Mid-American Conference

Bowling Green senior forward Alexis Rogers led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals as the Falcons went 2-0 on the road to capture the MAC regular-season championship outright. Rogers averaged 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and a whopping 6.5 steals per game as BG topped Miami, 73-56, before winning at Akron by a 77-76 score to finish MAC play with a 17-1 record and a league championship.  In the Miami game, Rogers was 7-of-11 from the field en route to a game-high 21 points. She also had six steals, just one shy of her career high. Rogers scored 11-straight points in the game, with the last eight points of the first half and the first three of the second, taking the Falcons from a two-point deficit to a 33-24 lead. On Saturday at Akron, Rogers led all players in points, rebounds and steals, with 23 points, 15 boards and seven steals. The steals total tied her career best, and the rebound total included nine at the offensive end of the court. On the season, Rogers leads the Falcons in scoring and ranks second in rebounding, with 14.9 points and 8. 2 boards per contest. She is eighth in the league in scoring, ninth in rebounds and second in the MAC in field-goal percentage (53.4%). In MAC games only, she finished the conference schedule ranked fifth in the league in scoring and sixth in rebounding, with 16.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg. She was third in the MAC in free-throw pct., fourth in FG pct. and tied for fourth in steals.  The Falcons are 27-3 overall, and BG finished at 17-1 in the MAC. BGSU takes a 13-game winning streak into this weekend’s MAC Tournament.

 

Senior Natachia Watkins averaged a double-double with 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in 36.0 minutes of work this week. In the senior day overtime victory over Central Michigan, Watkins led all players with a season-best 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds and five steals. She scored 11 of those points in the second half as the Eagles rallied from a 14-point deficit to force overtime. Her eight free throws in the contest also tied her career-best as the double-double effort was the 13th of her career. A game prior at Toledo, Watkins grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss.

 

Hanna Luburgh shot 51.6 percent from the field and averaged 20 points per game in Akron's last two games against Buffalo and Bowling Green last week. In the Zips' seventh-straight road victory over Buffalo, Luburgh scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half. Playing with four fouls, the senior knocked down a triple from deep in the left corner to give Akron a three-point lead with 1:57 remaining in the game. She also added three steals and did not commit a turnover in 35 minutes on the floor. Luburgh was clutch against Bowling Green as well, putting Akron ahead two different times in the last 1:37 of the game, hitting a baseline jumper and two free throws. She picked up her eighth double-double of the year against the Falcons with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Luburgh finishes the regular season at the top of the MAC in scoring, averaging 22.1 points per game in conference play. 

 

Fontaine helped Ball State end the MAC regular season this week with wins over Northern Illinois and Toledo.  After scoring 26 points in a 69-56 win over Toledo (March 8),  Nathalie Fontaine has scored in double digits 52 times out of 59 career games.  Fontaine has 906 points for her career as a sophomore and needs 94 to reach 1,000.  Fontaine became just the second Ball State player in program history to reach 900 points by the end of her sophomore year.  Tamara Bowie (1999-2003) was the first to accomplish the feat with 943.  She has scored over 20 points in a game 10 times this season.  Against the Rockets, Fontaine scored nine points with just five minutes shaved off the clock to start the second half and put the Cardinals up by 17 (36-21) at the 14:39 mark. Fontaine scored 22 points in the second half alone Saturday.  Fontaine also helped Ball State to a 67-57 win over Northern Illinois Wednesday after scoring seven points while also pulling down seven rebounds along with adding two blocks to the victory.

 

Junior forward Kristen Sharkey played a big role in helping the Bulls lock up its highest seed ever in the MAC tournament, averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds over a pair of games in the final week of the regular season. Sharkey would score 20 points on 9-16 shooting with 11 rebounds (six offensive) and four steals against Akron on Wednesday. Then on Saturday, with the team needing a win to lock up the fourth seed, Sharkey would score 17 points with eight rebounds and a career-high five steals in the 64-51 win. She finishes the 2013-14 regular season with career high averages of 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds.

 

Central Michigan junior Crystal Bradford put the final touches on her resume for Player of the Year, recording a pair of double-doubles while averaging 18.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. The junior set the program's single-season scoring record with 588 points, breaking Jody Beerman's near 30-year record. Bradford scored 19 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out six assists in the Chippewas' home finale against Western Michigan, capping a perfect 11-0 home record for the Maroon and Gold. She scored 18 points and pulled down 19 rebounds on Saturday, breaking the single-season scoring record in the process. She has posted a double-double in nine-straight contests and a league-high 22 games, while pulling down at least 12 rebounds in 21 of those games. Bradford finished the regular season ranked first in the MAC in rebounding (12.2), second in steals (2.7), third in scoring (20.3) and blocked shots (1.3) and fourth in assists (4.6).

 

The senior led the way for the Golden Flashes in the final two games of the regular season, averaging 16 points in the two contests.  In the win over Ohio, Evans sunk all four of her attempts at the free-throw line in the final minute of the game to ensure a win for Kent State.  Against Buffalo, she had three steals to help the Flashes’ defense efforts to keep the game close for the majority. Evans was on the court for 38 and 37 minutes, respectively, in the two games.

 

Hannah Robertson continued her fantastic senior season by leading Miami in scoring in both games this past week. She shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) from the field in averaging 18.5 points per game. She score 19 points and brought in six rebounds against MAC Champion Bowling Green on Wednesday. She was 9-for-14 from the field. Robertson followed that up with 18 more points and four rebounds in leading the RedHawks to a victory over Ohio on Saturday. She finished with two assists, two steals and three blocks during the week.

 

Lampkins led Ohio University (9-20, 4-14 MAC) last week, tallying 16.5 points. She scored a team-high 16 points last Wednesday (March 5) against Kent State and followed it up by totaling 17 points at Miami on Saturday (March 8) with a 5-for-10 effort from the field and sinking all seven of her free throws. 

 

Junior Inma Zanoguera averaged a double-double in two games last week, tallying a team-high 15.5 points, a squad-best 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Zanoguera shot a team-best 60.0 percent (12-of-20) from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in a squad-high 35.5 minutes per contest. The third-year Rocket opened the week with 20 points, 14 boards and a season-tying best five helpers against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. Three days later versus the Cardinals, the 2012-13 third-team All-MAC honoree totaled 11 points and 12 caroms. She has now posted double-doubles in six of the last nine games and on a team-high nine occasions this