For the first time since 1997, the BGSU women’s basketball (2-2) take on the No. 13 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (4-0) tomorrow, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. BGSU has also not played a ranked opponent since last December against Indiana.
“It’s going to be a great experience for the group playing a big opponent,” assistant coach Lexxus Graham-Blincoe vocalized. “We can’t ask for anything more just to compete, especially going up against an opponent like West Virginia; just compete every quarter.”
You can catch the game on WBGU 88.1 FM. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer will be on the call.
BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons are coming off a 92-41 shellacking over the Bonnies last Saturday. The Orange and Brown were almost perfect on all cylinders. They shot 61 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc.
Defensively, they held St. Bonaventure to a 25 percent shooting day and complied 36 defensive rebounds.
Sophomore forward Taya Ellis had a fantastic game, hauling in 12 total rebounds and putting up nine points.
Amy Velasco extended her 20-plus scoring streak to three games after putting the ball in the hoop seven times from the floor and six from the charity stripe. The senior guard is also up to a team-leading 18 assists.
As mentioned by assistant coach Lexxus Graham-Blincoe postgame against St. Bonaventure, to defeat West Virginia, the Falcons will need to approach the game quarter by quarter. BG was very consistent against SBU and did not force up a ton of shots. On top of that, their defense was in lockdown.
They also average nearly 100 points per game, so it is pivotal that the Falcons hold their ground and keep it low-scoring.
WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers have had a great start to the season and are yet to depart from WVU Coliseum. They are coming off a victory over an 83-62 victory over Texas A&M.
Furthermore, none of the old gold and blue starters average more than 30 minutes per game. That is three less than the Falcons.
From a season statistics standpoint, West Virginia has shot 45.4 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three lands.
To win, WVU will need to avoid overlooking the Falcons and take an early lead. This season, BGSU has started games strong, so if the Mountaineers can build a sizable lead early, it would be detrimental to Bowling Green.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fifth-year forward #32 Erika Porter, Bowling Green
Erika Porter is yet to take off this season. She averages 8.3 points per game and 3.5 rebounds. The forward is the only Falcon who can say she played in the Power Four (Illinois and Baylor), so her experience is very important. If she can get into a groove early and build confidence in her teammates, BGSU could be in this game late.
Freshman guard #3 Johnea Donahue, Bowling Green
Fort Wayne, Indiana, native Johnea Donahue has received a good number of minutes through the first four contests and is yet to make a real splash. The Mountaineers are going to lock their focus in on Velasco and Kohler in the Falcons front court, which will open opportunities for Donahue. If she can take advantage, she’ll have a sneaky good game.
Senior guard #11 JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
The 5’8 senior seemed to have picked up right where she left off last season. Quinerly has scored double-digit points in 32 consecutive games stretching back to last year. She leads the team in points at 69 and points per game at 17.3. The Mountaineers’ offense runs through her, so she will be very involved.
Senior guard #32 Kyah Watson, West Virginia
Kyah Watson is a very good defender and rebounder. With a team-leading 38 rebounds so far, the senior is closing in on 600 career rebounds. She also brings a ton of experience to the team, playing in over 30 games in each of the last three seasons. Expect Watson to be all over the place on defense and to hit a few key shots.
