Wednesday's Scoreboard
Ball State 69, Central Michigan 66
Miami 73, Western Michigan 64
Ohio 85, Kent State 70
Northern Illinois 79, Bowling Green 78
Buffalo 77, Akron 55
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
Ball State 69, Central Michigan 66
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Over the years the team to beat in the Mid-American Conference, especially on the road, has notably been Central Michigan.
So the last thing ninth-year head coach Brady Sallee wrote on the board prior to the start of Wednesday's contest was "Points in the Paint." That stat would go a long way toward determining the winner of this game.
Well, Ball State won that category, 34-28, earning the Cardinals (9-5, 7-3 MAC) a 69-66 victory over the Chippewas (10-4, 8-4 MAC) in McGuirk Arena.
Defense played a big factor as well, especially late in the third quarter of play. The Cardinals found themselves down by nine points (51-41) to the Chippewas at the 4:25 mark of the third.
A media timeout late in the quarter was a pivotal moment for the Cardinals. Sallee said his team had a good moment during the timeout and had to do a bit of self-checking. Clearly the Cardinals did just that.
After the timeout, Ball State became the aggressor and turned the tide by putting together a 17-4 run that carried into the final frame.
Senior forward Oshlynn Brown made some nice moves under the basket while also getting some help from redshirt sophomore Anna Clephane in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Clephane made a jumper at the 9:05 mark to give BSU its first lead of the contest, 53-52.
Ball State's defense was pretty much impeccable in the fourth stanza, holding CMU to only 13 points.
The Chippewas did fight back to tie the game at 64-64, but the Cardinals, who had been in this position in each of the past four games — all wins — were not going to let this one get away either.
Ball State leaned on sophomore guard Sydney Freeman who was sent to the line twice with seconds left. She made all four free throws to secure the team's fifth-straight victory.
Brown led Ball State in scoring (25) and rebounding (11) for the 40th double-double of her career. She was followed by Clephane who finished the game with 14 points. Freeman chipped in 12, while junior forward Thelma Dis Agustsdottir rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10.
The Ball State women's basketball team continues Mid-American Conference action Saturday when it hosts Akron for a 4 p.m. ET tipoff in Worthen Arena.
Miami 73, Western Michigan 64
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio – Sophomore Peyton Scott's career-high 37 points led the Miami University women's basketball team to a 73-64 win over the Western Michigan Broncos on Wednesday evening at Millett Hall. The win improves Miami to 2-14 overall and 1-11 in Mid-American Conference play. WMU falls to 2-11, 1-10 MAC.
Scott was joined in double figures by senior Kelly McLaughlin (10) and freshman Katie Davidson (10). Scott also led the team with 10 rebounds and added five steals and two assists. Her 37 points ranks as the sixth-most in school history, tied with Lauren Dickerson's 37 in 2019 versus Eastern Kentucky.
Ohio 85, Kent State 70
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio women's basketball team (10-5, 8-4 MAC) took down Kent State (5-3, 4-1 MAC) at home, 85-70, on Wednesday evening at the Convocation Center.
"We're starting to win because we're playing together as a team," head coach Bob Boldon said. "That's really exciting. We're beginning to become better than the sum of our parts. To see that growth is very exciting."
Ohio was led by senior guard Cece Hooks (Dayton, Ohio), who had 29 points, nine assists, seven steals, six rebounds in 34 minutes on the floor before fouling out with 5:51 remaining. Hooks is averaging 30.1 points per game in her last six outings.
Senior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) posted a season-high 22 points and five rebounds. Burris was 6-of-12 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Burris made nine-straight free-throws down the stretch to seal the game for the Bobcats.
"Gabby was fantastic down the stretch," Boldon added. "She was great at rebounding, guarding and making free throws."
Redshirt junior guard Jasmine Hale (Cincinnati, Ohio) produced a career-high 12 points and was +14 in 22 minutes on the floor. Hale was 5-of-7 from the floor and made one three while adding four rebounds.
"I thought the minutes (Jasmine) Hale gave us tonight were great," Boldon said. "Our confidence in her is very high."
Overall, Ohio shot 30-of-61 (49.2 percent) from the field, 6-of-24 (25.0 percent) and 19-of-25 (76.0 percent) from the free-throw line. The Bobcats held Kent State to 27-of-63 (42.9 percent) shooting and 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) from deep.
The Bobcats outrebounded Kent State 37-33, with 10 boards coming on the offensive glass. Redshirt junior guard Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio) had a game-high 10 rebounds added to her seven points.
The Bobcats were up 70-66 when Hooks fouled out of the game. Ohio maintained a four-point lead until the 2:12 mark, when Burris knocked down two free throws. Burris made eight-straight free throws and extended the lead to 82-70 with 49 seconds left.
The Bobcats will return to action on Saturday at Bowling Green. Tip-off is set for noon.
Northern Illinois 79, Bowling Green 78
Box Score
Story Coming Soon...
Buffalo 77, Akron 55
Box Score
AKRON, OH – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team rallied from a 16-point first half deficit to defeat Akron 77-55 on National Women and Girls in Sports Day at James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday night.
Buffalo was led by sophomore Dyaisha Fair who scored a game-high 24 points. Junior forward Zena Elias recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Sophomore Elea Gaba also scored in double figures with 15 points.
It was a sluggish start for the Bulls as Akron opened the game on a 20-4 run before back-to-back baskets by Young and Fair cut the Zips lead to 20-9 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulls would start to find some rhythm to start the second quarter as Fair knocked down a spot up three to cap a 7-2 UB run and force a Zips timeout at the 7:28 mark. Buffalo extended the run to 11-2, taking advantage of a five-plus Zips scoring drought, to cut the Akron lead to 22-20 at the 5:11 mark. The Bulls would tie the game 24-24 on a free throw from Elias and later, Gaba got a great feed from Fair and converted in the final seconds to give Buffalo a 28-26 lead at the break.
The two teams would trade baskets to start the third quarter before the Bulls ripped off an 8-1 run, capped by back-to-back baskets by Keowa Walters, to take a 38-31 lead at the five minute mark. Walters would continue to attack as she knocked down a step-back jumper in the paint and later, Jessika Schiffer spotted up for three, to give UB a 45-33 lead at the 2:23 mark and Buffalo would take a 49-39 lead at the end of three quarters of play.
Schiffer continued to heat up from deep to start the fourth quarter as she knocked down a triple from the top of the key to give UB a 54-51 lead, and force a Zips timeout at the 8:14 mark. The Bulls then scored on their next four possessions, including six points from Fair, to take a 61-47 lead at the 6:25 mark and the Zips would get no closer than 16 as Buffalo closed the game on a 10-4 run, capped by a three-pointer from Casey Valenti-Paea in her first minutes as a Bull, to seal the victory.
The 16-point deficit was the largest overcome by the Bulls this season. Buffalo is now a perfect 51-0 over the last four-plus years when holding opponents to 59 points or less, including 3-0 this season. The Bulls once again won the battle in the paint 38-26 and outrebounded the Zips 49-45, including 16 offensive rebounds which UB turned into 15 second chance points. Buffalo also scored 24 points off of 19 Akron turnovers.
"What a great team win," said head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. "Our backs were against the wall but when I looked out on the floor no one showed any signs of panic. More players are stepping up at the right time. I can't say enough about how Jazmine, Zena and Keowa stepped up off the bench and they are complimenting the ones who are doing well. It's not a one-person team. It's our family against their team."
Buffalo returns to action on Saturday, February 6, as they welcome Eastern Michigan to Alumni Arena at 1pm in the first game of a doubleheader with the UB men.
