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With four games left to go, UB Women's Basketball isn't in a wildly different position than the men.
The Bulls are in a two-team tie for fifth, have two games left against teams above them, and two winnable games left. They've even got a slightly more favorable tiebreaker situation than the men, especially if they can beat Akron on their home floor later this month.
Around the MAC, Ohio and Ball State have all but locked down the top two seeds, which stinks, but it does mean we're rooting for them to beat everyone else the rest of the way out. Four teams, WMU and Akron, at 9-5, and Buffalo and Toledo, at 8-6, are fighting for a bye, and the two other Michigan schools are at 7-7.
Just like the men last night, there's nothing particularly tough here:
Western Michigan (9-5) at Toledo (8-6): TOLEDO
Toledo may jump us with this win, given that we're taking on Ohio on the road, but we're ok with that. With 1-1 head to head records against both teams, a tie with either would go to secondary tiebreakers, and we want to be tied with Toledo and their 0-1 record vs Ohio rather than WMU and their 1-0 record over the Bobcats.
Akron (9-5) at Kent State (3-11): KENT STATE
Simple. Best we can do is 1-1 vs Akron head to head, so it would be great to pass them outright. A Flashes win would help with that.
Eastern Michigan (7-7) at Ball State (11-3): BALL STATE
We're not catching the Cardinals. Best to let them go and keep the Eagles away from us, too.
Central Michigan (7-7) at Northern Illinois (6-8): NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Central could also threaten to pull even with us. A Northern Illinois win would keep them both a game back, at least.
Bowling Green (2-12) at Miami (2-12): MIAMI
Just to make me feel better about that loss.
***
The results, from most helpful to most damaging:
1. UB over Ohio
2. Kent State over Akron
3. Toledo over WMU
4. Ball State over EMU
5. NIU over CMU
6. Miami over BG
7. BG over Miami
8. CMU over NIU
9. EMU over Ball State
10. WMU over Toledo
11. Akron over Kent State