI (20-8, 10-5 MAC) (LW #4): The RedHawks have clinched the fourth seed in the MAC tournament, meaning they have a bye into the quarterfinals. Assuming that Central Michigan earns the fifth seed, Miami would have no cake-walk in its first tournament contest, and a win is likely to set up a third confrontation with Bowling Green. That means the RedHawks need to start working now to find something to overcome their recent jinx against the Falcons, since that’s the only route to the title game. RPI: 91.

Tournament road: Home vs. Ohio.

5. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (15-14, 7-8 MAC) (LW #7): The Chippewas won twice last week, including a solid victory at home over Northern Illinois and a road win at Western Michigan. While the NIU win helps more in the standings, the victory at WMU may prove more valuable because of this team’s recent road struggles. Is CMU pulling things together after a tumultuous league season? Or did it just take advantage of two inferior teams last week? We should get at least a clue as to which of those statements is correct on Tuesday, when the Chips host Eastern Michigan. RPI: 167.

Tournament road: Home vs. Eastern Michigan.

6. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (12-15, 6-9 MAC) (LW #5): Three weeks ago I jumped this team up in the standings, and I still don’t regret the decision –- even though the Huskies lost twice last week. Both losses were on the road, and NIU didn’t exactly get blown out by Toledo. In fact, this team has a way of making other teams look bad, which leads me to believe it will be tough to knock off the Huskies once the tournament begins. RPI: 188.

Tournament road: Home vs. Western Michigan.

7. OHIO (13-16, 6-9 MAC) (LW #8): The Bobcats had another puzzling week last week, knocking off Bowling Green -– a huge win for seeding purposes -– before losing to Buffalo -– a very negative loss. Or perhaps it isn’t so puzzling after all: Ohio has won three in a row at home and lost three straight on the road. That makes earning a first-round home game essential to the Bobcats, who still have one more game to play: At Miami. Uh-oh. RPI: 251.

Tournament road: At Miami.

8. AKRON (12-17, 6-9 MAC) (LW #6): The Zips lost twice last week, including a one-point setback at Kent State that could prove costly. Yes, Akron made a bold comeback late; but the Zips needed to be good enough earlier in the game, so that the comeback wasn’t necessary. Akron finishes with a tricky contest at Buffalo, and while a win isn’t essential to claim a first-round home game, it likely is essential to get the Zips into the right frame of mind entering tournament play. RPI: 203.

Tournament road: Home vs. Buffalo.

9. KENT STATE (6-19, 5-10 MAC) (LW #10): Just when it seemed the Golden Flashes were about to hit rock-bottom, they claimed a win over Akron Saturday. That win did more than snap a seven-game losing streak: It kept alive KSU’s hopes of earning a first-round home game in the MAC tournament. Of course, the next step towards realizing those dreams will be a game against Bowling Green, so it won’t be easy. RPI: 296.

Tournament road: Home vs. Bowling Green.

10. WESTERN MICHIGAN (7-21, 4-11 MAC) (LW #11): The Broncos were able to stop the flow of blood with a win at Ball State, which was important in that it stopped a four-game losing streak. WMU finishes with a game at Northern Illinois, which may prove interesting in that it could be repeated Saturday in the first round of the MAC tournament. If the Broncos wish to do some damage in that event, they will have to find the group that scored 102 points against Buffalo –- or, better still, the squad that opened the MAC season with a win over Toledo. RPI: 298.

Tournament road: At Northern Illinois.

11. BUFFALO (9-20, 4-11) (LW #12): The Bulls had a big week last week, winning twice. Yes, both games were at home. Yes, both wins were against teams in the lower half of the standings. But when you’re 2-11, any win is a good win. And those are two good wins for the Bulls, who need to find a way to win on the road when they play at Akron Tuesday. Figuring out how to succeed away from home is a must if this team wants to advance in the tournament. RPI: 211.

Tournament road: At Akron.

