Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green Wins Seventh MAC Tournament Title, Defeating Kent State 81-75
March 13, 2005 | Women's Basketball
March 12, 2005
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
CLEVELAND (AP) -
By JOE MILICIA
Associated Press Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) - Bowling Green's players fumbled with the scissors and weren't sure how to cut down the net after winning the Mid-American Conference tournament Saturday.
After all, it has been 11 years since the Falcons have had the chance.
Freshman Kate Achter scored 21 points, Liz Honegger added 20 and the top-seeded Falcons overcame a MAC tournament-record 44 points from Kent State's Lindsay Shearer to win 81-75 Saturday, earning an NCAA tournament berth.
Shearer scored 31 points in the second half, but couldn't prevent Bowling Green from claiming its first MAC tournament title since 1994.
The victory ends a dry spell for the once-dominant Falcons, who won the MAC tournament six times in an eight-year span ending in 1994. They struggled through five losing seasons until last year, losing in the final to Eastern Michigan.
"We don't have superstars and don't have egos. We win as a team," Bowling Green coach Curt Miller said. "I believe that we were the best team all year long."
Achter kept driving to the rim, shot 11-for-11 from the line and was named tournament MVP, only the fourth freshman to get the honor. She was runner-up for the MAC freshman of the year award.
"I would rather be MAC tournament MVP than freshman of the year because we won today - we got the championship," Achter said.
The Falcons (23-7) scored with a flurry of 3-pointers, including three by Honegger, to take a 12-point lead early in the second half. They hit 12 3-pointers overall, shooting 57 percent from long range.
But second-seeded Kent State (21-9) pulled within four several times late behind Shearer, who scored 14 straight points in the closing minutes.
Carin Horne hit a 3-pointer with 1:05 left for a 79-72 lead that sealed it for the Falcons. Horne finished with 17 points.
"It was one big play after another from two teams that fought all the way down to the end of the game," Miller said.
Shearer's 44 points were a career high and topped the previous MAC tournament mark of 43 set by Kent State's Ann Forbes in a 1992 semifinal.
The junior forward scored from inside and out, shooting 17-of-23 overall, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 7-of-7 from the line. She also led Kent State with 11 rebounds.
Shearer broke down in tears immediately after the final buzzer sounded.
"Once you get into a flow, it's hard to stop somebody," Shearer said. "I'd rather win any day than have a career game."
The Golden Flashes came back from halftime deficits to win in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, but couldn't pull it off again in the final. They last led 13-12 with 12:08 left in the first half.
They were playing in their eighth MAC tournament championship in 10 years, last winning it all in 2002. The loss ended a nine-game winning streak.
Kent State's Melissa DeGrate came in averaging 25 points in two MAC tournament games, shooting 61 percent. She struggled in the final, scoring 14 on 5-of-17 shooting.
Honegger acknowledged after the game that she had no idea how to cut down the net because it was her first championship.
It took the Falcons some time but each player took at snip and it eventually came down. They did it as they've done all season - as a team.
