NCAA Weekly Dish - February 26, 2006

With the college basketball regular season winding down, Matt Fargo takes a look at three big games on tap that you cannot miss this Saturday.

Miami Ohio RedHawks at Kent St. Golden Flashes 2:00 PM ET

One game separates three teams in the MAC East and two of those squads square off on Saturday. Miami and Kent St. both come into this huge game with impressive runs going. If the RedHawks can win on the road, there will potentially be a three-way tie for first place heading into the final week. A Kent St. win keeps it in first place with a showdown next Saturday at Akron likely to decide the championship.

Miami has won seven in a row including a big home win over Akron on Wednesday that put it in a second place tie with the Zips. This could potentially be a problem spot for the RedHawks who are a respectable 6-6 on the road but have not traveled since February 4th, a span of three weeks. The comforts of home might have gotten a little too familiar for Miami as it heads to one of the toughest venues in the conference.

The Golden Flashes have won four straight to keep a hold on first place and this will be their toughest stretch of the season. Following Miami, Kent St. faces Ohio and Akron, the only three teams in the division with a winning conference record. The Golden Flashes are 10-2 at home this season with a surprising loss to Bowling Green being the most recent setback since an opening loss to MEAC leader Delaware St.

Kent St. handed Miami one of its two home losses this season back in January so the RedHawks will be looking for some payback. It