12. BALL STATE (9-18, 4-11 MAC) (LW #9): Remember that I wrote last week that the Cardinals rose to ninth in the Power Rankings more as an indictment of the three teams below (Buffalo, Kent State and Western Michigan) than any kind of reward for Ball State. The Cards promptly lost a winnable game against Western Michigan, and the rest of the schedule has dumped them back to the bottom of the rankings. I seem to rail on Toledo a lot for having lost to Western Michigan early in the season, and I realize now that Eastern Michigan deserves similar scorn for losing to this team in its season opener. I think it’s safe to say there has never been a more misleading start to the MAC season in this sport that those two games this year. RPI: 269.

Tournament road: Home vs. Toledo.

Men's hoops -- MAC tournament possibilities

With kudos to Bowling Green sports information guru Jason Knavel and Mid-American Conference men's basketball media whiz Jeremy Guy, here's a look at the potential pairings for the MAC tournament -- and what the Falcons need to do to earn a bye ...

First, BGSU is now assured of finishing no worse than sixth in the final standings. Here is the MAC tournament set-up, if the tournament began Monday:

First Round (At campus sites on Monday, March 5)

#12 Northern Illinois (2-12) at #5 Eastern Michigan (8-6)

#11 Central Michigan (4-10) at #6 BGSU (8-6), 7 PM

#10 Ball State (4-10) at #7 Toledo (6-8)

#9 Miami (5-9) at #8 Western Michigan (6-8)

Second Round (Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday, March 7)

#12 NIU/#5 EMU winner vs. #9 Miami/#8 WMU winner

#11 CMU/#6 BGSU winner vs. #10 Ball State/#7 Toledo winner

Quarterfinals (Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday, March 8)

#12 NIU/#5 EMU/#9 Miami/#8 WMU winner vs. #4 Kent State (9-5)

#11 CMU/#6 BGSU/#10 Ball State/#7 Toledo winner vs. #3 Buffalo (10-4)

Semifinals (Quicken Loans Arena on Friday, March 9)

#12 NIU/#5 EMU/#9 Miami/#8 WMU/#4 Kent State winner vs. #1 Akron (12-1)

#11 CMU/#6 BGSU/#10 Ball State/#7 Toledo/#3 Buffalo winner vs. #2 Ohio (10-4)

Championship Game (Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday, March 10)

Semifinal Winners

And here are the scenarios for the Falcons to earn a bye to Cleveland and eliminate the Monday game at BGSU. ...

• If BGSU beats both Miami and Buffalo, Kent State must lose both games (home vs. Akron and home vs. Ohio) AND Eastern Michigan must lose one game (at Western Michigan and at Toledo)
• If BGSU beats Miami and loses to Buffalo, Kent State AND Eastern Michigan must lose both games AND Ohio must finish ahead of Buffalo in the standings.
• If BGSU beats Buffalo and loses to Miami, Kent State AND Eastern Michigan must lose both games. The final Ohio/Buffalo placement will not matter in this case.

BG women's hoops: A look at the MAC Tournament

There's nothing here that is cast in granite, but these are things that I THINK I know regarding seeding for the MAC Tournament. Thanks to Jeremy Guy at the MAC Office and Mike Cihon from the BG sports info office with their help on these seedings.

I have listed each team in the MOST LIKELY SPOT it will fall in the MAC tournament. If there are questions/problems with these seedings, please see the note at the bottom of this post ...

MAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SEEDINGS

1. BOWLING GREEN (13-2): The Falcons MUST win at Kent State Tuesday to hold this seeding. If the Falcons lose at KSU, the only way they remain the top seed is with losses by BOTH Eastern Michigan AND Toledo.
2. EASTERN MICHIGAN (13-2): The Eagles would move into the No. 1 seed if they won at Central Michigan Tuesday AND if BG lost at Kent State. The Eagles also are the top seed if they lose at Central Michigan AND BG loses at Kent State AND Toledo wins at Ball State. Otherwise, the Eagles are the second seed in the tournament.
3. TOLEDO (12-3): There is no scenario where the Rockets can be the top seed because they will lose tiebreakers with EMU, and the Eagles are a game ahead in the standings with one game to play. There is only one scenario where the Rockets earn the second seed: that happens if the Rockets win at Ball State AND Bowling Green loses at Kent State. Eastern Michigan's result is meaningless.
4. MIAMI (10-5): By my calculations, the RedHawks are the ONLY Mid-American Conference team that has its seed determined before Tuesday's games.
5. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (7-8): If the Chippewas win at Eastern Michigan Tuesday, CMU clinches this seed. If the Chippewas lose at home against EMU Tuesday, CMU still holds a lot of tiebreakers -- but not all. CMU wins a tiebreaker with Northern Illinois and with Ohio, but loses to Akron. The only way the Chippewas fall out of the fifth spot, according to my calculations, is if Tuesday's results include ALL of the following: CMU loses to Eastern Michigan AND Northern Illinois loses at home to Western Michigan AND Ohio loses at Miami AND Akron wins at home against Buffalo. In that case, Akron and CMU are tied at 7-9 and the Zips win the tiebreaker, dropping CMU to sixth.
6. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (6-9): This is where things start getting REALLY fluid. I don't believe NIU can rise up to fifth because that would have to include a loss by Central Michigan, and the Chippewas swept the season series, which handicaps the Huskies in a tiebreaker. While the Huskies could fall below sixth (with a loss AND a win by either Akron or Ohio), they beat both UA and OU head-to-head, so if those teams have the same record, the Huskies win the tiebreaker. Even in the scenario where the Huskies lose at home to Western Michigan, Ohio AND Akron both win AND Kent State wins at home against Bowling Green (that would make OU and UA 7-9, and NIU and KSU 6-10), NIU beat the Golden Flashes and holds on to eighth. SIMPLE: If NIU wins, the Huskies are sixth.
7. AKRON (6-9): Did I mention this is where things get fluid? The main reason I list the Zips here is that I expect Northern Illinois to win, and I believe the Zips have a better chance of beating Buffalo at home than Ohio does of beating Miami on the road. In that scenario, assuming Northern Illinois beats Western Michigan, the Zips are the seventh seed. Akron can move to the No. 5 seed if (and ALL of this has to happen) Central Michigan loses to Eastern Michigan AND Northern Illinois loses to Western Michigan AND Ohio loses at Miami AND Akron beats Buffalo. If Akron wins AND both NIU and OU lose, the Zips are the sixth seed. The worst-case scenario involves a Kent State win at home against Bowling Green AND a loss by Akron: In that instance KSU and UA would be tied, and the Golden Flashes' win over Bowling Green would give them the tiebreaker. In that instance, Akron loses tiebreakers with everyone (either head-to-head or because Ohio and Kent State would have beaten BG) and the Zips fall to ninth.
8. OHIO (6-9): Got a headache yet? OK, I'll keep going then ... The main reason I list the Bobcats here is I expect then not to be in the tie with the other 6-9 teams, and I expect Bowling Green to beat Kent State so the Golden Flashes don't improve to 6-10, either. The Bobcats lose a tiebreaker with CMU and NIU, although they win a tiebreaker with Akron (based on Ohio's win over Bowling Green). I believe Ohio could finish as high as No. 7 (knocking Akron to eighth), and there is a scenario where the Bobcats could fall to No. 9 (and have to play a first-round tournament game on the road). That would happen if Ohio ONLY loses and Kent State wins; both teams are 6-10, and Kent State's win over Bowling Green cancels Ohio's tiebreaker win over the Falcons. In that instance Kent State's win over Central Michigan (and Ohio's loss to CMU) would give KSU the tiebreaker and the eighth seed, dropping Ohio to No. 9.
9. KENT STATE (5-10): Even if the Golden Flashes lose to Bowling Green Tuesday, there are a number of scenarios where they end up ninth. Let's think positive for a second and say KSU beats BG; the Flashes lose the tiebreaker with Northern Illinois, but win tiebreakers with Akron (by beating BG) and Ohio (with a win over CMU). In that instance, KSU would rise to a high enough seed to claim a home game. Looking behind KSU in the standings, the three 4-11 teams -- Western Michigan, Ball State and Buffalo -- all have to win to tie KSU, even if the Flashes lose. Kent State wins ties with WMU (beat them) but loses to Ball State (lost to them) and has a "fluid" situation with Buffalo (KSU wins if CMU is higher in the standings than NIU; Buffalo wins if NIU is higher than CMU). If ALL FOUR teams finish 5-11, Western Michigan wins that tiebreaker with 3-1 mark and KSU falls to No. 10.
10. WESTERN MICHIGAN (4-11): You've almost made it. ... If the three teams at the bottom of the standings all lose Tuesday, WMU wins the tiebreaker with a 3-0 head-to-head mark. Head to head with Buffalo or Ball State, WMU wins as well. The only way the Broncos fall below this spot is if they lose AND either Buffalo, Ball State and/or both of those two teams win. If those three teams AND Kent State finish 5-11, WMU wins the tiebreaker and is ninth. But all these three remaining teams are doing is trying to figure out where they play on Saturday; none of them can claim a home game.
11. BUFFALO (4-11): The Bulls would lose a tiebreaker with WMU, win a tiebreaker with Ball State and have a "split decision" with Kent State (Buffalo wins the tiebreaker if NIU finishes higher than CMU, KSU wins it if CMU is higher than NIU). That's the only scenario where the Bulls could finish ninth. Otherwise, their finish is predicated on their result and the results involving Western Michigan and Ball State.
12. BALL STATE (4-11): Congrats on reaching the finish line! ... The Cardinals lose tiebreakers with WMU and Buffalo, but win the tiebreaker with Kent State. Ball State would be No. 9 if they win AND Kent State AND Western Michigan AND Buffalo ALL lose. The Cardinals need to win AND have Western Michigan and/or Buffalo lose to finish above either team.

