Red-hot Falcons hang on in fourth quarter to top Bulls 64-61

Steve Iwanek, Sports Content Director, FMSN

BGSU women’s basketball defeated the Buffalo Bulls at Alumni Arena last night, 64-61, to win their sixth consecutive game.

The Falcons had success early on working the ball inside, as Allison Day and Sophie Dziekan combined for 12 points in the first quarter.

With a 16-11 lead heading into the second, Buffalo mounted a run of their own, outscoring BG 17-12 and cut the Falcon lead to three heading into halftime.

The second half was a battle of critical buckets, which came frequently for Dziekan and Brett especially in the third quarter. Brett knocked down three triples in the quarter, while Dziekan continued to dominate inside and created a plethora of second-chance opportunities.

With a 52-44 lead going into the fourth, BG underwent a test of will.

Spoiler: they passed.

With Buffalo just refusing to go away, the Falcons needed an end of game statement to put away the pesky Bulls.

That is exactly what they did, as in the final 2:43 of the game, with the BG lead at two, the Falcons gave up only one more basket, using stingy defense and four straight successful inbounds sequences in the final thirty seconds to help put away the Bulls.

Brett led the way on the offensive end for the Falcons with 19 points and seven rebounds. Day was also a force to be reckoned with, adding 10 points and six boards in the starting effort.

But it was Dziekan who was the x-factor for the Falcons, as her 14 points and six rebounds off the bench proved to be the determining factor in deciding another close Mid-American Conference battle.

For the Bulls, Zakiyah Winfield was the leading scorer on either side, ending the night with 20 points, while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Re’Shawna Stone added 19 points and seven rebounds as well.

Going on the road is never an easy task, but when you get can the win, the moment is even sweeter.

“This was a tough, gritty conference road win against a tough opponent,” said head coach Robyn Fralick. “I think we will learn a lot from this game, but we made some really timely plays.”

With the win, BG has doubled their road win total from last year, as they are now 8-2 in true road games, compared to a 4-7 road record a year ago.

The Falcons (17-2), are set for another road bout in DeKalb on Saturday against the Northern Illinois Huskies. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. You can find coverage of the game with Brandon Loe on WBGU-88.1 FM.

For more information about the team, visit the  athletics webpage.