MAC Tournament notebook: Last-second shot scares Zips

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer 11:59 PM Friday, March 12, 2010

CLEVELAND — Three years after the fact the Akron Zips still can’t get Doug Penno out of their heads.

It was March 10, 2007, when Penno banked in a 3-point basket just before the buzzer to give the Miami RedHawks a stunning 53-52 upset over Akron and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

That game, however, marked the first of four straight appearances in the Mid-American Conference championship game for the Zips, who clinched No. 4 on Friday night, March 12, with a 66-64 semifinal win over Western Michigan at the Q.

WMU senior guard David Kool, the MAC Player of the Year, missed a 3-point basket with 1 second remaining.

The ball hit the rim, then the backboard, and fell off.

Akron senior forward Jimmy Conyers was asked what he was thinking when he saw Kool take the shot.

“I was thinking two years ago,” Conyers said, miscalculating the passage of time, “Miami of Ohio, the last-second shot.”

Later in the press conference Akron coach Keith Dambrot said, “You’ve got to be lucky, too, let’s be honest about it.”

A few seconds later, Dambrot also went back to 2007. “Just like we were unlucky when they banked in ... the bank,” said Dambrot.

Numbers of note

Kenny Hayes’ 27 points against Buffalo and Miami’s 57.3 shooting percentage both were season highs for the RedHawks in their quarterfinal win over Buffalo on Thursday ... Miami’s 73-59 decision over the Bulls was the program’s 36th MAC tourney victory, which tied Ball State for the most in conference history.

Can anyone stop BGSU?

Bowling Green’s top-seeded women’s basketball team has won its two MAC tournament games by an average margin of 32.5 points and will face No. 2 Toledo in the title game at 1 p.m. today, March 13.

The Falcons (26-6) followed up their 91-58 victory over Miami in the quarterfinals by romping past Akron 81-49 in the semifinals.

That gives Bowling Green an all-time record of 43-2 against the Zips.

Toledo (24-7) advanced by holding off Kent State 51-49.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

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