2019 MAC women's basketball tournament

The 2019 MAC women's basketball tournament was the postseason basketball tournament that ended the 2018–19 college basketball season in the Mid-American Conference. Tournament first-round games were held on campus sites at the higher seed on March 11. The remaining rounds were held at Quicken Loans Arena, now known as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, in Cleveland, Ohio between March 13 and 16. The MAC Women's Tournament champion received the conference's automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA tournament.[1] Buffalo won the conference tournament championship game 77–61 over Ohio. Cierra Dillard was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.[2]

2019 MAC women's basketball tournament
ClassificationDivision I
Season2018–19
Teams12
First round siteCampus sites
Quarterfinals siteQuicken Loans Arena
Cleveland, Ohio
Semifinals siteQuicken Loans Arena
Cleveland, Ohio
Finals siteQuicken Loans Arena
Cleveland, Ohio
ChampionsBuffalo (2nd title)
Winning coachFelisha Legette-Jack (2nd title)
MVPCierra Dillard (Buffalo)
TelevisionCBSSN, ESPN+
MAC women's basketball tournaments
← 2018
2020 →
2018–19 Mid-American Conference women's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
East
Ohio 14 4   .778 30 6   .833
Miami (OH) 13 5   .722 23 9   .719
Buffalo 12 6   .667 24 10   .706
Kent State 11 7   .611 20 13   .606
Akron 7 11   .389 16 15   .516
Bowling Green 2 16   .111 9 21   .300
West
Central Michigan 15 3   .833 25 8   .758
Toledo 11 7   .611 21 12   .636
Northern Illinois 10 8   .556 19 13   .594
Eastern Michigan 6 12   .333 14 17   .452
Western Michigan 4 14   .222 10 20   .333
Ball State 3 15   .167 8 23   .258
2019 MAC tournament winner

Format

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Unlike recent MAC women's tournaments, in which the top two seeds received byes into the semifinals, with the 3 and 4 seeds receiving a bye to the quarterfinals, the tournament reverted to its original structure in which the top four seeds receive just one bye into the quarterfinals.

Seeds

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Seed School Conference
record
Division Tiebreaker
1 Central Michigan 15–3 24–6
2 Ohio 14–4 25–4
3 Miami (OH) 13–5 22–7
4 Buffalo 12–6 20–9
5 Kent State 11–7 18–11 1–0 vs. TOL
6 Toledo 11–7 19–10 0–1 vs. KSU
7 Northern Illinois 10–8 18–12
8 Akron 7–11 16–13
9 Eastern Michigan 6–12 13–16
10 Western Michigan 4–14 10–19
11 Ball State 3–15 10–19
12 Bowling Green 2–16 9–20

Schedule

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Game Time Matchup Score Television
First round – Monday March 11 – Campus sites
1 5:00 pm No. 9 Eastern Michigan at No. 8 Akron 61–59 ESPN+
2 7:00 pm No. 12 Bowling Green at No. 5 Kent State 62–86
3 6:30 pm No. 10 Western Michigan at No. 7 Northern Illinois 69–70
4 7:00 pm No. 11 Ball State at No. 6 Toledo 63–67
Quarterfinals – Wednesday March 13 – Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
5 12:00 pm No. 9 Eastern Michigan vs. No. 1 Central Michigan 80–88, OT ESPN+
6 2:30 pm No. 5 Kent State vs. No. 4 Buffalo 52–85
7 5:00 pm No. 7 Northern Illinois vs. No. 2 Ohio 56–72
8 7:30 pm No. 6 Toledo vs. No. 3 Miami (OH) 54–72
Semifinals – Friday March 15 – Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
9 11:00 am No. 1 Central Michigan vs. No. 4 Buffalo 77-82 ESPN+
10 1:30 pm No. 2 Ohio vs. No. 3 Miami (OH) 74-48
Championship – Saturday March 16 – Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
11 11:00 am No. 2 Ohio vs. No. 4 Buffalo 77-61 CBSSN
Game times in ET. Rankings denote tournament seed

Bracket

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Miami (OH), Ohio, Buffalo and Central Michigan have clinched first round byes
Miami (OH), Ohio, Buffalo and Central Michigan have clinched home games in the second round
Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Ball State will play in the first round

First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
            
1 Central Michigan 88*
9 Eastern Michigan 80
8 Akron 59
9 Eastern Michigan 61
1 Central Michigan 77
4 Buffalo 82
4 Buffalo 85
5 Kent State 52
5 Kent State 86
12 Bowling Green 62
4 Buffalo 77
2 Ohio 61
2 Ohio 72
7 Northern Illinois 56
7 Northern Illinois 70
10 Western Michigan 69
2 Ohio 74
3 Miami (OH) 48
3 Miami (OH) 72
6 Toledo 54
6 Toledo 67
11 Ball State 63

First round games at campus sites of lower-numbered seeds

All-Tournament team

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Tournament MVP – Cierra Dillard, Buffalo[3]

Player Team
Cierra Dillard Buffalo
Hanna Hall Buffalo
Summer Hemphill Buffalo
Reyna Frost Central Michigan
Cece Hooks Ohio

See also

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2019 MAC men's basketball tournament

References

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  1. ^ "2019 MAC Women's Basketball Championship". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  2. ^ "Buffalo women reach NCAAs for 2nd straight season". battlefordsNOW | North Battleford, Saskatchewan | News, Sports, Weather, Obituaries, Classifieds. The Canadian Press. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  3. ^ "NO. 4 BUFFALO UPSETS NO. 2 OHIO FOR SECOND TITLE IN THREE YEARS". Mid-American Conference Conference. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
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