Hooray for the Lady RedHawks!

Tonight, Quicken Loans Arena is an NBA venue again, as the Cavaliers are about to tip off against Charlotte. But yesterday, it was the place where dreams came true for the Miami RedHawks women's basketball team, and then the Kent State Golden Flashes men.

First, the Miami women used an 11-0 run in the second half to polish off the Ohio Bobcats, 67-56, behind 19 points each from MAC Tournament MVP Amanda Jackson and teammate Jenna Schone. That 11-0 run started with the game tied at 41, and apart from that period of the game, the two southern Ohio teams played to a tie. The Miami men have made the NCAA tournament a number of times, getting as far as the Sweet Sixteen (1999, behind Wally Szczerbiak). But the Miami women will make their first appearance this year.

Kent State has become the MAC's premier men's program over the last few years, and further affirmed that with its commanding 74-55 win over Akron last night. Conference MVP Al Fisher did some acrobatic flips after the final buzzer, as the Flashes celebrated their fifth MAC Tournament title. It was fun to see, even though I was kind of rooting for Akron because that likely would have gotten two MAC schools into the tourney.

Lady RedHawks and Gentleman Flashes, may you go far. You're six wins away from a national championship.