Every team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) is in the same spot as last week and the standings are still so close that no seeds have been decided with just two games left to go.
However, Saturday wasn’t completely useless in figuring out the final MAC Tournament bracket. Many teams now have limited options for where they could potentially finish and who they could play in the first round.
Additionally, the bubble teams are as close as ever thanks to a Northern Illinois upset win. The final two spots in Cleveland may very well come down to the final game of the year next week.
Top-Seed Contenders
1. Ball State (22-7, 14-2 MAC)
The Cardinals put up a defensive clinic in their 55-45 victory over Western Michigan, grabbing 45 rebounds and only giving up 10 points at halftime.
Offensively, senior forward Alex Richard accounted for more than half of the Cardinals’ points, scoring a career-high 29.
Ball State plays Buffalo and Ohio to end the year this week. One win will clinch the top seed in the MAC Tournament for the Cardinals. Ball State could be the two-seed if they lose both games and Buffalo or Toledo win both of their games.
2. Buffalo (23-5, 12-4 MAC)
Buffalo kept their first-place hopes alive with a 17-point beatdown against Eastern Michigan.
Senior guard Chellia Watson continues to help the Bulls dominate, scoring at least 20 points for the seventh time in the last ten games against the Eagles.
Buffalo faces Ball State and Western Michigan this week with the opportunity to get the one-seed with a sweep. Buffalo also needs Ball State to lose their remaining two games to pass them up.
3. Toledo (21-6, 12-4 MAC)
The Rockets beat Central Michigan (CMU) by 10 to remain in third place. Toledo scored 80 points in the win and had three players score over 15 points.
The Rockets are under the same scenario as Buffalo to snatch the one seed from Ball State. The only difference is that Toledo also needs Buffalo to lose at least one game to have a shot.
If Toledo loses against Northern Illinois on Wednesday, their Saturday matchup against Kent State could decide who gets the third and fourth seeds. Toledo would play rival Bowling Green in the first round of the MAC Tournament if they remain the third seed.
Clinched to Cleveland
4. Kent State (19-10, 11-5 MAC)
Kent State has turned their team back into a legitimate MAC title contender after walloping Akron by 20 to win their third straight game.
The Golden Flashes lead the conference in points and are second in rebounds, making them a team no one should want to face in the first round.
Currently, Kent State would face Miami in the first round, a team they have split the season series with. The Golden Flashes could finish as high as second if they beat Toledo and Bowling Green but could go down to fifth with two losses.
5. Miami (18-9, 10-6 MAC)
Miami’s offense struggled again on Saturday but backup sophomore guard Lakresha Edwards stepped up to help the team come away with a 62-53 win over Ohio.
The win separates Miami from Bowling Green by a game and means that they will either finish in fourth, fifth, or sixth place depending on what they do against Central Michigan and Northern Illinois down the stretch.
6. Bowling Green (16-12, 9-7 MAC)
The Falcons had a disappointing double overtime loss in DeKalb against NIU on Saturday. Bowling Green headed into the fourth quarter up by 13 but couldn’t stop NIU graduate student guard Chelby Koker in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The loss ends the Falcons’ five-game winning streak and limits Bowling Green to either a fifth or sixth-place finish.
Bowling Green needs to beat Kent State and Eastern Michigan to become the fifth seed in the MAC Tournament. Being the fifth seed would likely mean a Miami or Kent State matchup in the first round.
A 1-1 or 0-2 end to the season would put the Orange & Brown in sixth and set up a likely matchup against Toledo.
Bubble Teams
7. Central Michigan (12-16, 7-9 MAC)
The Chippewas lost 80-70 against Toledo. Although CMU’s dynamic freshman duo, guard Madi Morson and power forward Ayanna-Sarai Darrington each scored over 20 points, senior guard Jess Lawson was held to just 5 points and 3 rebounds by the Rockets’ defense.
Although CMU’s record has slipped, they remain in seventh place thanks to Western Michigan’s recent struggles.
CMU has Miami and Akron remaining on the schedule. Beating Miami on Wednesday would only clinch a spot for the Chippewas if NIU or WMU lose. Two wins this week would also clinch CMU a spot in the tournament.
There are two ways the Chippewas won’t make the tournament:
- If CMU loses both games and WMU/NIU wins at least one game each.
- If CMU goes 1-1 and WMU/NIU BOTH wins out.
8. Western Michigan (11-16. 7-9 MAC)
WMU’s 10-point loss to Ball State keeps the Broncos in eighth place. To move up to seventh and avoid a likely rematch with Ball State in the first round, Western Michigan must win both of their remaining two games against Ohio and Buffalo and hope that CMU loses one of their two remaining games.
WMU can clinch a spot in the MAC Tournament on Wednesday with a win against Ohio and an NIU loss.
The Broncos have a little tougher situation than CMU as they will be left out of the tournament if any of the following scenarios occur:
- WMU lose out and NIU wins at least one game
- WMU goes 1-1, NIU wins out AND CMU wins at least one game
9. Northern Illinois (13-15, 6-10 MAC)
The Huskies held Bowling Green’s often potent bench to just four points on their way to a potentially season-saving upset win.
Northern Illinois guard Chelby Koker scored a season-high 28 points in the victory and she now ranks 12th in the MAC in points (13.5 per game).
The Huskies play Toledo and Miami to end the year and need to win at least one game to have a slim shot at making the eighth seed.
NIU by far has the toughest shot to make the tournament and will be eliminated from contention if any of the following situations happen:
- NIU loses out
- NIU goes 1-1 and WMU/CMU wins at least one game
- NIU wins out and WMU/CMU each win out
Eliminated
10. Ohio (6-21, 4-12 MAC)
Ohio will finish either in 10th or 11th place this season after losing a close 62-53 game against Miami.
Sophomore guard Bailey Tabeling led the Bobcats with 17 points in the loss.
The Bobcats will try and play spoiler against Ball State and WMU to end their 2025 campaign.
11. Akron (9-20, 3-13 MAC)
Akron women’s basketball has the same amount of conference wins (3) as their recently crowned MAC Champion swim and dive team has this year. The difference is that the swim & dive team plays 23 fewer games than women’s basketball.
2025 has been disappointing, to say the least for Akron. Once 3-1 in the MAC, Akron has lost 13 straight games now after getting blown out against Kent State on Saturday.
The Zips face EMU and CMU to end their season.
12. Eastern Michigan (2-25, 1-15 MAC)
EMU lost their 25th game of the season on Saturday against Buffalo. The Eagles will certainly finish last in the MAC standings, making them the only team to know where they will end up.
The Eagles’ biggest question is whether or not they will be able to keep junior power forward Sisi Eleko next season.
She is undoubtedly one of the best players in the MAC this year and it would be devastating for the Eagles program to lose her in the transfer portal.
EMU will take on Akron and Bowling Green to end a season that will go down as the worst in EMU women’s basketball history.
