Kent State: 15-7, (8-3) – The Golden Flashes are currently in second place in the MAC East and are just one of the many teams trying to keep up with the Falcons. Since losing at Western Michigan on Feb. 4, the Flashes have rattled off two wins in a row – 68-65 at home over Ball State (13-9) and 68-58 on the road at Northern Illinois (9-13). Kent will look to build on its current momentum this week with a game at home tomorrow against Ohio and a road game Saturday at Akron.
Did You Know?: Senior Forward Lindsay Shearer leads the MAC in scoring with 19.9 points per game. On Feb. 9, Shearer was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team by CoSIDA. This is the third year in a row that she has received this honor. The Golden Flashes team as a whole leads the MAC in defensive rebounds with 26.68 per game.
Ohio: 7-15, (4-7) – The Bobcats have not been performing well in the last two weeks, as they have dropped their last four games in a row, the most recent loss being an 81-49 blowout at home against Toledo (9-12) on Saturday. OU’s schedule is not getting any easier, and it will look to get it together this week with games at Kent State tomorrow and Miami (OH) on Saturday.
Did You Know?: Despite the recent losing streak, the Bobcats boast some MAC leaders in a couple of key statistical categories. They lead the conference in free throw percentage (74 percent) and 3-point field-goal percentage (37 percent).
Miami (OH): 7-15, (2-9) – The Redhawks have been struggling in MAC play and are in the middle of a five-game losing skid. Their most recent loss was a 78-55 beating at Eastern Michigan (16-6). This was also the MAC Women’s TV Game of the Week, televised on networks throughout Ohio, Michigan, Chicago and Buffalo. Miami will try to turn its fortunes around this week with a game at Buffalo on Valentine’s Day before returning home for a game against Ohio on Saturday.
Did You Know?: Miami likes to attack the glass, and the stat sheets certainly prove it. The Redhawks lead the MAC in Offensive Rebounds Per Game with 15.95 and sport the top rebounding offense in the conference, pulling down 40.7 boards a game.
Buffalo: 7-15, (2-9) – The Bulls mirror the Redhawks in that they not only have the same record, but they are both currently in the middle of losing streaks. The big difference for Buffalo is that their losing streak has been longer (seven games). The Bulls have not been able to put it together in the past month and a half, as they have dropped nine of their last 11 games. This week they will look to get some love (and a win) at home on Valentine’s Day against Miami (OH) before heading to Athens for a Saturday night game against Ohio.
Did You Know?: Sophomore Heather Turner has been very effective offensively for the Bulls this season. The 6-foot forward leads the MAC in both offensive rebounds (4.0 per game) and field goal percentage (62 percent).
Akron: 4-18, (1-10) – The Zips are at the bottom of the East standings and are actually, record-wise, the worst team in the entire MAC. Since winning a non-conference game at Lafayette on Dec. 30, the Zips have been in a big funk, losing 10 of their last 11 games, the most recent defeat coming at home against Central Michigan (14-8), 60-44. This week will present two chances for Akron to get something going in the win column, but it definitely will not be easy. The first will be a home contest tomorrow against BGSU, a team that hasn’t lost in the MAC. The second chance will come in yet another home game on Saturday against second place Kent State.
Did You Know?: Akron has one of the worst defenses in the entire MAC, but there is still something positive to report on that side of the ball. Senior guard Courtney Stewart is ranked second in the conference in Steals Per Game with 2.91.
