Three-Peat! Bowling Green's Women Claim MAC Title

Three-Peat! Bowling Green's Women Claim MAC Title

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Boxscore

 

CLEVELAND? Bowling Green took down the Ball State Cardinals, 67-53, to hand them their sixth loss of the season. The Falcons repeat as Kraft MAC Champions, their third honor in as many years.

 

Ali Mann led the Falcons in scoring with 20 points while Kate Achter added 18 and Carin Horne 11.

 

The Cardinals were led by Kelsey Corbin with 15  points and Porchia Green added 15 as well.

 

The Bowling Green senior class of Liz Honegger, Ali Mann, Carin Horne, Megan Thorburn, Amber Flynn and Julie Gompers are now 101-24 since they started at Bowling Green.

 

The Ball State Cardinals jumped on the board first but the Bowling Green Falcons got right back into the action on a three-pointer from Ali Mann, who began a 7-2 run for the Falcons in the first four minutes of play.

 

Just 30 seconds in play, the Cardinals’ Lisa Rusche rebounded the ball off a missed jumper by teammate Julie DeMuth and made a successful jumper to give Ball State 2-0 lead.

 

Mann returned with the three-pointer and Kate Achter and Carin Horne added two points a piece for the Falcons.

 

The Cardinals stayed quiet for two minutes before Horne fouled Porchia Green who made two successful free-throws.

 

The Falcons made another run of 11-1 where they saw four different players put up points on the board (Horne, Achter, Amber Flynn and Megan Thorburn).

 

Bowling Green held the Cardinals scoreless for the next minute before Lindsay Goldsberry fouled Kelsey Corbin who nailed both free-throws. A foul by Liz Honegger put Corbin at the line for the second time in two minutes, hitting both again.

 

Green put up a three-pointer after getting the ball from Corbin but the Falcons Thorburn answered with a three-pointer of her own.

 

DeMuth and Corbin got the Cardinals within four with as much time remaining in the game on a jumper and lay up but Amber Flynn drove down the lane and nailed a lay up.

 

After a successful lay up by Mann, Flynn drove back into the paint on good lay up and drew a foul from the Cardinals’ Green. Flynn missed the free-throw but after a defensive rebound by Achter, Flynn got the ball and made another lay up.

 

Bowling Green scored ten of the last twelve points before going into the locker room, leading the Cardinals, 31-18, at the half.

 

Flynn led the Falcons at the half with eight points while Mann added seven. For the Cardinals it was Corbin at the half, leading with seven.

 

BGSU began the scoring drive in the second half on a lay up by Kate Achter. Rusche fired back with a jumper of her own and Achter answered once again with a jumper of her own. Horne was the next Falcon athlete to score, a jumper on a fast break.

 

Ball State’s Green tipped in a Cardinal ball before Rusche fouled Mann who sunk in a free-throw. DeMuth added the next to points for the Cardinals on a jumper before Mann drilled in a three-pointer.

 

The Falcons found themselves up by 19 before Green hit a jumper. DeMuth knocked off two more points from the Falcons lead after dropping in two free-throws. After Green missed a lay up because of a Flynn block, Ball State’s Kalynne got the defensive rebound and made jumper.

 

Achter drove in for a lay up, made the shot, and then was fouled by Proctor. Achter proceeded to drop in the free-throw. After a missed jumper by Proctor and a rebound by Achter, Mann got the ball off an assist from Thorburn. Mann drilled the three pointer, sinking her third three-pointer of the day into the net.

 

Bowling Green found its lead increase to 21 at the mid-way point in the second half after a lay up by Achter.

 

Ball State responded with a jumper by Rusche and then a three-pointer by Green. Audrey McDonald hit two three-pointers in a row to drop their deficit and Corbin added to more with a lay up.

 

In that time, the Falcons saw a lay up and a jumper by Mann as well as a lay up from Flynn. Mann made another lay up after an injury timeout, putting the score, 62-45, with under five minutes remaining.

 

Ball State received a technical on the bench with four minutes remaining, allowing Achter to sink 1-2 free-throws for the Falcons.

 

Although the Cardinals stayed even in scoring against the Falcons, it was all Bowling Green ball the remaining minutes of the game.

 

2007 Tournament MVP

Carin Horne, Bowling Green

 

2007 Kraft MAC All-Tournament Team

Stephanie Raymond, Northern Illinois

Julie DeMuth, Ball State

Kate Achter, Bowling Green

Ali Mann, Bowling Green

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Bowling Green Quotes

Bowling Green Head Coach Curt Miller (opening comment): “I’m running out of things to say about this team. Unbelievable, when everyone counted us out with our depth, our adversity and our injuries. Everyone counted us out, but this team just kept believing in their ability - believing in that locker room and believing in our system. What a performance. After not playing a very crisp semifinal game we came out and were excellent today. Particularly in our defense, we only gave up five baskets in the first half and that set the tone. We just stayed efficient in the second half and that was enough. I can’t say enough about this group, 101 wins now for that senior group in their career. The 29 wins are the most ever in the MAC and Bowling Green history. What a storybook ending for this program and this tremendous senior class.”

 

(on the importance of starting fast): “They (Ball State) are a good front-running team, as you saw in the semifinals. I believe Stephanie Raymond (senior guard from Northern Illinois) probably addressed it yesterday that Northern could not get over the hump once they got behind. We talked about how important the start was for our own physique and to put them on their heels. We are the veteran team but we wanted to also be the front-runner and that was a big part of tonight’s story.”

 

Senior forward Ali Mann (on the quick start): “We knew that we had to get out to a good start. Ball State is a really up-tempo team. Our defense got us some turnovers and that got us some fast break points that got us going early. We hit some shots, we just came out and were aggressive.