If you see something amiss here, please don't hesitate to click on the "Comment" button below OR send me an e-mail at jwagner@theblade.com OR mention "@jwagnerblade" in a Twitter comment.

BiG look at women's Miami victory

The BG women's basketball team bounced back from the loss at Ohio Wednesday to claim an important victory over Miami Saturday. The win gives the Falcons the East Division title outright, their eighth consecutive division title and 13th in school history. What's more, BG now is one win away from securing the top seed in the MAC tournament and will finish no lower than the third seed. Let's take a closer look at Saturday's victory ...

BiG TWITTER POST: Falcons claim East Division title outright thanks in part to 34-for-41 effort at foul line in 64-55 win over Miami at Stroh Center Saturday

BiG GAME STORY: The Falcons never trailed in this contest, scoring the game's first five points and leading 9-2 early. Miami cut its deficit to two points, 13-11, with 10:49 left in the first half, before BG went on a 7-0 run that included five points from Danielle Havel to lead 20-11 with 6:05 left. The RedHawks came no closer than four points in the half and Bowling Green led 26-18 at the break. In the second half the Falcons pushed the lead to double digits, leading by as many as 15 points (48-33 with 6:49 left in the half) before Miami made a late run to cut its deficit to seven points. But Bowling Green allowed the RedHawks no closer to win their 14th consecutive game at the Stroh Center.

BiG OVERVIEW: The Falcons were led in scoring by Jessica Slagle and Chrissy Steffen, each of whom finished with 14 points. Steffen also tied for the team high with six rebounds, while Slagle had two assists, one rebound and one steal. Also finishing in double figures was Danielle Havel with 11 points; she also had three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. Alexis Rogers tied Steffen for the team lead with six rebounds and also had seven points, two assists and three steals.

BiG PLAY: The Falcons allowed Miami to creep back into the game late in the first half, with a 3-pointer by the RedHawks' Rachael Hencke making the score 22-18 with 2:38 left in the half. BG took a 30-second timeout, and on the ensuing possession Jessica Slagle took the ball to the basket and scored. That basket gave the Falcons some life, and they held Miami scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting the rest of the half, taking a 26-18 lead into the lockerroom at the half. The RedHawks would come no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

BiG PLAYER OF THE GAME: This is a toughie, since several players fared well for BG in this contest. Honorable mention to Danielle Havel for her 11-point effort, as well as to Chrissy Steffen for her 14-point, six-rebound performance. But let's give the nod to senior Jessica Slagle, who finished with 14 points in what could be her final game at the Stroh Center. Slagle made 3-of-9 shots from the field, including 1-of-5 3-pointers, but was 8-for-10 from the foul line. Slagle scored 10 points in the second half, including 3-of-4 in the final 2:50 to salt away the win. The senior also had one rebound, two assists and one steal. She also drew the defensive assignment against Miami's top scorer, Courtney Osborn, and limited her to two points on 1-for-7 shooting in the first half.

