RebKell's Junkie Boards

[Joe Foss]

Quarterfinal day for the MAC at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, and a big day for bubble teams. Charlie Creme still has 3 MAC teams making it in, but two - Ohio and Buffalo - will almost certainly need strong tournament performances to claim a spot. The third - Central Michigan - looks to be in no matter what. All games are on ESPN+.

12:00 P.M. EDT - #1 Central Michigan (15-3) vs. #9 Eastern Michigan (6-12). It's hard to see the Chips having much trouble in this game, unless they're looking ahead to a possible semifinal matchup with Buffalo.

2:30 P.M. - #4 Buffalo (12-6) vs. #5 Kent State (11-7). My pick for most likely upset. As Cierra Dillard goes, so goes Buffalo, but the current starting lineup doesn't give her much offensive help. Freshman Finess Dickson has started at point for the past several games, but she is basically a non-scorer whose value is defensive quickness. Adebola Adeyeye, another freshman, provides size and rebounding but not many points. That leaves lots of help available to make life tough for Dillard. Kent State has capable freshmen who can score in PG Asiah Dingle and post Lindsay Thall, but it is the late development of 6'4" senior Merissa Barber-Smith, a rebounding machine who has started to score points, who is the key to the Flashes' hopes.

5:00 P.M. - #2 Ohio (14-4) vs. #7 Northern Illinois (10-8). The Bobcats picked up a fairly easy road win against the Huskies early in the conference season, but since then their shooting percentage has declined, particularly their trademark threes. And Ohio has not been able to get out of the quarterfinal round in the past couple of years. Still, Ohio has had good road wins at Buffalo, CMU and Miami, and should have enough to move on this year against NIU, especially if they can keep leading scorer Mikayla Voigt under control.

7:30 P.M. - #3 Miami (13-5) vs. #6 Toledo (11-7). The RedHawks slumped late, losing the #1 seed they had held for much of the season. Toledo has been unpredictable and has struggled offensively, with good wins against CMU and Ohio, but two close losses against Miami. A classic pick'em.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[summertime blues]

ESPN+, which you gotta pay for. Oh well, I'm spending my afternoon at the dentist, a suitably penitential activity for (Orthodox) Ash Wednesday.

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[huskiemaniac]

bah

[huskiemaniac]

[Shades]

Looks like Presley Hudson needed a buzzer beating three to bring the game to OT.

_________________
Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned

[huskiemaniac]

Hudson does it again! Hits a 3 at the buzzer to force OT.

EMU for some reason strayed from its successful strategy of fouling when ahead by 3. They did it thrice, and each time all FTs were made. It came down to EMU being up 3 with 5.5

CMU inbounded with no TOs left, and Hudson went the length, and to the arc, and got a great look and swished the 3.

Why EMU didn't foul is beyond me.

[huskiemaniac]

Hudson nails another 3 to extend to an 80-75 lead w/ 2:00 left.

[huskiemaniac]

Annecchiarico responds with a 3 for EMU.

80-78 1:48 TO EMU

[SpaceJunkie]

[huskiemaniac]

No way...Hudson forces a left-handed 15 ft.er for 2.

EMU scores, 82-80.

Hudson scores again, 84-80.

EMU misses, Hudson is fouled and makes both. CMU 17-19 FTs, 86-80.

EMU misses, Hudson fouled again. 6.9. Makes both. 88-80 F

Did this result keep Tenn alive?

[huskiemaniac]

[SpaceJunkie]

[SpaceJunkie]

[Joe Foss]

All four games are over, and the seeding has held so far.

CMU 88, EMU 80
UB 85, Kent State 52
Ohio 72, NIU 56
Miami 72, UT 54

The CMU/EMU game was definitely the best of the day. Why EMU didn't foul in the backcourt up by three with about five seconds to go in regulation is a mystery to me too. Presley Hudson is about the last person in the world I'd want to give a chance at a game-tying 3 in that situation, but that's exactly what EMU did, and she made them pay.

The semifinals are on Friday, with CMU/Buffalo at 11:00 A.M. and Ohio/Miami at 1:30 P.M. ESPN+ for both games again.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[myrtle]

I wasn't available to see this today. Sounds like a real doozie. I've watched CMU enough to know that you don't want to have the ball in Hudson's hands if you are the opposition. It's too bad she doesn't have the quickness to play at the next level, but she's a lot of fun to watch where she's at.

_________________
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman

[Joe Foss]

Eastern Michigan head coach Fred Castro took the blame for deciding not to foul on the last possession in overtime.

"This game really falls on me. I should have continued fouling down the stretch towards the end and we didn't. We had a defensive play call that we wanted to execute, we didn't execute it, but we should have just kept it simple and that completely falls on me."

"Well, everybody knew Hudson was going to get it, so we made it clear
to them, don't let her catch. We're pretty good with our athleticism so, when we say "no catch," that person doesn't catch it. With five seconds to go, if someone else has to bring it up, I don't believe they can make it.
The fact they didn't have a timeout, it was broken basketball. We had five guards out there, we were able to switch everything. We thought, you know, that's how we envisioned it playing itself out. Now, obviously as soon as she caught it, it changes the dynamics in a hurry."

Eastern Michigan is loaded with good freshmen and sophomores, and I think they have a pretty good coach as well. They'll probably have a much improved record next year.

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Ohio Bobcats WBB Fan

[stever]

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2019/03/preview-womens-basketball-and-buffalo-collide-again-in-mac-tounrament-sue-guevara-presley-hudson-reyna-frost-03-14-19

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Women's Basketball Daily
Celebrating the Women's Game Since 2005
WBBDaily Mobile Edition

[huskiemaniac]

CMU leads 29-28 H

Bulls are 0-10 from 3.

[huskiemaniac]

Bulls lead after 3, 62-53

[huskiemaniac]

22-5 run and CMU leads 68-64. Kelly with 7 consecutive pts and a Hudson 3; TO Buffalo.

[huskiemaniac]

Dillard 3 gives the lead back to the Bulls, 71-70.

Now 3:00 left

[huskiemaniac]

Kelly and Dillard trade 3pt plays, then Hall drills a 3, 77-73 Bulls, 1:29

btw, there is no "old-fashioned 3pt play". There is the 3pt play, and a 3 pt shot.

[huskiemaniac]

Kelly makes a nice drive and dish to Frost for the hoop; then Dillard scores on a tough drive, then Watters turns it over on a forced bad pass.

12.1 79-75 Buff, Buff possession.

[myrtle]

exciting finish. looks like buffalo will pull it out. I would say they also got just a few pretty important calls that went their way.

_________________
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman

[huskiemaniac]

Bulls prevail, 82-77

They'll play the winner of 2 Ohio vs 3 Miami (Ohio), up next