MAC Women’s Basketball – Wednesday, January 8th
Eastern Michigan at Kent State - 7:00 PM* (ESPN+)
Ball State at Bowling Green - 7:00 PM* (ESPN+)
Buffalo at Toledo - 7:00 PM* (ESPN+)
Northern Illinois at Miami - 7:00 PM* (ESPN+)
Western Michigan at Akron - 7:00 PM* (ESPN+)
Central Michigan at Ohio - 7:00 PM* (ESPN3)
MAC NOTES
AKRON
Akron looks continues Mid-American Conference play this week hosting Western Michigan (1/8) and heads to Bowling Green, Ohio for its first MAC road test against the Falcons. The Zips enter the week 7-5 on the year, are averaging 68.8 points per game, shooting at a 40.7-percent clip, and have out rebounded its opponents, 438-432. Haliegh Reinoehl and Jordyn Dawson pace Akron's offensive attack scoring 13.6 and 13.3 points, respectively, while Shaunay Edmonds averages just below 10 points a game (9.4).
BALL STATE
Freshman guard Sydney Freeman went 4-for-4 from the line to help the Cardinals open Mid-American Conference action on a high note with Ball State's 66-62 victory over Kent State Saturday afternoon in Worthen Arena. Agustsdottir led the Cardinals in scoring averaging 16.0 points per contest last week. She helped Ball State to a 2-0 record with wins over Urbana and Kent State. The Ball State women's basketball team continues Mid-American Conference play when it travels to Bowling Green Wednesday for a 7 p.m. start in the Stroh Center. The Cardinals have won their last nine contests against the Falcons.
BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green's Caterrion Thompson scored a game-high 20 points in BGSU's win over Davis & Elkins, then had a team-high 13 points in the MAC opener at Eastern Michigan. Thompson, who missed all of last season due to injury, has scored in double figures in each of this year's first 13 games. She joins an exclusive list, as that feat has been achieved only three times in the last 26 years.
BUFFALO
Buffalo opened conference play with an 86-72 win at Miami (OH) on Saturday. The Bulls had four players score in double figures on the day. The Bulls extended their win streak to six games and have held oppoents to an average of 55.0 points per game over that stretch. Freshman Dyaisha Fair is currently third in the nation in scoring at 23.6 points per game. The Bulls are one of two teams in the nation to have two different players averaging 17.0 points per game or more.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Micaela Kelly scored 31 points as the Chippewas held off inspired Akron, 77-72, at the Zips' Rhodes Arena in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools.The Chippewas, 8-4 overall, are seeking their fourth-consecutive MAC regular-season championship and their fifth-straight MAC West crown. It was also the first conference victory for first-year coach Heather Oesterle, who served as an assistant and then the associate head coach to Sue Guevara for 12 years before taking over the program last July.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team extended its winning streak to four consecutive games, as it opened its 2020 Mid-American Conference slate with a 78-61 victory over Bowling Green State University Saturday, Jan. 4, inside the Convocation Center. The Eagles were led by a stellar performance from redshirt junior Areanna Combs who tallied a career-high 32 points on 14-of-20 shooting EMU is 1-0 in MAC play and has evened its record at 6-6 following its fourth consecutive win, Jan. 4, over BGSU.
KENT STATE
In the first Mid-American Conference game of her career, freshman Nila Blackford had 23 points and nine rebounds to lead all players in Kent State's 66-62 loss Saturday afternoon at Ball State. Kent State freshmen Clare Kelly and Nila Blackford each posted a 20-point scoring performance this past week. Kent State comes home to face-off against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM.
MIAMI
Miami (7-6, 0-1 MAC) split its games this past week as it wrapped up non-conference play and began Mid-American Conference play inside Millett Hall. On Tuesday, the RedHawks defeated Tiffin by an 83-51 margin. Abbey Hoff scored a career-high 18 points to lead the Miami offense while the defense held Tiffin without a field goal for 13:14 during the second and third quarter. The RedHawks fell in the conference opener by an 86-72 margin against Buffalo on Saturday. Lauren Dickerson led the offense with 32 points and broke the school record for career field goals made as she now has 689. Savannah Kluesner recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NIU dropped its MAC opener at Ohio 87-67 on Saturday... It was the Huskies' sixth straight game scoring under 70 points... Gabby Nikitinaite had 16 points off the bench to lead the Huskies, tying a season-high with four threes....Freshman Chelby Koker had 10 points in her first career start... As a team, NIU tied a season-high with 12 three-pointers at Ohio.
OHIO
The Ohio women's basketbal lteam began Mid-American Conference play with a win over Northern Illinois 87-67, on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Erica Johnson and Amani Burke combined for 45 points in the win over NIU. The Bobcats are back in action against Central Michigan at The Convo on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.
TOLEDO
Toledo posted a decisive 33-10 edge in bench points vs. Western Michigan in Saturday's MAC opener, triggered by a season-high 12 points by freshman Sophia Wiard. The Rockets’ reserves have now scored at least 30 points three times this year.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Western Michigan women's basketball team opened Mid-American Conference play with a huge 84-72 victory over the University of Toledo on Saturday, Jan. 4 at University Arena. Four of five Bronco starters had double-digit performances on the day. Leighah-Amori Wool led WMU with an impressive career-high 23 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field, a team high 3-for-5 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Breanna Mobley earned her ninth double-double of the season within the first half of the contest, going on to score a total of 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Broncos travel hit the road for back-to-back Ohio games next week, facing University of Akron on Wednesday, Jan. 8 and Kent State University on Saturday, Jan. 11.