WMU News

Broncos drill Bowling Green in MAC quarterfinal

March 3, 2000

CLEVELAND -- Western Michigan University's women's basketball team drilled a conference-record 17 three-point baskets in an 87-63 victory over Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The contest was played Thursday (March 2) at Cleveland's Public Hall.

Western Michigan's opponent in the semi-finals will be Toledo, an 81-65 winner over Ball State. In other quarterfinal contests, Eastern Michigan ripped Miami, 88-51, and Kent, the No. 1 tournament seed, escaped with a 71-68 victory over Buffalo.

The Broncos' semi-final match with Toledo begins at 9 p.m. tonight (March 3) in Public Hall. Radio coverage of the game begins at 8:30 p.m. on the Bronco Radio Network (Flagship station WFAT 96.5 FM, Kalamazoo). Kent faces Eastern Michigan in a 6:30 p.m. semi-final contest.

In Thursday's quarterfinal victory, seniors Shelsea Erving and Dionne Lassila led a barrage of three-point baskets by the Broncos, who connected on 17 of 39 attempts from beyond the arc. Both attempts and shots made are new MAC records. The previous single-game records for three-point baskets made were 16 in any conference game and 11 in a MAC tournament game.

Erving had a game-high 19 points, including five baskets from long range. Lassila scored all 15 of her points on five buckets from beyond the arc. Erving also grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds and had two assists, and she became only the twelfth player in MAC history to surpass 1,700 points in her career.

Rookie Kristin Koetsier had 14 points and four rebounds. Senior Danielle Mueller had 12 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Brianne Gallert added 11 points and dished out a game-high six assists.

With the Broncos up by 31 points midway through the second half, coach Ron Stewart was able to rest Erving, Koetsier and Mueller for much of the second half.

The MAC Tournament championship game begins at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 4. If WMU advances to the championship game, radio coverage would begin at 5 p.m. on WQXC 100.9 FM, Otsego-Kalamazoo.

                1st   2nd   Total
Bowling Green    28    35     63
WMU Broncos      43    44     87

Media contact: Geoff Brown; 616 387-4138; geoffrey.brown@wmich.edu


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