The Bowling Green women’s basketball team knows a thing or two about streaks.
Before Saturday’s loss to Eastern Michigan, BG won eight of nine games en route to running out to a 10-3 mark in the Mid-American Conference, good for first place in the MAC West.
BG has a handle on winning streaks, but their opponent tonight, Marshall, has written to book on big streaks this season. Coming into tonight’s contest, the Herd has won 12 straight games. Their last loss came two and a half months ago when they fell to Kent State.
This consistency has led them to an 11-2 MAC mark, best in the conference. Needless to say, the winner of tonight’s game will have an inside track on winning the MAC regular season title.
“We have to disrupt their momentum,” BG forward Ali Mann said. “If we can win out we can grab ownership of the MAC championships.”
The Falcons have three games left, but none may be more important than tonight’s contest.
If Bowling Green wants to stop Marshall, they have to start on the inside.
The Herd has a pair of giants in the middle in 6-2 Modupe Ishola and 6-5 Michele Hagan. The duo combines to score 10 points while pulling down 8.6 boards per contest.
BG forward Liz Honegger is sure she and the Falcons are ready for the task. The team will neutralize the height using team defense. And for the 5-11 Honegger, guarding taller players has become an everyday task for her.
“I’ve battled taller players my entire career,” she said.
But the problems don’t stop there for BG.
Marshall compliments their height with a great deal of quickness.
“They’re a multi-faceted team,” BG head coach Curt Miller said. “They’re extremely athletic and they can D you up, and second and most importantly, they are the scariest rebounding team in the league; they dominate the boards.”
That athleticism is brought by the trio of forward Crystal Champion and guards Kim Griffin and Sikeetha Shepard-Hall.
Champion pours in 10.5 points per game and Griffin posts 9.8 points per contest.
And Shepard-Hall provides Marshall with a score-at-will player that can shoot and slash. The junior comes into the game scoring 14.9 points while dishing out 2.9 assists per game.
“She may be the best slashing guard in the MAC,” Miller said. “You have to pay attention to her when she’s slashing through the lane.”
Finding a way to contain all of the Herd’s weapons will be key for Bowling Green to win. And a win is really the only thing this team will settle for at this time of the season.
“This is an important game for us,” Miller said. “If we win we still control our own destiny, not only in winning the West, but if we win out we will be the number one seed.”
Tip-off for this battle of number one teams is slated for 7 p.m. at Anderson Arena.