Make it three wins in a row now for BGSU women’s basketball (14-10, 7-6) and a positive Mid-American Conference (MAC) record for the first time this season.
In the Falcons 70-63 win against Western Michigan (10-14, 6-7), Bowling Green used their fast start in the first quarter to their advantage. Outscoring the Broncos 26-10 and holding them to just 44.4% shooting.
“We wanted to have that fast start,” assistant coach Lexxus Graham-Blincoe said on WBGU 88.1 FM. “The second, third, and fourth quarters we didn’t win, but we competed for 40 minutes. We defended the three-point line; they were 3-10 shooting; that’s phenomenal.”
Yes, while it’s true Bowling Green only outscored Western Michigan in the first, their ability to be disciplined in the right moments and get stops defensively made an incredible difference this time around against the Broncos.
The Falcons beat the Broncos in their own game. The first step? Limit Marina Asensio’s impact on the game early.
“Asensio [is a] phenomenal player, but one of the keys was to contain her,” Graham-Blincoe said. “She went one for three from the three-point line, 6/17 in field goals, but we held her to 13 points, which is amazing. Phenomenal job by Nae’ [Donahue], but it was also a team defensive effort.”
Freshman Johnea Donahue had another strong showing not only defensively, but offensively she put up 13 points while grabbing six rebounds.
Another player who did it all for the Orange and Brown was none other than fifth-year forward Lexi Fleming. She tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, including three steals.
While Fleming knows the Falcons have plenty more work to do, she knows how big this win is to give the team momentum.
“Everyone says you got to play your best basketball in March, and we are nearing it,” Fleming said. “I think we are heading in the right direction; we got to keep improving and continue that throughout the MAC Tournament, which is our goal.”
The next test? Another clash with arch-rivals Toledo, who handed Ball State their first MAC loss of the season on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Stroh Center.
“Yes, it’s a big rivalry game, but it is any other game in the MAC, so we are going to approach it the same,” Fleming said. “We got our fans there, I know Toledo’s fans travel so it’s gonna be a great atmosphere to play a game of basketball in.”
