March 2, 2010
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
2010 MAC Tournament Bracket 
OXFORD, Ohio - The women's basketball team had a tremendous defensive effort on Senior Night Tuesday, as it held Bowling Green to only 29 percent shooting. However, the Falcons were able to come away with a 63-58 win to clinch the Mid-American Conference regular season title. The RedHawks fall to 8-21 overall and 6-10 in the MAC. Bowling Green improves to 24-6 overall and 14-2 in the MAC. Courtney Osborn led Miami with 23 points.
The RedHawks will be the eighth seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament and will host ninth seed Northern Illinois on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game is Fan Appreciation Day and all tickets will be only one dollar.
Neither team could score early as the teams found themselves deadlocked at five, four and a half minutes into the game. Playing in the their final regular season home game, seniors Ashleigh Brown and Courtney Reed helped the RedHawks take the advantage. Brown hit a layup to break the tie off an assist from Reed. On the next possession, Reed drained a three-pointer to make it 10-5 off an assist from Brown.
Bowling Green went on a 15-1 run over the next six minutes to take a 20-11 advantage with 9:22 remaining in the first half. Osborn ended the Miami drought with a layup. She hit a couple of free throws and a jumper to close the RedHawks to within five at 22-17. With the score 28-21 in favor of the Falcons, Kirsten Olowinski hit two jumpers in between a Bowling Green field goal to make it 29-25. The Falcons followed with a circus shot at the buzzer to take a 31-25 lead into the break.
Two free throws by Olowinski and a jumper by Brown pulled the RedHawks to within two early in the second half. Three minutes later a long jumper by Lillian Pitts made it a one point deficit at 36-35 with 15:42 to go. A 17-9 run expanded the lead to its largest for Bowling Green at 53-44 with 6:58 to go. But Miami's defense would soon clamp down to give the RedHawks a chance.
Miami would keep the Falcons from hitting another basket for the next five minutes, as they scored only one free throw. Free throws by Pitts and Osborn, along with a basket by Brown made it 54-49 with 1:58 remaining. A three-pointer and a couple of free throws by Bowling Green expanded it back out to eight at 59-51 with 1:05 to go. Osborn followed with another trey, and after the RedHawks forced an immediate Falcon turnover, Olowinski calmly sank two free throws to make it 59-56 with 46 seconds to go. After that however, Miami would only be able to hit one more shot and the Falcons were able to clinch the 63-58 victory at the free throw line.
In addition to Osborn's 23 points, Olowinski had her third career double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Brown finished with nine points and eight rebounds. The RedHawks shot 31.6 percent (18-for-57) for the game and outrebounded the Falcons 46-44.
Saturday's first round game is for a spot in the MAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday, Mar. 10 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The winner of the Miami vs. Northern Illinois contest will take on top seed Bowling Green in the next round.
