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Sports TwitterWOMEN'S BASKETBALL MAC POSTSEASON
Parity should make this year's tourney a wide-open affair
The Miami RedHawks, with 20 wins, will face the winner of Western Michigan vs. Akron.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
OXFORD — The Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament will begin today, March 9, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
That's just the start of what could be an interesting battle for the MAC's automatic NCAA tournament berth.
Extras
"There's a lot of parity," said Miami University coach Maria Fantanarosa, whose team is one of the favorites. "That's a credit to the MAC and the coaches in this conference. It's closed a lot of gaps and kept teams from dominating."
All 12 teams compete in the MAC tournament, six from the East Division and six from the West Division. The top two teams in each division receive a first-round bye.
The following are the seeds by division:
East Division
1. Bowling Green (24-6): The Falcons are riding a nine-game winning streak and figure to be the team to beat in the MAC title chase.
2. Miami (20-10): The RedHawks have won three straight games and nine of their last 10. The only loss came Feb. 23 at home against Bowling Green (81-66).
3. Ohio (17-12): The Bobcats have lost three of their last five games, though Fantanarosa said if you're looking for a sleeper among the teams without a first-round bye, this is the one.
4. Buffalo (15-14): The Bulls have won three of their last four games.
5. Kent State (8-20): The Golden Flashes haven't been victorious in their last three contests.
6. Akron (7-23): The Zips are mired in an eight-game losing streak.
West Division
1. Ball State (15-14): The Cardinals were winners in their last five games.
2. Eastern Michigan (17-11): The Eagles are on a three-game winning streak and have registered seven victories in their last nine contests.
3. Western Michigan (12-18): The Broncos are riding a three-game losing streak.
4. Northern Illinois (10-17): Another squad on a three-game losing streak.
5. Toledo (12-15): The Rockets had lost seven in a row before closing the regular season with two wins.
6. Central Michigan (6-22): The Chippewas have lost their last four games.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194 or rcassano@coxohio.com.
