Even with a 12-5 record and a Mid-American Conference-leading 5-1 mark, the Bowling Green women’s basketball team knows there is no time to rest.
The main reason for this is tonight’s opponent, Kent State (10-7, 3-3), has not lost to BG since February 12, 1997.
And complicating matters even more for the Falcons is the fact they’re going to Kent’s M.A.C. Center, a place they haven’t won at in over a decade.
For the Falcons, this is another big game on their January schedule, even if the Flashes aren’t at the top of their game.
“It’s a big game because they still are a benchmark program,” BG head coach Curt Miller said. “They are a team everyone is trying to be.”
But the mystique of the Flashes isn’t going to be the main problem. Standing between BG and a victory is Kent’s 6-1 forward Lindsay Shearer. The junior leads the MAC in scoring (17.4), and is a force in the middle, averaging 7.4 boards per contest.
“She’s good,” BG forward Liz Honegger said before smiling at her understatement. “She’s one of the front-runners for MAC Player of the Year; she just does it all.”
But her game isn’t just regulated to the paint. She can extend the defense as well.
“She shoots 50 percent from beyond the arch,” Miller said. “And that’s not the best asset of her game.”
But as usual for BG, they won’t be able to key on just one player. That’s because Kent has another great scorer in Melissa Degrate, who is averaging 13.8 points and 5.4 boards per game. Add in another eight players who get in 10 minutes per game and it makes for a pretty formidable opponent.
“They’re another team with a good one-two punch with good role players that fill their roles,” Miller said.
And the Falcons will try to break their recent drought against the Flashes with their leading scorer, rebounder, blocker and thief, Honegger, nursing a sore foot.
But that is nothing they haven’t had to deal with before. Honegger has played two games since the injury, and BG has won both and Honegger has looked good in both, averaging 15.5 points and seven boards.
Honegger says she can manage another game while hurt.
“It’s fine,” she said. “When I put pressure on it, it hurts; but the pain’s tolerable.”
“She’s a tough kid,” Miller said. “She’s able to play with the pain.”
If any team is fit to deal with their leading scorer slowed down it is BG. They have three other players averaging double digits in scoring and a handful of others capable of scoring at any time.
On top of that, they’ve been playing within themselves.
“I like our kids’ attitudes,” Miller said. “They are confident and it shows. They don’t get overly emotional; they don’t celebrate too much after a win and if they have a bad practice they don’t get down on themselves.”
BG will wrap their January schedule up tonight against Kent at the M.A.C. center at 7. The Falcons then have a week off to heal up and catch their breaths from a month that has seen them win five of six games.
“We’ve had to be completely focused in every game,” Miller said. “So it’s a perfect time for a bye.”