Playing shorthanded isn’t traditionally a formula for success.
But Fred Chmiel’s Bowling Green Falcons have had to adjust, and tonight, they found a way to win.
Despite once again only having nine players available, BG (11-8 OVR, 5-4 MAC) snapped a 3-game losing streak on Wednesday evening at the Stroh Center against the Northern Illinois Huskies (9-11 OVR, 3-6 MAC), winning 72-54.
The Huskies led 24-18 at the end of the first quarter, besting the Falcons noticeably in shooting efficiency and rebounding.
Makings of the three straight losses that preceded certainly seemed present for the orange and brown.
But a second quarter surge changed the entire landscape of the game.
The Falcons turned things around in quarter two, scoring 18 unanswered points, and holding the Huskies scoreless for just over eight minutes. In a quarter where both teams attempted 13 field goals, the Falcons made 10 of their tries compared to NIU’s one.
Going into the half, the Falcons held a 14-point lead, 40-26.
In the third quarter, the orange and brown remained firmly in control. The Huskies never cut the deficit to less than 10 points, and entered the game’s final quarter down 16.
Bowling Green’s 55-39 lead entering the fourth quarter was simply too much for the Huskies to overcome. Despite their best efforts, they were never able to stop the bleeding from the 2nd quarter, ultimately falling 72-54.
Assistant coach Maggie Lucas attributed “finally winning the rebound battle” among several factors that contributed to the Falcons breaking their slump.
By the stats:
- Morgan Sharps led the Falcons in scoring once again with 22 points. Erika Porter followed close behind with 14 points, while Paige Kohler and Amy Velasco had 10 and eight respectively. NIU’s Brooke Stonebraker paced the Huskies with 15 points, and Jayden Marable added 11.
- NIU’s Jayden Marable led all players with seven rebounds while Paige Kohler led the Falcons with six.
- Amy Velasco provided nine assists, and Paige Kohler added five, while three Huskies each contributed two.
- Morgan Sharps and Amy Velasco both contributed four steals, and only Jayden Marable (2) had more than one for the Huskies.
Heading into the contest at fifth in the MAC standings, the Falcons’ win solidifies their positioning looking ahead to the MAC tournament. Conference leader Ball State took down Kent State, moving the Golden Flashes slightly closer to the orange and brown in the MAC standings.
The Falcons will look to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since January 10th when they travel to the Glass City to take on second place Toledo (15-4 OVR, 8-1 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Brandon Loe and Lucas Kleimeyer will be on the call on 88.1 FM WBGU beginning at 1:45 p.m.
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