Women's Hoop Report XLII: Remembering the MAC in 2001

This is a special feature by Gezus Zaire who was a communication student at Toledo, while covering women's basketball in the Mid American Conference during the 2000-01 season.

The 2000-01 season of women's basketball in the Mid American Conference was a bit of a generational shift.

When I came to college as a student at the University of Toledo in 1997-98, women's basketball was really good. In fact it was excellent, but it was different. The game was fundamentally sound, slower and if you had a good post player, they were likely to be your number one option.

Another thing that was not a well liked conversation at the time is that women of color played more of a background role on most teams in the conference.

By the time the 2000-01 season rolled around the league had a more diverse look in ethnic star power and the game progressed in its athleticism and styles of play. This feature will take a look at some of the top basketball players in the Mid American Conference 20 years back and we will see what became of these athletes after their college years.

Ta'Mara Bowie - Ball State - Power Forward

When Ta'Mara Bowie arrived in the Mid American Conference as a freshman during the 1999-00 season, Ball State was an afterthought for women's hoops. From 1982 to 1999, Ball State had one winning season (1990). Bowie was a long and strong six-foot athletic bully (and I mean that in a good way), who could outrun almost every guard and outmuscle every power forward or center.

Ball State never had a losing season during Bowie's time as a Cardinal. In the 2000-01 season she led Ball State to a then school record finish of 19-9. She was also named the Mid American Conference's Player of the Year with averages of 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and an eye-popping field goal percentage of .591.

"When she is playing her at her best, I feel the only person who can stop Ta'Mara Bowie is Ta'Mara Bowie," said former Ball State coach Tracy Roller during Bowie's tenure.

Bowie went on to become the all-time leading scorer (2,091) at Ball State. She was also a three-time All-American Honorable Mention, an honor that was never before achieved at Ball State. She led Ball State to an 80-40 record over her entire career and a second round appearance in the Women's Invitational Tournament in 2003.

Bowie was drafted by the Washington Mystics of the WNBA in 2003 and also had a brief stint with the Minnesota Lynx in 2007. As a pro, Bowie found success in Europe. In 2007 she was the All-Icelandic Defensive Player of the Year. She was also named the All-Bulgarian League Player of the Year in 2011 when she led Lukoil to an NBL championship.

Tia Davis - Toledo - Guard/Forward

Another sophomore, Tia Davis became a key contributor and All-Mid American Conference Tournament selection in 2001. During the 2001 conference tournament, Davis averaged 12.3 points as she helped the Lady Rockets to a school record 16 straight wins. In the Mid American Conference Championship, Davis made a lay-up that sent the game into overtime as Toledo registered the biggest comeback in conference tournament history. The Rockets trailed by 23 points at the half to defeat Kent State and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Davis' biggest individual career moment came the next season when she led Toledo to an upset win over the number five ranked Duke Blue Devils. It was the first time Toledo beat a nationally ranked team in school history. Davis faced off against future WNBA star Alana Beard and outscored her individually, 20 to 19.

A player who could guard against all five positions on the floor, the 5-10 athletic dynamo, was first team all-conference during her senior season (2002-03) and was inducted into the University Toledo Hall of Fame in 2012.

Davis also competed as a pro in Switzerland and Luxemburg from 2003-2005 and later coached on the collegiate level as an assistant for Colorado State in 2008.

Tiffany Bell - Buffalo - Center

At 6-2, Bell was a quiet but consistent player who was really good at putting the ball in the basket. During the 1999-00 season, she led the conference in scoring with an average of 19 points per game. It was a strange case, however because she became the first player in Mid American Conference history to do so, but not be named to the All-MAC first team.

During the 2000-01 season her squad finished 19-9 as she finally earned first team All-Mid American Conference honors. Bell led Buffalo to a win that made the Mid American Conference shine on a national level when she and her team defeated the 22nd ranked North Carolina Tar Heels at the beginning of the season. She scored 28 points in the upset win.

When she graduated she was the number two scorer in school history (1,632), a two-time All-American honorable mention and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2007. After playing in college, Bell left basketball behind and began a successful career as a nurse.

Vershaun Jones - Central Michigan - Forward

If there was anybody similar to Dennis Rodman during this time, Vershaun Jones was it for the Mid American Conference. She was a rebounding magnet.

Her team's weren't ever in contention for the conference title but when you played against Central Michigan you couldn't help but have respect for Jones. At 5-9 (and that's being generous), Jones would grab rebound after rebound with such viciousness. The 2000-01 season was a rebounding low for her as she averaged 6.9 boards. That's not too bad for an undersized forward but in 1999-00 she pulled down 9.2 rebounds per game and in 2001-02 she ranked 15th in the nation with an average of 10.3 rebounds per contest.

Jones is currently a realtor in her home state of Michigan.

Kahli Carter - Toledo - Forward

Toledo's strong forward who could also shoot from long distance, had a bit of a gripe as she entered the conference tournament in 2001. She felt she should have been the Mid American Conference Player of the Year.

Unlike Bowie, Carter entered an established program where she had to wait her turn for stardom. During her first two seasons, the greatest player in conference history, Kim Knuth was ahead of Carter and the Rockets were putting up 20-plus win seasons in their sleep.

By 2001, it was no question that it was Carter's turn to run the show and that she did as Toledo finished a conference best 25-6 overall. With team leading averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, Carter seemed to be a logical pick for the player of the year award.

Bowie did average more points at 18.3, but the drastic improvement as the sophomore lifted a team from the worse to a contender over her first two seasons, did even more as she took the award from Carter, who was a senior that season.

Despite the heartbreak, Carter powered Toledo in a way that it hadn't been before or since. The six-footer from Columbus, Ohio, won the Mid American Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player award when she scored 32 points after halftime in an overtime win in the MAC championship game. Carter finished the game with 36 points, in a contest where her team trailed 38-15 at the half.

Knowing Carter as I did, she probably still wants that Mid American Conference Player of the Year crown, but there was nothing more gratifying to her as a player than leading Toledo to a seventh conference title and another NCAA Tournament berth.

Carter married a former member of the Toledo men's squad, Albert Wilson before being inducted into her school's Hall of Fame in 2007.

We Can't Forget About ...

There are some other players from the era that we have to mention as we wrap this piece up. Sonia Ortega of Buffalo was a versatile guard who could dish dimes and rebound with the best of them. She went on to become a pro in Europe before playing in Mexico where she won a Mexican national championship and was named National MVP.

Ball State's Shala Crook, was by far the best on-ball defender in the conference. Crook had the fastest hands in the conference and made it tough for other point guards who wanted to bring the ball up the court securely. She along with Bowie made Ball State the most excited up and coming team to watch in the conference.

Western Michigan's Kristin Koetsier was as good as any center in the country, during her freshman season in 1999-00. After being selected to the Mid American Conference First Team, she suffered from an ACL injury before her sophomore season but battled back to have what many think is the most productive career in school history. She entered the school's Hall of Fame in 2013 as she returned to Western Michigan as an assistant coach.

In 2000-01, Heather Cusick was a sophomore at Miami. She averaged 14 points and was selected All-MAC honorable mention. By the time she was done she was the first player in Mid American Conference history to tally 1,700 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds, 300 steals and 200 three-pointers. She even had her number retired. Cusick played as a pro in the Netherlands.