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Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament
Conference basketball championship
SportBasketball
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Number of teams8
FormatSingle-elimination tournament
Current stadiumRocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Current locationCleveland, Ohio
Played1982–present
Last contest2024
Current championKent State Golden Flashes
Most championshipsBowling Green Falcons (11)
Official websitegetsomemaction.com – Women's Basketball

The Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament is the postseason single-elimination tournament for the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference (MAC). The winner of the tournament receives the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. As of the next MAC tournament in 2021, the top eight teams in conference play will qualify for the tournament.[1]

Format

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On May 12, 2020, the MAC announced a series of changes to its competitive format in multiple sports in response to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic; these changes took effect in the 2020–21 school year and will remain in place through at least 2023–24. With respect to men's and women's basketball, the MAC abandoned its divisional format for a single league table, increased the conference schedule from 18 to 20 games, and reduced the conference tournament field to 8. All qualifying teams will continue to play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, and the men's and women's tournaments will continue to run concurrently.[1]

Through the 2020 edition, canceled in progress due to COVID-19, the tournament involved all 12 conference members. In 2019 and 2020, the top four seeds received byes into the quarterfinals; all other teams started play in the first round at campus sites. The survivors of these games joined the top four seeds in Cleveland for the remainder of the tournament. This structure was used in the MAC men's tournament from 2016 to 2020.

From 2012 to 2018, the No. 1 and 2 seeds earned a "double-bye" to the semifinals, with the No. 3 and 4 seeds beginning tournament play in the quarterfinals. Teams seeded 5–12 had to play an additional two rounds, beginning with campus-site games in the first round. All other games were at the venue now known as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which has served as the regular host for the men's tournament since 2000. When the MAC adopted this format, it abandoned a former practice of awarding the top two seeds to its divisional winners. Teams were (and still are) seeded based on conference record, regardless of their place in their division — though no division champion was seeded lower than fourth.[2]

In the previous tournament format, teams were seeded per division by conference record using a series of specified tiebreakers when necessary. The top two seeds in each division received byes into the quarterfinals.

Starting in 2021 only the top eight teams qualify and the entire tournament has been played in Cleveland.[3]

Yearly results

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[4]