BiG NUMBERS: The Falcons were aggressive on offense and were rewarded with 41 trips to the foul line. BG took advantage of those opportunities, connecting on 34 free throws for an 82.9 percent mark for the game. The 34 free throws made were the most since the program made a school-record 37 in a win at Central Michigan on Feb. 13, 2008. The 41 attempts against Miami also was the most for a Falcon team since BG attempted 43 in that contest at CMU. Bowling Green's 82.9 percent shooting from the foul line was the Falcons' fourth-best total this season.

BiG NOTE: Saturday was Senior Day for BG's Jessica Slagle and Maribeth Giese, and the pair celebrated with the rest of the team by claiming the Falcons' 14th consecutive home win at the Stroh Center after a season-opening loss to Purdue. The pair have been a part of teams that have won 107 games at BG, fifth on the all-time list (and one shy of tying the 2008 senior class of Kate Achter and Whitney Taylor). What's more, that pair have helped the Falcons post a 55-3 home record the past four seasons (including all three of the school-record 14-win home seasons), including a 31-1 record in home MAC games.

BiG QUESTION: Can the Falcons finish the deal? Tuesday Bowling Green travels to Kent State to close the regular season, and the stakes are simple: Win, and BG is the top seed in the tournament. Lose, and the Falcons probably fall to the third seed. The difference is huge, since the top two seeds receive byes into the semifinals of the MAC tournament, while the third seed receives a bye into the quarterfinals.

MORE INFO: Click here to read the game story from the contest. Click here to view a photo gallery from the contest, with credit going to The Blade's Dave Zapotosky. And click here to read the story on senior Maribeth Giese I wrote for Saturday's Blade.

BiG look at men's Kent State win

The BG men's basketball team bounced back from its loss at Akron to claim an important home win over Kent State Saturday night. The Falcons shot 54.4 percent from the field while forcing the Golden Flashes to struggle with their shooting while turning the ball over 21 times. Let's take a closer look at Saturday's loss. ...

BiG TWITTER POST: Falcons get 40 points inside (17 from Calhoun, 15 from Oglesby) and 21 outside from Thomas in 74-58 win over Kent State at Stroh Saturday

BiG GAME STORY: The Falcons scored the game's first five points, but Kent State responded with a 12-2 run, and the lead started the bouncing back and forth. From there the two teams played to four more ties in the next four minutes before BG outscored the Golden Flashes 13-7 in the final 8:31, with Scott Thomas hitting a pair of 3-pointers to key that run. In the second half the Falcons never allowed Kent State to get closer than three points, and used a strong finish to pull away. BG held the Flashes scoreless over the final 5:29 to secure the win.

BiG OVERVIEW: The Falcons were led in scoring by Scott Thomas, who finished with 21 points and also led the Falcons with seven rebounds. A'uston Calhoun scored 17 points, with 14 of those coming in the second half, while Torian Oglesby came off the bench to score 15 points and grab five rebounds (while blocking two shots) in 20 minutes. Jordon Crawford nearly finished with a double-double thanks to eight points and six assists.

BiG PLAY: The Falcons took a narrow 30-27 lead in the late stages of the first half, only to see KSU's Justin Greene score with 4:09 left to cut the deficit to a single point. Scott Thomas responded with a 3-pointer on BG's next possession to re-establish the lead. Then with 2:50 left Greene again scored to cut the Falcons' lead to two points, but Thomas again hit a 3-pointer on BG's next possession and the Falcons took a lead into halftime. Kent State managed to cut the lead to three points several times in the second half, but by that point Bowling Green seemed to have offensive answers for the Golden Flashes.

