Bowling Green women’s basketball came into the contest Wednesday against Akron marketing a “black out” of the Stroh Center.
So, as a normal, everyday consumer, I just assumed that just meant the fans were to wear black shirts.
I didn’t think the Stroh Center staff were going to black out the lights mid-game.
Joking, they didn’t,
But the lights did go out.
“I think we, honestly, we played a little tic-tac-toe,” joked head coach Fred Chmiel postgame.
With 57.6 seconds left in the first half, and the game tied at 27, the lights inside the Stroh Center literally went out, forcing a 15-minute delay in a game that lasted nearly three hours long.
But in the end, for Chmiel and the Falcons, it was all fun and games, as BGSU improved to 4-1 in Mid-American Conference play with a 70-59 win.
“Heck of a game, another MAC grinder,” said Chmiel. “They don’t make it easy on us, do they? They make us work for our paycheck, our kids, but again, just a resilient bunch that finds a way to win.”
How did BG find a way to win? Their defense, which after giving up 23 first quarter points held Akron to 36 in the final three quarters.
For Akron star Reagan Bass, who came into the contest as the MAC’s second leading scorer at 19.1 points per game, BG held her to 12 points, as well as putting her foul trouble early on with three in the first half, two of which coming in the first quarter.
Give credit to freshman Keiryn McGuff for that.
“Keiryn McGuff was great defensively tonight,” said Chmiel. “Reagan Bass is a heck of a player, an all-conference player in my opinion, and to hold somebody of that caliber to 12 points, I thought she did a tremendous job as well as Taya (Ellis) chipping in there defensively as well.“
“She’s a really good player; she’s always moving, always crashing,” said McGuff. “So I had to be mindful of that, keep my feet around, not get stuck. This is kind of my first time guarding a post player of her caliber, so I had to remember- stay in front, stay disciplined. Coach (Chmiel) worked with me, and I kind of took that advice out on the court.”
In the end, three Falcons ended in double figures, with senior forward Erika Porter leading the charge, finishing with a career-high 24 points. Amy Velasco had 16, while Morgan Sharps added 14 after a slow start.
For Porter, while it helps to achieve that by shooting 10/11 from the field, it also helps when you have the confidence to win inside every time.
“When number five (Lanae Riley) was in, I knew I had an advantage to that. We would have run plays where I would catch the ball, power dribble, finish, and I was really focused on finishing,” said Porter.
But overall, Porter’s performance was the icing on the cake of a defensive shutdown, as the Zips were held to 36% from the field, including a second quarter that saw the Zips only score four points.
How does that happen, especially when you are missing Lexi Fleming, Olivia Hill, Jasmine Clerkley, Abbie Riddle, and then Velasco leaves late in the game with an injury?
Toughness.
“Multiple injuries, banged up, and people have stepped in and stood in the gap and contributed in positive ways to help us win basketball games,” said Chmiel. “And 4-1 in the MAC with the amount of injuries that we’ve had is fairly impressive, and it’s a credit to them.”
For Akron, Bass and teammate Morgan Haney led the way with a dozen apiece, while Riley added 11 and Kaia Woods had 10.
BGSU now looks to heal up quick and turn their attention to Miami, who they face down in Oxford on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m.
Join Falcon Media Sports Network’s Brandon Loe for the call of the game on 88.1 FM WBGU starting at 12:45.
For more stories related to BGSU Athletics, follow Falcon Media Sports Network on X (@bg_fmsn).
