No. 18 Bowling Green 85, Buffalo 44

2/17/2007 6:21 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. (AP) -Megan Thorburn scored a season-high 22 points to lead No. 18 Bowling Green to an 85-44 win over Buffalo on Saturday night and clinch the Mid-American Conference East Division title.

The Falcons (24-2, 13-0) have won 17 straight games, their last two by a total of 86 points. Carin Horne had 15 points and Kate Achter chipped in 14 for the Falcons.

Up by 20 at the break, Bowling Green went on a 23-4 run - capped by Thorburn's 3-pointer - during an eight-minute stretch early in the second half to take a 70-35.

The Falcons grabbed their biggest lead, 79-35, after another Thorburn 3 with 7 1/2 minutes to go.

Bowling Green began pulling away with a 20-10 run over the last 7 minutes of the first half, using eight points by its leading scorer, Ali Mann.

Mann, held without a point until her put-back at 4:35 gave the Falcons a 38-19 lead, finished with eight points, failing to reach double-figures in points for the second straight game.

Jamie Schiebner led Buffalo (8-17, 3-10) with 17 points.

The Bulls, losers in two straight, were limited to 36 percent shooting from the floor, including 26 percent in the second half.