BiG PLAYER OF THE GAME: In the second half junior A'uston Calhoun and senior Torian Oglesby gave the Falcons offensive options. But in the first half Scott Thomas kept the Falcons afloat, scoring 15 points on 4-for-7 3-point shooting while added three rebounds and two steals. Thomas finished the game with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting that included a 6-for-10 effort on 3's as well as 1-for-2 from the foul line. Thomas also led the Falcons with seven rebounds and also had three assists and two steals. Honorable mention to Calhoun for his 17-point effort as well as Oglesby's 15-point, five-board effort off the bench.

BiG NUMBERS: The Falcons got good production from the bench. Bowling Green's reserves outscored Kent State's bench 21-4, outrebounded the Golden Flashes' reserves 13-6, and held a 5-1 assist advantage as well (not to mention two blocks and four steals). Torian Oglesby had 15 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes; Craig Sealey had six points, three rebounds and three steals in 12 minutes; Jehvon Clarke finished with three rebounds and three assists in seven minutes; and James Erger had two rebounds and an assist in three minutes.

BiG NOTE: Scott Thomas really has found his 3-point stroke in the Stroh Center in the last two games. Thomas was 6-for-10 from behind the arc after going 8-for-15 on 3's in the win over Morehead State one week ago. That means Thomas has shot 14-for-25, or 56 percent, from behind the arc in his last two home games. For the season the senior has made 55-of-141 3-pointers (39.0 percent), and in MAC games Thomas has made 29-of-77 from behind the arc (37.7 percent). But the numbers are most striking when you compare his shooting at home and on the road: In 14 road games Thomas has made 20-of-67 3's (29.9 percent), but in 14 home contests Thomas has connected on 35-of-74 3's (47.3 percent).

BiG QUESTION: Can the Falcons claim another big victory when Miami visits the Stroh Center Wednesday? Put bluntly, BG's chances of claiming a bye in the MAC tournament are no longer in the Falcons' hands. But to have a chance, Bowling Green needs to keep winning, especially when facing a team below them in the standings. I believe the Falcons can finish no lower than sixth in the MAC tournament seedings (because they hold tiebreakers over Western Michigan and Toledo), but BG must beat Miami to get momentum heading into Buffalo Saturday.

MORE INFO: Click here to view a photo gallery from the contest, courtesy of The Blade's Dave Zapotosky. Click here to watch video highlights of the game (with Torian Oglesby's Dunk of the Year at the 1:35 mark).

BiG look at men's Akron loss

The BG men's basketball team suffered a 79-68 loss at Akron Wednesday. The Falcons were solid offensively in the first half, but allowed the Zips to score 43 points in that period. In the second BG forged a comeback late, but ... Well, more in a moment. Let's take a closer look at Wednesday's loss. ...

BiG TWITTER POST: Falcons allow Akron to score 43 1st-half points but manage to cut deficit to 3 points late before falling 79-68 at JAR Arena Wednesday

BiG GAME STORY: Both the Falcons and Zips were scoring early (both teams had 10 points by the 15:28 mark of the first half), but Akron pulled steadily away, leading 29-20 with 8:10 left in the first half. Late in the first half BG cut its deficit to 39-36 with 1:34 to play, only to see Zeke Marshall score the final four points of the half to make it 43-36 at the break. The Falcons again sliced Akron's lead to three points (45-42) at th 17:59 mark of the second half, but a 15-6 gave the Zips a 12-point lead (60-48) with 11:16 on the clock. BG still trailed 66-55 with 5:36 left before making one final run, cutting the deficit to 67-64 with 2:17 to play. But Akron scored the game's next four points and made its free throws late to secure the win.

BiG OVERVIEW: The Falcons were led in scoring by A'uston Calhoun, who had a game-high 18 points. He also had seven rebounds to lead BG in that category as well. Jordon Crawford was next in scoring with 13 points, and he also had three assists and two steals. Dee Brown finished with 11 points and also had a pair of assists. Scott Thomas didn't reach double figures in any category but still nearly had a double-double, posting nine points and seven assists to go with three rebounds and a pair of steals. Jehvon Clarke also was effective in limited time, scoring nine points and adding three assists and two rebounds in 16 minutes.

