It’s taken a lot of trying just to get up this hill they call the Mid-American Conference, but the BG women’s basketball team will try to move on up to Gund Arena with a win over Ohio in the first round of the conference tournament. The Falcons will try to get a piece of Kent State’s pie as the winner of the BG-OU game will take on the No. 1-seeded Flashes.
For the second time in two weeks, the Falcons will head to OU’s Convo, where BG defeated the Bobcats Feb. 19, 57-56. Lindsay Austin led the Falcon charge with 14 points, while Stefanie Wenzel, who hit the game-clinching free throws with 23 seconds remaining, scored 12.
The Falcons also led the Bobcats by 10 at halftime when they played at Anderson Arena on February 5, but they lost in overtime, 78-69. Ohio is led by all-conference candidates Cathy Szall and Lori Moorman, who average 16.1 and 14.9 points per game, respectively.
“This is the third time we’re playing them, so we’re pretty familiar with them,” sophomore Stefanie Wenzel said. “One thing we won’t be is unprepared. We know what they do, and they know what we do. It should be an exciting game.”
BG secured the ninth spot in the tournament Saturday with an upset win over Eastern Michigan, 78-62. BG led from wire to wire, as the Falcons opened the game on a 16-0 run and never looked back, leading by 18 at halftime. Kelly Kapferer scored 5 points in the first half on her way to a career-high 21 points. Kim Griech scored 17 points while two other Falcons logged in with double doubles: Wenzel scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while senior Dana Schuka, playing in her final home game as a Falcon, chipped in with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
“Our win Saturday was a big win,” Wenzel said. “It gives us a lot of confidence to go down there Saturday because we’re finally playing together, even if it took us this long. We are really focused on Ohio and getting to Cleveland.”
The Falcons have had success in the past in going on the road in the first round of the tournament. Last season, after winning just four road games all season, BG traveled to Kalamazoo and defeated Western Michigan to advance to the Gund. The Falcons then bowed out to Toledo in the second round.
“We’re excited to play at Ohio again,” Schuka said after Saturday’s game. “We’ve got some momentum going into that game after these last two wins (over Ohio and Eastern Michigan).” Notes
Wenzel and Griech were the lone Falcons to finish the season in double figures as Wenzel averaged 11.6 points and Griech averaged 10.5 per game… This will be the fourth time these two teams will meet in the first round of the tournament, with BG winning in 1992 and 2000 and the Bobcats coming out on top in 1996… BG sophomore center Kelly Kapferer, after scoring 21 points Saturday, was named MAC Player of the Week for last week.