 

Senior forward Carin Horne (on being named tournament MVP): “It feels great. This is my first one and I can’t express how great it feels.

 

Junior guard Kate Achter (on going into the NCAA tournament): “One game at a time. We have to wait it out to see who we play and from there prepare like it’s any other game. We have to go over the scouts, go over the plays. We’re going to play hard, play like we have all season and be prepared.”

 

 

Ball State Quotes

Ball State Head Coach Tracy Roller (opening comment): “We are disappointed in the outcome of the game tonight. We really felt like we had an opportunity to do something special. They were the better team tonight. They played really well offensively and we got in a position where we would get close, but we never got over the hump. We came into this game with high expectations and nobody in that locker room is happy with the results.”

 

(on coaching from a deficit): “We just couldn’t get rolling early. When you are trying to fight back it is frustrating. The team, I felt, played with a lot of heart in the second half but when you are playing team that is shooting 60 percent and has been in this spot before, we just couldn’t get over the hump.”

 

(on Bowling Green’s performance): “The thing about Bowling Green is that usually from the start of the game to the first media timeout, that’s their down time. That is usually when they struggle and they didn’t today. Definitely in the last month, and maybe even the whole year, that’s the best I’ve seen them play. I thought they were a in a position that could have been an upset possibility, but they played really well today.”

 

Senior Guard Kelsey Corbin (on the large early deficit):  “I think there were a lot of factors that played into that. They came out and looked like the better team that they are. We were a little lackadaisical here and there, but there is no reason that the 18-3 run couldn’t have been the other way as well. We have to make sure in the future that that doesn’t happen.”

 

(on Bowling Green’s previous championship experience): “I am sure it helped them out, being used to sounds of what goes on here. Being used to the arena, and the fans and just understanding that when you get here you have to play with a toughness and the mentality that they played with tonight.”

 

Junior Guard Julie DeMuth (on the physical nature of the game): “They are physical, but every other team is physical as well. We just didn’t execute today. I think we were tentative at first and that was part of our problem at the beginning, but I think we just didn’t knock down our shots.”

 

 

Notes

#1W Ball State Cardinals (24-6, 13-3)

vs.

#1E Bowling Green Falcons (29-3, 15-1)

 

Final:  

Halftime:  31-18 Bowling Green

 

Bowling Green, Conference Champions

-Four seniors, Mann, Honegger, Thorburn, and Horne have career record of 12-1 at the MAC Tournament in their four years

-Bowling Green 11-2 all-time at the Q in the tournament

-Bowling Green has won nine straight tournament games (all in Cleveland)

-BGSU only championship game loss in the tournament came in 2004 to EMU.

-BGSU is the 19th  overall #1 seed to win the championship game in 26 years.

-BG wins their MAC record ninth title.

-Bowling Green has 33 tournament wins (second behind Toledo with 39)

-Bowling Green has never lost as the #1 seed

-BG has an all-time record of 33-14 in the MAC tournament.

-Curt Miller is now 12-3 all time in the MAC Tournament and 3-1 in championship games

-This was first meeting between Ball State and Bowling Green in the championship game.

-BG is 5-0 all time against Ball State in the MAC tournament

-BG is 38-12 all time against Ball State

-This gives the Falcons a third consecutive Kraft MAC Tournament title and earns BGSU an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament

-BGSU is only the third MAC Tournament 'three-peat' in league history (BGSU won four-straight titles from 1987-90, and Toledo won three in a row from 1995-97)

-The victory gave the Falcons' their 29th win of the season, breaking the school and MAC records set by last year's BG team

-This was the 101st victory since the current senior class arrived on campus, which sets a new school record for wins in a four-year span (career record for the seniors is 101-24)

-BGSU's ninth consecutive win at the Gund/Quicken Loans Arena.

-BGSU starting five of Honegger, Horne, Achter, Mann, and Thorburn are now 30-1 in MAC play and 45-4 overall with this win (only loss in MAC play was to Ohio this year)

-This would have been Ball State’s first-ever MAC Tournament Championship

-The #1 seed is 11-2 all time in the Champion ship game against #2

-This marks the third straight year an Ohio-based team has won the tournament.

-Ball State is now 12-17 all-time in MAC Tournament games and 0-1 in Championship games

-Ball State Head Coach Tracy Roller is now 9-6 in the MAC Tournament

-Ball State is now 6-7 all-time at the Q in the MAC Tournament

-Ball State’s Kelsey Corbin scored her 1000th career point on a layup with 8:02 remaining in the second half

-Ball State’s 18 first-half points is tied for 10th fewest in MAC tournament history

-Bowling Green finished the first half on a 10-2 run over the final 3:34

 

First-half Leaders

            Flynn (BGSU) 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4-5 FG

            Mann (BGSU) 7 points, 3 rebounds (ties career high in three pointers made)

            Corbin (BSU) 7 points, 2 assists, 5-6 FT

Final Statistics

            Horne (BGSU) 11 points on 5-6 FG, 5 rebounds

            Mann (BGSU) 20 points, 5 rebounds, 8-13 FG, 3-6 3-pt. FG

            Achter (BGSU) 18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists

            Flynn (BGSU) 10 points, 7 rebounds

            Green (BSU) 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-4 3-pt. FG

            Corbin (BSU) 15 points, 3 assists, 7-10 FT

 

 

MAC All-Tournament Team

            Stephanie Raymond (NIU)

            Julie DeMuth (BSU)

            Kate Achter (BGSU)

            Ali Mann (BGSU)

            Carin Horne (BGSU) * Tournament MVP

 

Ali Mann’s third MAC All-Tournament Team

Kate Achter’s third MAC All-Tournament Team

Carin Horne’s first MAC All-Tournament Team