BiG PLAY: The Falcons cut Akron's lead to 67-64 with 1:28 on the clock, then stole the ball to give themselves a potential game-tying possession. But Jehvon Clarke drove into the lane and lost the ball -- it was ruled a missed shot, but it was more like a turnover -- and Akron used a fast-break to score a basket. On the next possession the freshman Clarke made a bad pass, and at the other end the Zips again got a layup. From there the Falcons were forced to foul, and Akron went 8-for-8 from the foul line to sew up the win.

BiG PLAYER OF THE GAME: Junior A'uston Calhoun finished with 18 points to lead all scorers, and his seven rebounds tied for the game high. Calhoun went 8-for-13 from the field (61.5%) and 2-for-3 from the line for an efficient offensive night. He was 5-for-7 from the field in the first half for 10 points, and in the second half he made 3-of-6 shots and 2-for-3 free throws for eight more points. It's interesting to note that his rebound total included five offensive boards.

BiG NUMBERS: The Falcons struggled to stop the Akron offense all night. In the first half they failed: The Zips made 60.6 percent of their shots from the field (20-of-33) and scored a whopping 32 points in the paint to reach 43 points overall, just two shy of the opponent's first-half high this season (45 at Duquesne). In the second half the Zips shot 50 percent from the field, although they took just 16 shots. The two reasons? Akron turned the ball over nine times, and they shot 20 free throws in the second half. As a result, the Zips shot a sizzling 57.1 percent from the floor for the game. And if that number isn't big enough, here's one that is simply amazing: Bowling Green turned the ball over just eight times in the game, yet Akron scored 16 points off turnovers. BG forced 13 Akron turnovers and scored 13 points off them -- and that's a pretty decent percentage. The Zips' 16 points off eight turnovers is off the charts.

BiG NOTE: Dee Brown's jumper from the top of the key at the 14:13 mark of the second half gave him nine points in the game -- and 1,000 points in his career. Brown added a pair of free throws with 3:55 left to give him 11 in the game, and 1,002 in his BG career. Brown is the 39th person in school history to reach that plateau, and he stands 38th on the all-time list entering Saturday's game. Scott Thomas surpassed 1,000 career points earlier in the season, making this just the seventh season where two players on the same BG team reached that milestone in that season.

BiG QUESTION: Can the Falcons rebound with a home win over Kent State Saturday? Bowling Green now is tied with Eastern Michigan for fifth in the standings, which means the Falcons are the sixth seed for the tournament. Most of BG's hopes for a MAC tournament bye now hinge on the Falcons winning a lot the rest of the way -- and that has to start with a home game against the Golden Flashes Saturday.

MORE INFO: Click here to read the game story from Wednesday's loss at Akron.

BG men's basketball -- Scouting report on Akron

Here is an in-depth look at Akron, the Falcons' opponent on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at JAR Arena in Akron, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

OVERVIEW: The Zips of coach Keith Dambrot enter Wednesday’s game with a 19-8 record, including an 11-1 mark in MAC play. Akron's league mark is tops in the East Division (and the entire conference), two games better than second-place Buffalo and three ahead (in the loss column) of both Kent State and Ohio. ... The Zips have a "magic number" of one to earn one of the four byes in the MAC tournament, meaning one more win (or one BG loss) clinches that quarterfinals bye for them. Akron's "magic number" for a bye into the semifinals (as either the first or second seed) is two.

BY THE NUMBERS (MAC STATS ONLY): The Zips are strong offensively, ranking second in Mid-American Conference play with 72.3 points per game. Akron shooting 47.7 percent from the field (second-best in the MAC) and makes 36.8 percent of its 3's (fourth). ... Defensively the Zips also fare well, allowing just 62.7 points per game (sixth), giving them a MAC-best scoring margin of plus-9.7 points per game. Opponents shoot 39.8 percent from the field (third) and 29.3 percent on 3's (first). ... Akron has a plus-2.2 margin in rebounding, which is fourth in the MAC. Since the Zips don't miss as much as most league schools, their "total" rebound numbers are below other teams. ... While UA is tied for seventh (with BG) for turnovers per game at 13.7, the Zips are fifth in opponents turnovers caused at 14.3 per game. That gives them a plus-0.58 turnover margin that is tied for sixth in the conference.

