Winners of their last three games, BGSU women’s basketball (14-11, 7-6) hosts rivals Toledo (19-5, 10-3) in the second edition of the historic Battle of I-75 this season.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Kaden Knapp will have the call on WBGU 88.1 FM starting at 6:45 p.m. for pregame with tipoff at 7:00 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday night will mark the 90th all-time meeting between the Falcons and the Rockets, with the Orange and Brown leading the series 45-44.
Earlier this year, Toledo defeated Bowling Green 80-68 at Savage Arena on Jan. 25. The Rockets have won the last five matchups against the Falcons, with head coach Fred Chmiel looking to get his first win against Toledo under his belt.
Bowling Green is 22-15 at home, 15-25 on the road, and 8-4 in neutral-site games against Toledo.
BOWLING GREEN
The Falcon’s 70-63 win over Western Michigan was one of the biggest wins of the season for BG. On a three-game winning streak, Bowling Green sits in sixth place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with a 7-6 record.
Four Falcons reached double digits in scoring against the Broncos, despite BG only winning the first quarter. But their ability to consistently get stops on defense and be disciplined in the right moments propelled them to victory.
It’s no secret that Bowling Green will need to put together a full 40 minutes to beat Toledo. Last time it was a tale of two halves; the Falcons won the first half, but a slow start in the third quarter haunted the Orange and Brown.
Bowling Green is averaging 69.6 points per game (PPG), which is ranked the fourth-best scoring offense in the MAC. They remain the ninth-ranked defense in the conference, allowing 68.0 PPG. A statistic that has flown under the radar has been BG’s 3-point shooting, which is third-best in the MAC at 33.8% from beyond the arc.
TOLEDO
The Rockets did something that nobody else in the MAC has done so far this year. Which is to beat Ball State.
Wednesday’s 70-66 win over the number one seed Ball State put the rest of the conference on notice, as Toledo is on a seven-game winning streak.
Toledo’s had a history of strong second halves this season. Outscoring Ball State 42-36 in the third and fourth quarters. Plus, last time against BG, they outscored the Falcons 53-36.
First-year head coach Ginny Boggess has the Rockets playing well, with the team tied with BG in the MAC in scoring at 69.6 PPG. Toledo has the fourth-best defense in the MAC, allowing just 62.3 PPG.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fifth-year guard -#25 Lexi Fleming, Bowling Green
Fleming had a game-high 23 points last time against the Rockets, in all her years playing against Toledo, her leadership, energy, and versatility on the floor will be crucial.
Senior guard – #1 Amy Velasco, Bowling Green
The Centerville, Ohio, native has scored in double figures in 22 of Bowling Green’s 25 games this season. She is also leading the MAC in minutes played with 889 total. Another big performance for Velasco will be needed against the Rockets.
Sophomore guard -#4 Kendall Carruthers, Toledo
Carruthers had a big game last time against BG, scoring a team-high 21 points. She is averaging 11.0 PPG but has been one of the more consistent offensive players for Toledo this season.
Graduate student – #33 Sammi Mikonowicz, Toledo
One of the three players who has started all 24 games for the Rockets, Mikonowicz’s rebounding ability and effectiveness on both ends of the floor will be key for Toledo.
