Tonight, BGSU women’s basketball (9-8, 3-3) takes on Western Michigan (7-9, 4-2). The Falcons are looking to win their third consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) game.
The Orange and Brown lead the all-time series 43-36 and are 23-13 at home against the Broncos. BG has also won seven of the last eight matchups, including their most recent matchup last March.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Rhys Patrykus will call the game on WBGU 88.1 FM starting at 6:45 for pregame.
Bowling Green
After starting MAC play 1-3, the Falcons won two consecutive games to bring their conference record to 3-3. Their most recent win came against Northern Illinois, 74-60.
BGSU controlled almost the entirety of the game except for a quick five minutes at the start of the third. Assistant coach Maggie Lucas expressed her happiness with the team’s ability to face adversity and “get out of another team’s run” in her post-game interview with Kaden Knapp.
Redshirt sophomore guard Jasmine Fearne scored 11 points and a season-high five rebounds in the win. Fifth-year guard Lexi Fleming also scored 15 and surpassed 1000 career points.
Momentum is very important for the Falcons. They are 6-3 this year when their previous game was a victory.
To defeat the Broncos, the Falcons will need to hit their shots, take care of the basketball, and create positive energy.
Fleming echoed this after the NIU game, “we got to come in with a lot of energy and we have confidence with us.”
If the Orange and Brown are also able to make this a high-scoring game it would be huge, they average 69.9 points per contest.
Western Michigan
The Broncos are a very interesting team. They are last in the MAC in points with 914 total, but are 4th in defense, allowing 1006.
Their most recent win came a week ago against Toledo, 41-38. Their other three MAC wins came against Ohio, NIU, and EMU, all three are in the bottom half of the conference in scoring and defense.
To defeat Bowling Green, Western Michigan will need to keep the game low-scoring, limit BG possessions, and force the Falcons into turnovers.
The Broncos average 9.3 steals per game, which is about 2.1 more than the Falcons. WMU has also allowed more than 70 points in six of their nine losses. 58 is the most points they have allowed in a win.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Sophomore guard #10 Paige Kohler, Bowling Green
Paige Kohler had a big second half against NIU to help the Falcons to victory. She also has scored double-digit points in nine of her last ten games. To add to that, Kohler has been phenomenal outside of scoring. She has a combined five steals, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in the last two games. The Olmsted Falls native is someone who has flown under the radar and is great at sparking positive momentum.
Senior guard #1 Amy Velasco, Bowling Green
After a red-hot start to the season, Amy Velasco has cooled off a little bit scoring-wise. She is a pivotal piece in creating shots for herself or her teammates. Velasco also is the type of player who can help extend or create scoring runs.
Junior guard #1 Marina Asensio, Western Michigan
Sabadell, Spain native, Marina Asensio is the Broncos’ key offensive performer. She leads the team in nearly every offensive category and finds herself with the basketball on almost every possession. Asensio averages 35.3 minutes, 13.6 points, and 4.9 assists per game. The guard also is second on the team in rebounding with 55 total rebounds, 54 being defensive.
Graduate student guard #3 Hannah Spitzley, Western Michigan
Hannah Spitzley leads Western Michigan in rebounds with 87 total. Standing at six feet tall, Spitzley plays like a guard on the offensive end, scoring 12.4 points and attempting five triples per game, and a forward on the defensive end, hauling in 60 boards defensively. She also has totaled 12 blocks this season, that’s good for ninth in the MAC. If WMU wants to win, they will need Spitzley to have a good game.
