MAC TOURNAMENT BG upends KSU for MAC title

Falcons overcome MAC record 44 points from Kent's Lindsay Shearer to prevail
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Bowling Green's players fumbled with the scissors and weren't sure how to cut down the net after winning the Mid-American Conference tournament.
Maybe because it's been 11 years since the Falcons have had the chance.
Freshman Kate Achter scored 21 points, Liz Honegger added 20 and the top-seeded Falcons overcame a MAC tournament-record 44 points from Kent State's Lindsay Shearer to win 81-75 Saturday, earning an NCAA tournament berth.
Shearer scored 31 points in the second half, but couldn't prevent Bowling Green from claiming its first MAC tournament title since 1994.
The victory ends a dry spell for the once-dominant Falcons, who won the MAC tournament six times in an eight-year span ending in 1994. They struggled through five losing seasons until last year, losing in the final to Eastern Michigan.
"We don't have superstars and don't have egos. We win as a team," said Bowling Green coach Curt Miller. "I believe that we were the best team all year long."
Achter kept driving to the rim, shot 11-for-11 at the line and was named tournament MVP, only the fourth freshman to get the honor. She was runner-up for the MAC freshman of the year award.
"I would rather be MAC tournament MVP than freshman of the year because we won today -- we got the championship," Achter said.
The Falcons (23-7) scored with a flurry of 3-pointers, including three by Honegger, to take a 12-point lead early in the second half. They hit 12 3-pointers overall, shooting 57 percent from long range.
But second-seeded Kent State (21-9) pulled within four several times late behind Shearer, who scored 14 straight points in the closing minutes.
Carin Horne hit a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining for a 79-72 lead that sealed it for the Falcons. Horne finished with 17 points.
Shearer's 44 points were a career high and topped the previous MAC tournament mark of 43 set by Kent State's Ann Forbes in a 1992 semifinal.
Shearer made 17-of-23 shots
The junior forward scored from inside and out, shooting 17-of-23 overall, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 7-of-7 from the line. She also led Kent State with 11 rebounds.
Shearer broke down in tears immediately after the final buzzer sounded, having given everything she could in one of the best individual performances in tournament history.
"Once you get into a flow, it's hard to stop somebody," Shearer said. "I'd rather win any day than have a career game."
The Golden Flashes came back from halftime deficits to win in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, but couldn't pull it off again in the final. They last led 13-12 with 12:08 to go in the first half.
Kent State's Melissa DeGrate came in averaging 25 points in two MAC tournament games, shooting 61 percent. She struggled in the final, scoring 14 on 5-of-17 shooting.