Year Champion Score Runner-up Most Valuable Player
1982 Miami (1) 58–56 Northern Illinois (3) none
1983 Central Michigan (3) 78–73 Miami (1) none
1984 Central Michigan (1) 71–65 Toledo (3) Latanga Cox, Central Michigan
1985 Western Michigan (2) 73–63 Central Michigan (1) Tracy Wells, Western Michigan
1986 Ohio (1) 92–85 OT Central Michigan (3) Caroline Mast, Ohio
1987 Bowling Green (1) 63–62 Central Michigan (2) Stephanie Coe, Bowling Green
1988 Bowling Green (1) 70–53 Western Michigan (2) Jackie Motycka, Bowling Green
1989 Bowling Green (1) 90–51 Toledo (2) Paulette Backstrom, Bowling Green
1990 Bowling Green (3) 84–63 Miami (1) Angie Bonner, Bowling Green
1991 Toledo (1) 93–66 Central Michigan (2) Dana Drew, Toledo
1992 Toledo (1) 78–57 Kent State (3) Dana Drew, Toledo
1993 Bowling Green (1) 96–68 Kent State (3) Lori Albers, Bowling Green
1994 Bowling Green (1) 74–63 Toledo (2) Michelle Shade, Bowling Green
1995 Toledo (2) 79–65 OT Miami (4) Angela Drake, Toledo
Dana Drew, Toledo
1996 Toledo (2) 73–66 Kent State (1) Mimi Olson, Toledo
1997 Toledo (1) 88–64 Kent State (2) Mimi Olson, Toledo
1998 Kent State (1) 64–56 Toledo (3) Dawn Zerman, Kent State
1999 Toledo (1) 65–50 Kent State (2) Kim Knuth, Toledo
2000 Kent State (1) 74–60 Toledo (3) Julie Studer, Kent State
2001 Toledo (1) 74–65 OT Kent State (2) Kahli Carter, Toledo
2002 Kent State (1) 73–59 Ball State (2) Andrea Csaszar, Kent State
2003 Western Michigan (4) 81–76 Ball State (3) Casey Rost, Western Michigan
2004 Eastern Michigan (2) 65–56 Bowling Green (4) Ryan Coleman, Eastern Michigan
2005 Bowling Green (1) 81–75 Kent State (2) Kate Achter, Bowling Green
2006 Bowling Green (1E) 64–38 Kent State (2E) Ali Mann, Bowling Green
2007 Bowling Green (1E) 67–53 Ball State (1W) Carin Horne, Bowling Green
2008 Miami (2E) 67–56 Ohio (3E) Amanda Jackson, Miami
2009 Ball State 55–51 Bowling Green Tracy Pontius, Bowling Green
2010 Bowling Green 62–53 Toledo Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green
2011 Bowling Green 51–46 Eastern Michigan Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green
2012 Eastern Michigan 72–71 Central Michigan Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan
2013 Central Michigan 86–68 Akron Crystal Bradford, Central Michigan
2014 Akron (3) 79–68 Ball State (5) Rachel Tecca, Akron
2015 Ohio (1) 76–64 Eastern Michigan (6) Kiyanna Black, Ohio
2016 Buffalo (8) 73–71 OT Central Michigan (2) Stephanie Reid, Buffalo
2017 Toledo (6) 82–71 Northern Illinois (4) Mikaela Boyd, Toledo
2018 Central Michigan (1) 96–91 Buffalo (2) Reyna Frost, Central Michigan
2019 Buffalo (4) 77–61 Ohio (2) Cierra Dillard, Buffalo[5]
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[6]
2021 Central Michigan (2) 77–72 Bowling Green (1) Micaela Kelly, Central Michigan[7]
2022 Buffalo (2) 79–75 Ball State (5) Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo[8]
2023 Toledo (1) 73–58 Bowling Green (2) Quinesha Lockett, Toledo[9]
2024 Kent State (3) 78–60 Buffalo (4) Shumate Katie, Kent State

Performance by school

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Club Winners Winning Years
Bowling Green
11
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011
Toledo
9
1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2017, 2023
Central Michigan
5
1983, 1984, 2013, 2018, 2021
Kent State
4
1998, 2000, 2002, 2024
Buffalo
3
2016, 2019, 2022
Miami
2
1982, 2008
Western Michigan
2
1985, 2003
Eastern Michigan
2
2004, 2012
Ohio
2
1986, 2015
Ball State
1
2009
Akron
1
2014

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Strack, Jordan (May 12, 2020). "Major changes coming to Mid-American Conference". Toledo, OH: WTOL. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  2. ^ "MAC changes its basketball tournament format, adds emphasis to regular season and protects teams with NCAA tournament at-large chances". 18 August 2011.
  3. ^ "MAC eliminating and scaling back postseason tournaments". ABC News. May 12, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  4. ^ "Mid-American Conference women's basketball championship history". FOX News. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  5. ^ "NO. 4 BUFFALO UPSETS NO. 2 OHIO FOR SECOND TITLE IN THREE YEARS". Mid-American Conference Conference. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Wright, Branson (March 12, 2020). "Mid-American Conference cancels basketball tournament in Cleveland because of coronavirus concerns". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  7. ^ "FIRE UP CHAMPS: Central Michigan Wins MAC Women's Basketball Title". Mid-American Conference Conference.
  8. ^ "Bull-ieve It: Buffalo Wins 2022 MAC Women's Basketball Championship". Mid-American Conference Conference. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  9. ^ "Toledo Wins MAC Women's Basketball Title". Mid-American conference. March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.