While multiple players had notable performances in BGSU women’s basketball’s 70-55 win over Central Michigan at the Stroh Center on Saturday, two Falcons stand out: sophomore guard Paige Kohler and freshman guard Johnea Donahue.
Kohler had the hot hand for the Orange and Brown, scoring a team-high 18 points while shooting 6-11 from the field and 5-8 from deep.
“She’s shooting very well and getting shots up within our offense. Her teammates are finding her, and we’re running stuff for her now. We’ve found a few plays that work really well for her where she can get some shots up,” head coach Fred Chmiel said postgame. “She’s taking the shots. Early on in the season, she probably passed up the majority of those, but she’s taking them now, and they’re going in. She’s an exceptional shooter.”
Kohler also added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block while playing all but 13 seconds of the game. At just 5-feet-8-inches tall, Kohler leads the Falcons and ranks ninth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with 4.3 defensive rebounds per game.
The sophomore guard was the primary playmaker for the Falcons in a dominant first-quarter effort, tallying all three of her assists in five minutes, including back-to-back full-court passes for Donahue layups. She also capped 7-0 and 9-0 runs in the first 10 minutes with a driving layup and deep 3-pointer, respectively.
Kohler really heated up in the second half, hitting three major 3-pointers in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Donahue continued to be a pest on defense, tallying a team-high five steals.
“She’s usually all over the place; she’s a rocket. She’s out there and doing multiple things at a time,” Chmiel said. “Her deflections, her defensive presence and the way that she gets after it really helps us.”
The freshman guard also added four assists and five rebounds, including three offensive boards. She finished the game with 14 points, one of four Falcons in double figures.
“She gets out, finds a way to get a hand on the ball, and then she’s the first one out in transition, over the top, for the pass. She is a bullet out there,” Chmiel said. “We really appreciate her energy.”‘
Donahue dominated the second quarter, tallying four points, three offensive rebounds, two steals and two assists in 10 minutes. She put an exclamation mark on the first half with a driving layup with 7.6 seconds remaining, capping a 14-0 run for BG and giving the Falcons a 41-21 lead going into halftime.
Kohler has shined over the past five games, averaging 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 44.4% from deep.
“She’s been on a roll,” Chmiel said. “She’s done a great job this second half of this season, and we need her to continue to do that.”
Donahue continues to be one of the best defenders in the MAC. She has tallied multiple steals in four of the past five games and is tied for second in the MAC with 2.4 steals per game.
Next, Kohler, Donahue and the rest of the Falcons will hit the road to battle Western Michigan in Kalamazoo on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Kaden Knapp will have the call on WBGU 88.1 FM, beginning at 6:45 p.m. for pregame.
