BGSU women’s basketball (1-0) defeated the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (0-1) with a final score of 82-67. The game marked the first game of the 2025-2026 season for Bowling Green and for Louisiana, and the first time the two programs faced-off.
“We will take it. Road wins are tough to get,” said assistant coach John Nicolais. “This place is tough to play in. Historically, it hasn’t been very friendly for the visiting team, so we’re excited to come here with a win.”
The two schools began the contest struggling to put points on the board. It was evident that today’s game was the first of the year, as neither team could muster a rhythm offensively.
BG struggled early as they turned the ball over seven times in the early going, allowing the Ragin’ Cajuns to lead the Orange and Brown 15-11 towards the end of the first quarter.
Despite the slow start, sophomore guard Johnea Donahue led Bowling Green with five points, and junior forward Taya Ellis made a two-point jumper to pull the Falcons within four, ending the first quarter down 20-16 to Louisiana. The story of the 1st quarter was the Ragin’ Cajuns’ ability to lock down Bowling Green defensively.
Unlike the first quarter, BG began the second quarter aggressively, as junior guard Paige Kohler found redshirt junior guard Jasmine Fearne for a wide-open 3-point shot to jump Louisiana 26-23, forcing the Ragin’ Cajuns to use their first timeout of the half.
Kohler’s precision continued as she found senior guard Emily Siesel wide-open in the right corner of the court for another three-point score, putting the Falcons ahead 33-29.
However, Louisiana responded with a three-pointer of its own as senior guard Stephanie Mosely drained a three-pointer, tying the game at 35 apiece between the two squads.
Despite both teams struggling to take command of the game, Louisiana’s senior guard Jazmyne Jackson led both teams in scoring with 13 points as the Falcons led the Ragin’ Cajuns 39-27 heading into halftime.
Similarly to how BGSU began the second quarter, the three-pointers were raining down as sophomore forward Lauren Gerken made a three-point shot, putting Bowling Green ahead 46-37. Leaving Louisiana with no other choice but to call their first timeout of the second half.
Momentum continued to rise for Bowling Green as Kohler scored six additional points through the third quarter, tallying a total of 13 points at that point in the game, and leading Louisiana 58-48.
Freshman guard Ky’Aira Miller made her first points of her collegiate career by knocking down another pivotal three-point shot that contributed to the Orange and Brown’s 63-50 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Entering the final quarter, the Ragin’ Cajuns’ second-half struggles continued as BG’s stifling defense prevented Louisiana from capturing any sort of offensive rhythm.
After a late run by the Louisiana offense, the Orange and Brown closed out the game, winning 82-67.
Throughout the contest, multiple BGSU players played well against the Ragin’ Cajuns as Kohler finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists. On top of that, Gerken made the most of her return from last season’s injury as she topped the night with a double-double. She possessed 11 points and 10 rebounds on the night.
“She’s got the ability to stretch the D [defense]. I’ll take the 10 rebounds over the 11 points,” said Nicolais. “It’s nice to have her versatility and what she brings out there. It gives us a lot of options, and we’re glad she’s in BG.”
Following the conclusion of Bowling Green’s victory over Louisiana, the Falcons will now focus their attention on No. 2 ranked South Carolina this Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Falcon Media Sports Network will have full coverage of the match on bgfalconmedia.com. Lucas Kleimeyer will have the call at 7:00 p.m. on Falcon Radio.
