Bowling Green State University Athletics
McDowell Enjoys Cleveland as Spring Break Destination
March 07, 2006 | Women's Basketball
March 7, 2006
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - As a destination for college students on spring break, Cleveland doesn't jump off the pages of the travel brochures.
For Casey McDowell and her teammates on the Bowling Green women's basketball team, an extended stay in Cleveland will be just fine this week.
The Falcons are in Cleveland in an effort to defend their Mid-American Conference tournament championship and earn the conference's automatic NCAA tournament berth. BG faces Northern Illinois in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
"I'd much rather be playing basketball than going some place warm. I'll save that for summer time," McDowell said.
McDowell, a 5-foot-7 senior, is returning to the venue in which she had the best game of her collegiate career. In the tournament quarterfinals against Miami last March, McDowell scored 31 points in BG's 84-68 victory. She made 7-of-11 shots from the field, including 7-of-9 3-pointers, and 10-of-10 free throws. McDowell went on to earn all-tournament honors.
"She had a unbelievable run at the end of the year, not only in the three games in Cleveland, but in the Kansas State game (in the NCAA tournament)," BG head coach Curt Miller said. "People were insulting her and leaving her to make plays ... She really finished strong."
McDowell began this season as a starter, but has been coming off the bench for the last half of the season. Still, she's averaging 25.2 minutes per game.
"The subtle things that Casey does probably go unnoticed by a lot of casual observers," Miller said. "She makes very few mistakes and she prides herself on that, whether it's a defensive assignment or keeping her turnovers very, very low.
"She understands the game and our philosophy and our game plans," he added. "She's hard to take off the floor ... She does what's necessary for our team to win and she realizes her role each and every night."
In addition to her 3-point shooting potential, McDowell provides the Falcons with tough defense.
"I've had a few match-up problems where I'm guarding a taller person. They (the coaches) stick me with them knowing that I'll be able to handle them off the dribble and I don't foul a lot," McDowell said. "I really take pride in my defense."
Miller likes the cool-headedness that McDowell can bring off the bench.
"I felt we needed a more consistent player off the bench, someone that I knew night in and night out would spark us." Miller said. "Casey may not get her name announced at the beginning of games, but she's never off the floor at the end of games in crunch time."
Miller sees McDowell as a coach on the floor.
"I watch tons of basketball. All the girls on the team make fun of me," McDowell said. "I watch so much basketball, I really understand it."
McDowell, who wants to be a coach after her playing career is over, enjoys the responsibility of taking the defensive calls from the bench.
"A lot of the girls, they trust me with it," McDowell said. "It is a big responsibility, but that's what I like."
McDowell started her college career at Indiana State, but transferred to Bowling Green after one season.
"I'm originally from Hudson, right around Akron, and my parents moved to Buffalo," she said. "From Buffalo to Terre Haute (ISU's home) it was going to be 9 1/2 hours. From here to Buffalo it's 4 1/2 hours. It's still a decent drive, but closer to home. "I just really liked the coaches when I met them. So when it came time to transfer, Bowling Green was definitely an option,"
McDowell continued. "Everyone really made everything a smooth transition."
It turned out to be the right decision for McDowell as she has helped the team make a major turnaround.
"I never really could have imagined being in the Top 25, going undefeated in conference, Never when I transferred did I think we would be where we are now," she said.
And if that includes a trip to Cleveland when other students are getting some beach time, that's just fine with McDowell.
