After a trip to Alaska, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Louisiana, BGSU women’s basketball (2-4) returns to the Stroh Center for the first time this season to host Purdue Fort Wayne (4-3) on Sunday afternoon.
Pre-game coverage begins on WBGU 88.1 FM at 1:35 p.m. with Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak, Artie Abrego and Sam Bork. Lucas Kleimeyer and Adam Duffin will be at the Stroh Center to call the 2:00 p.m. tipoff.
The Orange and Brown lead the all-time series 5-0 over the Mastodons. Those matchups occurred in five consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2005.
Bowling Green
BG comes home after a six-game road trip that spanned across four states, including two games in Alaska. Head coach Fred Chmiel is 2-0 so far as the Falcons coach in home openers. BGSU will be looking to make a statement at the start of a six-game homestand.
One necessary factor to keep that streak alive is improved shooting for BG. So far, the Falcons’ field goal percentage is 34%. That places BG 338th in the country.
From beyond the 3-point line, the mark of 22.2% places BG even lower, at 349th in the nation.
A player who will be relied on to change this trend is junior guard Paige Kohler. She is leading the Falcons with 14.5 points per game, but is shooting 32.1% from the field—a far cry from her 41.5% a year ago.
Sophomore guard Johnea Donahue has elevated her offensive performance this season. She is second on the team with 13.7 points per game, while also leading the squad with 3.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
Another player that the Falcons could turn to is senior guard Emily Siesel. In her first collegiate start, she scored eight points, along with three steals and three assists.
Junior guard Jasmine Fearne was also a new member of the starting lineup for the Falcons. She launched 13 three-pointers, but only ended up making two.
Purdue Fort Wayne
The Mastodons have won four of their last five, with their only loss being to Nebraska in that span. Purdue Fort Wayne will look to defeat Bowling Green for the first time in school history.
Leading the way is graduate forward Alana Nelson with 14.6 points per game. Nelson has been efficient, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line. In just her first season at the Division I level, she has been a leader for the Mastodons.
Fellow senior forward Jordan Reid has been a perfect complement to Nelson. Reid is second on the team with 11.4 points per game and first with 5.9 rebounds per game. With her offensive ability, Reid has showcased stellar defense with 2.7 steals per game.
A key contributor for Purdue Fort Wayne is freshman guard Rylee Bess. She is shooting 53.3% from three and scores 8.9 points per game. She is tied for 16th in the country for 3-point percentage.
Standout junior forward Lili Krasovec has averaged 10.4 points while shooting 70.7%. She ranks 5th in the country in field goal percentage.
Despite great shooting from the floor for most of the roster, Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 338th in free-throw percentage, at 60.3%.
In their past five games, the Mastodons have only allowed 65.4 points per game, while BG has scored 63.2 points on average throughout the season.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Paige Kohler (Bowling Green — No. 10, junior guard)
Kohler has had an up-and-down season so far. If BG has any hope of being one of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), she will need to string together consistent performances. The home opener is a perfect opportunity to get back to the success she had last season.
Emily Siesel (Bowling Green — No. 2, senior guard)
Siesel took full advantage of her first career start in Alaska. With the Falcons trying to find a third option to go alongside Kohler and Donahue, Siesel can continue to make a case for her role to increase.
Alana Nelson (Purdue Fort Wayne — No. 54, graduate forward)
Nelson has impressed in her first season at the Division I level. Coming off a 25-point performance on Tuesday, she will look to continue to lead the scoring for the Mastodons.
Rylee Bess (Purdue Fort Wayne — No. 2, freshman guard)
Bess has been stellar from long range in her debut collegiate season. The Falcons have had issues in transition defense and leaving shooters open. Bess is a player you can’t leave open.