ALL-TIME SERIES: This is the 49th meeting in the series, and the series is tied at 24-24. The Zips have won the last six meetings in this series, with BG's last win coming in a 50-46 victory at the JAR on March 1, 2009.

FIRST TIME THIS YEAR: Falcon fans won't forget Akron's last-second 56-55 win at the Stroh Center on Jan. 11. BG had just taken a one-point lead on Cameron Black's basket with 11 seconds left, only to see Nick Harney "charge" down the floor and score at the buzzer. Harney's last points gave him a game-high 12 in the low-scoring affair. Black and Dee Brown each had 10 to lead the Falcons, while Scott Thomas and Auston Calhoun had nine.

Click here to take a BiG Look at the contest.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: There is a huge list of players to follow for the Zips, because a whopping nine different players average double-figure minutes in MAC play. The scoring also is evenly distributed, with eight players scoring within three points of one another -- and all above 6.6 points per game. ... Zeke Marshall leads Akron in scoring in MAC play at 9.7 points per game, ranking 28th in the league. He also is tied for 18th in the conference with 5.1 rebounds per game and tied for 13th with 2.0 offensive rebounds per contest. ... Nikola Cvetinovic ranks 29th in the MAC with 9.4 points per game. His 49.4 percent shooting from the field is ninth in the league. ... Quincy Diggs comes off the bench to average 9.3 points per game, third on the team. He also is second in assists with 23 in 12 games. ... Nick Harney also comes off the bench to score 9.1 points per game and provide 2.8 rebounds per contest. He is sixth in the MAC in shooting at 51.9 percent. ... Alex Abreu averages 8.8 points per game and ranks fifth in the conference with 5.2 assists per game. Abreu also stands fourth in steals (1.9) and is shooting 40.5 percent on 3's (12th in the MAC). ... Brian Walsh averages 8.1 points per game. He ranks ninth in MAC in 3-point shooting (42.9 percent) and is tied for 15th in 3-pointers made (1.5). ... Chauncey Gilliam averages 7.0 points per game and has started all 12 contests. ... Demetrius Treadwell averages 6.6 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 5.6 per contest (tied for 13th in the MAC). He grabs 2.4 offensive rebounds per contest to rank sixth in the conference. ... Brett McClanahan averages 4.3 points per game in MAC play. While he is shooting just 25 percent on 3's, he has taken the third-most on the team (behind Walsh and Abreu).

BG KEYS TO VICTORY: 1. Hold off the Zips. Akron has made a living out of coming back from early deficits this season, including an 11-point deficit at the Stroh against BG. The Zips are able to weather storms; it's up to BG to weather the comeback, if Akron falls behind. 2. Get a TO, baby. The Falcons forced Akron to turn the ball over 14 times in the first meeting, and turned those miscues into 17 points. Getting, and then converting, turnovers would help BG in a game where offense could be at a premium. 3. Come up big late. The Falcons’ recent wins over Ball State and Toledo featured fine late performances. The first loss to Akron saw Bowling Green struggle in the final minutes.

GAME NOTES: Tipoff at the JAR is at 7 p.m. … The contest will be broadcast on the Falcons’ radio network, including 99.1 FM, 1470 AM and 1280 AM. … The next game for the Falcons is the home contest against Kent State on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Stroh Center starting at 6 p.m.

COACH LOUIS ORR SAID: “Akron has been a very consistent team, you can tell by their conference record. They’ve had success over the years, and that’s something that carries over — the expectations are high when they’re on the court, so they don’t quit. ... They are able to play a lot of people, and their depth is a strength. They have a lot of guys who come into the game and affect the game. They are an athletic team, and they have size and experience. When you have depth, when one guy’s not getting it done for you, you have another guy step up. They come at you in waves, and they have guys who can come in and pick up the slack. ... The first game wasn’t one of our better games offensively. They only scored 56 points, and that’s the right approach. ... We should go into the game not on our heels, but confidently. We played [them] as well as anybody — up until the last play.”