Mercyhurst Prep graduate Kirsten Olowinski‘s college career came to a close and General McLane grad Sarah Hansen‘s junior season ended Thursday in the first round of the WNIT women’s basketball tournament.

Olowinski, a 6-foot 1-inch senior forward, had a game-high 14 rebounds to go with eight points, but her Miami (Ohio) team lost at Illinois 73-60 Thursday. Olowinski helped the RedHawks to a 42-31 rebound advantage, but Miami shot just 33.9 percent from the field.

Olowinski finished with 1,154 career rebounds, good for first in Miami history and second in Mid-American Conference history. She also closed with a school-record 177 career blocks and ranked ninth with 1,311 career points.

Meanwhile, Hansen had 12 points and 11 rebounds, but Florida Gulf Coast lost to Winthrop 65-51 in the WNIT. Hansen, a 5-foot 10-inch junior guard, led the Eagles in scoring and rebounding for the third straight season.

Meanwhile, Duquesne beat Akron 71-66 Thursday, as Girard graduate Raegan Moore saw her junior season continue.

– from staff reports

Kirsten Olowinski

Sarah Hansen

Kayla McBride

Villa Maria grad Kayla McBride and the Notre Dame women’s basketball team received the expected No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Monday.

The Fighting Irish (31-1) will play 16th-seeded Tennessee-Martin, the Ohio Valley Conference tournament champion,  at 5:05 p.m. Sunday in Iowa City, Iowa. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

Meanwhile, General McLane graduate Sarah Hansen and Mercyhurst Prep grad Kirsten Olowinski will continue their seasons in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Hansen, a junior guard, and Florida Gulf Coast (27-6) will host Big South Conference member Winthrop (20-11) in a first-round game Thursday at 7 p.m. The WNIT has a 64-team field.

Olowinski will conclude her college career with Miami (Ohio) in the WNIT. The RedHawks (19-12) will visit Big Ten member Illinois (16-13) Thursday at a time to be determined today

Kirsten Olowinski

Sarah Hansen

Kayla McBride

Three area women’s basketball stars and their teams will wait to see where they fit into the Division I postseason picture tonight.

Villa Maria graduate Kayla McBride and her Notre Dame teammates are guaranteed to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, thanks to their 31-1 record and No. 2 national ranking. Tonight they’ll find out their opponent, in addition to the site, date and time of their opener. The Fighting Irish have been the NCAA Division I runner-up the past two seasons.

General McLane grad Sarah Hansen and Florida Gulf Coast University are hoping to earn their second straight berth to the NCAA Tournament. However, the Eagles (27-6) are on the bubble after losing in the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. Florida Gulf Coast is currently ranked No. 11 among mid-major teams, but the Eagles might have to settle for a WNIT berth. The WNIT also is scheduled to announce its field tonight.

Mercyhurst Prep grad Kirsten Olowinski is seeking to prolong her career at Miami (Ohio) by at least one more game. The RedHawks (19-12) lost in the Mid-American Conference tournament and will hope to claim a spot in the WNIT or the Women’s Basketball Invitational. Both are scheduled to announce their invitees tonight.

Kirsten Olowinski

Mercyhurst Prep graduate and Miami (Ohio) forward Kirsten Olowinski was named to the Mid-American Conference all-star team’s second team Friday.

It marks the third time that Olowinski, a senior, has made the all-MAC team after being selected to the third team as a junior and making honorable mention as a sophomore. She also made the MAC’s all-freshman team in 2009-10.

The 6-foot 1- inch forward ranks second on the Miami team with an 11.7 points per game average, and she leads the MAC in rebounding with 10.5 per game. Olowinski became the ‘Hawks all-time leading rebounder earlier this season and currently ranks third in MAC history with 1,123 career rebounds — one behind the No. 2 rebounder.

Olowinski and the Redhawks will open play in the MAC tournament today at 2 p.m. when sixth-seeded Miami hosts 11th-seeded Ohio.

Olowinski became the third former Erie County high school star to make an NCAA Division I women’s basketball all-conference team this week. She follows Kayla McBride in the Big East and Sarah Hansen in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Kirsten Olowinski

Mercyhurst Prep graduate Kirsten Olowinski is closing her college career in strong fashion.

She celebrated 
Senior Night with Miami (Ohio) University Thursday by compiling 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots in a 73-39 win over Kent State.

Olowinski, a 6-foot 1-inch forward, continues to move up 
Miami and Mid-American Conference career lists. She has moved into 11th place in Redhawks history with 1,239 points and needs 30 points to reach the top 10. She already is Miami’s all-time leading shot blocker with 169 and rebounder with 1,092.

Her rebound total ranks third in MAC history, and she needs 32 boards to move into the No. 2 spot.

Olowinski and Miami will visit Akron today at 2 p.m. The game will be televised on SportsTime Ohio and can be seen online on ESPN3.

Miami (17-10 overall, 9-5 MAC) will play its regular-season finale Wednesday at Ohio. The MAC tournament begins March 9.

Here’s a look at some of the recent results of area athletes and coaches connected with women’s basketball programs:

• General McLane graduate Sarah Hansen shot 7-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, on her way to 18 points Saturday in Florida Gulf Coast University’s 89-38 rout of Lipscomb (Tenn.). Hansen, a junior guard, now has 1,325 points and is just 91 from becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer. FGCU now has won 15 games in a row and has won 35 straight Atlantic Sun games.

