In their last game of the 2024 calendar year, BGSU women’s basketball (6-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped against the Duquesne Dukes (9-2) at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh by a final score of 67-59.
One of the positives that came out of the game for Bowling Green was sophomore guard Keiryn McGuff made her first start in 11 months, scoring eight points and recording five rebounds.
Duquesne senior guard Megan McConnell finished the day with a triple-double for the second time this season. The Pittsburgh native tallied 13 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds.
Fifth-year forward Erika Porter led the Falcons with 19 points and rebounds with five. Right behind her was sophomore guard Paige Kohler and fifth-year Lexi Fleming with 12 points each. Senior guard Amy Velasco had 10 points as well.
For the Dukes, Andjela Matic had a team-high 20 points and was one rebound away from a double-double. She hit four three-pointers and shot six for 10 from the field. Kiandra Browne posted 15 points, which was good for second on the team.
From the jump, both guards, Velasco for the Falcons and McConnell for Duquesne, got into a groove, with each scoring eight points in the first quarter.
In the first quarter, both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively. Despite shooting 46% from the floor in the first, Bowling Green was down by five heading into the second quarter, with Duquesne leading 20-15.
The Dukes turned it up on both ends in the second. With Bowling Green only going 1-10 from the floor in the quarter, Duquesne punished the Orange and Brown beyond the arch, making six three-pointers and outscoring the Falcons 20-6.
After an inefficient shooting display in the second quarter, the Falcons found themselves down by 19 points, trailing 40-21 going into halftime.
The shooting woes continued in the second half for the Orange and Brown, shooting four for 15 in the third quarter and missing seven three-pointers.
Heading into the fourth, Duquesne extended their lead to 21, with a 54-33 advantage.
Bowling Green’s best showing, both offensively and defensively, was easily the fourth, jumping out to an 8-0 run to start the quarter and held the Dukes scoreless for over four minutes. Porter scored 11 points in the fourth, with the bulk coming from inside the paint.
The Falcons cut Duquesne’s lead to as low as six, with Fleming, Kohler, and company hitting big three-point shots down the stretch. But in the end, the Duke made several free throws, with Browne hitting two with under 25 seconds to play to seal the win for Duquesne.
With this loss, the non-conference portion of the Falcon’s schedule comes to a close.
The Falcons will open up 2025 against the Kent State Golden Flashes to begin Mid-American Conference (MAC) play on New Year’s Day, with tip-off slated for 1:00 p.m.
