Topping her 25-point performance against Arkansas earlier this season, sophomore guard Paige Kohler tied her career high in points with 28, tallying seven rebounds and seven assists in a big 82-69 win over the Akron Zips.
On the night, Kohler also broke her career record in field goals made with 11. However, one of the main reasons why she was able to get her shots was the Falcon’s ability to get stops on defense.
“I think it started on the defensive end, and once we got stops, we were able to push the ball [and] kind of have that killer mindset,” said Kohler postgame. “My teammates found me; we were able to find the hot hand and kept getting involved in setting great screens; it was that getting me open.”
This is the 13th time this season Kohler has scored double digits in a game and just the second time scoring at least 20.
Teammate Johnea Donahue, who also had a big night, making her first start since Nov. 19, 2024, against West Virginia, was full of praise for the Olmsted Falls native.
“It was nice, especially because she gets that motivation from the team, from the coaches,” said Donahue. “We tell all of our shooters to keep shooting… If they’re not falling at first, they’re going to fall eventually. So as long as we keep getting them more opportunities, then we can keep scoring like that.”
Head coach Fred Chmiel was impressed with Kohler’s offensive production, but he was just as impressed with her rebounding and defensive work as well.
“She rebounds every game… that’s her thing. You wouldn’t think that looking at her, but she rebounds, said Chmiel. “She gets in there and she rips them down, or she’ll get a secondary tip and rip it down and advance the ball.”
The trust and confidence Chmiel has seen in Kohler has increased tremendously this season, with her consistently starting and playing major minutes. 16 times this season the sophomore has played 30-plus minutes for Bowling Green.
“I think her poise, especially when we are putting her at the one, being our primary ball handler, we can let Amy [Velasco] rest for a bit,” said Chmiel. “That’s a benefit; that’s a blessing, and she’s been doing a great job.”
Kohler is now averaging 12.8 points per game (PPG), 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and is shooting 34.1% from 3-point range.
The Falcons and Kohler will look to build off their win, now sitting at 10-10 on the year and 4-5 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play, as they will face off against Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.