• Mercyhurst Prep grad Kirsten Olowinski scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, but Miami (Ohio) lost to visiting Central Michigan 72-60 in a Mid-American Conference game Saturday. Olowinski, a 6-foot 1-inch senior forward, also had four steals and three blocked shots. She moved into the No. 15 spot on Miami’s career scoring list with 1,203 points. The Redhawks (14-10) have lost three in a row and four of their past five.

Jessica Zoltowski

• Harbor Creek graduate Jessica Zoltowski scored a career-high 32 points while adding 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists in Elmira (N.Y.) College’s 79-75 win over Utica Saturday. Zoltowski, a junior guard, shot 12-of-24 from the field, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range.

• McDowell graduate Allison Braun had 10 points and six rebounds, but Canisius College lost to Iona 84-79 Saturday. The senior guard is averaging 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

• Girard native Curt Miller led the Indiana University basketball team to a strong 10-5 start in his first season with the Big Ten’s Hoosiers. However, Indiana has struggled in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers have lost 10 in a row to drop to 10-15. They are 1-11 in the Big Ten. Indiana will try to end its losing streak Wednesday at home against Purdue.

Today’s On Campus college notebook in the Erie Times-News featured items on athletes previously posted on the On Campus blog, such as Steffanie Smith-Jasper, Patrick Cochran, Kirsten Olowinski, Emma Swabb and Julia Adams.

However, today’s notebook also features items on Strong Vincent graduate Shataya White and Gannon’s new junior varsity baseball program.

Kirsten Olowinski

Mercyhurst Prep graduate Kirsten Olowinski already has become the Miami (Ohio) women’s basketball program’s leading career rebounder and shot blocker this season.

Now, the 6-foot 1-inch senior forward is moving up the Redhawks’ career scoring list. Olowinski, who scored her 1,000th point earlier this season, has moved into 16th place on the school’s career scoring list with 1,188 points. She also has a chance to make the top 10. She is 81 points behind No. 10 Colleen Day with six regular-season games and possibly several postseason games remaining. The Redhawks are 14-9 overall and could advance to a postseason tournament.

Olowinski’s four-year teammate, Courtney Osborn, is only 22 points from becoming Miami’s all-time leading scorer going into Saturday’s home game against Mid-American Conference foe Central Michigan.

Olowinski is Miami’s leading career rebounder with 1,057, which ranks third in MAC history. She trails the No. 2 rebounder, Toledo’s Angela Drake, by 30 rebounds. Olowinski also has 159 career blocks, a Miami record.

Miami (Ohio) women’s basketball top 20 scoring list:
1.  1,979 Amanda Jackson (122 games) 2003-08
2.  1,957 Courtney Osborn (114) 2009-present
3.  1,728 Heather Cusick (116) 1999-2003
4.  1,608 Monica Niemann (112) 1991-95
5.  1,600 Mary Ann Myers (116) 1979-82
6.  1,538 Jenna Schone (123) 2005-09
7.  1,497 Cindi Merrill (113) 2002-06
8.  1,413 Kim Lancaster (115) 2000-04
9.  1,280 Jennifer Wenclewicz (110) 1993-96
10.  1,269 Colleen Day (114) 2000-04
11.  1,245 Maggie Boyer (114) 2008-12
12.  1,227 Julie Howell (111) 1988-92
13.  1,226 Kris Livingston (121) 1979-83
14.  1,208 Linda Mallender (100) 1981-85
15.  1,192 Gaby Downey (111) 1986, 88-90
16.  1,188 Kirsten Olowinski (114) 2009-present
17.  1,148 Tonya Stubbs (108) 1981-85
18.  1,086 Maria Fantanarosa (108) 1985-89
19.  1,059 Jamie Stewart (109) 1996-00
20.  1,047 Lisa Hayden (112) 1991-95

Mid-American Conference women’s basketball
Career 1,000 rebounds:
1. 1,223  Caroline Mast, Ohio, 1983-86
2. 1,087   Angela Drake, Toledo, 1994-97
3.  1,057  Kirsten Olowinski, 2009-present

Kirsten Olowinski

Mercyhurst Prep graduate Kirsten Olowinski, a forward with the Miami (Ohio) University women’s basketball team, continues to move up the Mid-American Conference career rebounding list.

Olowinski, a 6-foot 1-inch senior forward, moved into third place on the MAC list with 1,030 rebounds after she grabbed 13 boards in Miami’s 78-70 loss to Buffalo Thursday.

She now trails only Ohio’s Caroline Mast (1,223) and Toledo’s Angela Drake (1,087). Mast might be out of reach, but Olowinski is within striking distance of Drake.  On Thursday, Olowinski passed Ball State’s Emma Jones (1,028) and Central Michigan’s Latanga Cox (1,029).

This season, Olowsinki became the first RedHawks player with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She also set school career records for blocked shots and double-doubles. She now has 37 career double-doubles.

Miami plays again Sunday at 2 p.m. at Northern Illinois.

Olowinski was one of several former area high school players featured recently in the Erie Times-News.

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Mid-American Conference women’s basketball

Career 1,000 rebounds

1. 1,223 – Caroline Mast, Ohio, 1983-86

2. 1,087 – Angela Drake, Toledo, 1994-97

4. 1,029 – Latanga Cox, CMU, 1983-86

5. 1,028 – Emma Jones, Ball State, 1984-87

6. 1,005 – Jennifer Youngblood, NIU, 2000-04