Tomorrow, BGSU women’s basketball (6-4) finishes their non-conference schedule with a meeting against the Duquesne Dukes (8-2).
These two are meeting for the seventh time in program history, with the Falcons leading the series 5-1. BGSU won the most recent matchup last year at the Stroh, 68-66.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer will have the call on WBGU 88.1 FM. Tipoff is scheduled for noon, with pregame at 11:45.
BOWLING GREEN
The Orange and Brown have now won four consecutive contests after falling to a pair of ranked opponents.
During this winning streak, the Falcons have outscored their opposition by 58 total points. Two of their wins were decided late in the game, and the other two were decided by wide margins.
Against Marquette, fifth-year guard Lexi Fleming made her first start since last December. She played 18 minutes, scored five points, and retrieved three rebounds.
Sophomore Keiryn McGuff also made her first appearance of the season. She played 16 minutes and scored four points. On top of that, she led the team in rebounds with eight.
The Falcons’ win over the Golden Eagles was a scrappy win that will help build more late-game confidence. Marquette was held to a 38.5% field goal percentage and was out-rebounded by eight. To defeat the Dukes, BG will need to take care of the basketball and slow down the game.
Duquesne plays very up-tempo, and when they are hitting their shots and moving fast, they are dangerous. BG has a strong defense, and if they are able to hold down Duquesne as they did Arkansas, it should go well for them.
DUQUESNE
The Dukes are also on a winning streak. They have won six consecutive games, and all but one have been by wide margins.
BGSU is the second MAC team the Dukes will play this year. Kent State is responsible for one of their losses as they defeated the Dukes 81-61. Their other loss came against Penn State on Nov. 10.
Duquesne averages 80 points per game this year and has outscored their opponents by an average of 13.1 points per game. As previously stated, the Dukes are very fast-paced. To win, they will need to hit their shots and keep BG from getting positive momentum.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fifth-year forward #32 Erika Porter, Bowling Green
Porter had an off game against Marquette; however, she is a leader on the Falcons and lives in the paint. If she can thrive underneath, the Dukes will be in trouble. With the status of freshman forward Lauren Gerken unknown, Porter’s role will need to increase even more.
Freshman guard #3 Johnea Donahue, Bowling Green
The freshman has been a huge defensive presence for BG. In the last few games, head coach Fred Chmiel has been using Donahue as a defensive specialist. The Orange and Brown will need her to help slow down the Duke’s tempo and lock down whoever she is guarding. She has been great at forcing her opponent to either launch up a highly contested shot or go elsewhere with the ball.
Senior guard #4 Megan McConnell, Duquense
The Pittsburgh native McConnell is the biggest part of the Duquesne offense. She leads the team, shooting over 50 percent from the floor and scoring 19.2 points per game. She also has 44 steals this year. She is second in the nation in that category only behind Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo with 46, who has played one more game than McConnell. To add to that, she has 73 total rebounds.
Graduate student guard #00 Gabby Hutcherson, Duquesne
Standing at 6-foot-two-inches, Hutcherson is listed as a guard on the roster. She leads the team with 12 blocks through nine games played. Scoring-wise, she averages 10.6 points per game and is 50.6% from the floor. Thirty-five of her total 38 rebounds have come on the defensive end. She is also a player who can help swing the momentum.
