BGSU women’s basketball (4-4) hosted the Kentucky State Thorobreds (2-5) on Wednesday night at the Stroh Center. The Falcons won their third game in a row, dominating the Thorobreds 103-32.
From tip-off to the final buzzer, BG was on fire. The Orange and Brown hadn’t broken 100 points since 2022. Their scoring was led by junior forward Taya Ellis, with 14 points. All 13 players on the team got to see game time, and the bench put up 51 points on their own.
“It shows how hard they work in practice,” said junior guard Paige Kohler after the game. “They can go in and make an impact immediately.”
Sophomore guard Johnea Donahue played exceptionally well defensively. She had eight steals, a block, and two defensive rebounds. This ties her personal best with steals in a single game, the last time being against Toledo last season.
“She’s a game changer defensively. There aren’t very many people in the country that can do what she does,” said head coach Fred Chmiel at the press conference.
The first quarter was dominated by the Falcons, putting up 27 points and allowing none. BGSU was very efficient shooting the ball, going four of nine on three-point attempts and nine of 15 on field goals.
Sophomore forward Lauren Gerken led the team in points in the first quarter, with two successful three-point attempts.
By the end of the first quarter, Bowling Green led 27-0. This marks the first time since the 2022-23 season that they’d held a team scoreless in the first quarter.
“We worked hard today on defense, we really got after it,” said coach Chmiel. “We did a couple of defensive drills with high intensity. It wasn’t a walk-through today.”
The second quarter was an extension of the first, with the Orange and Brown not letting off the gas. They scored an additional 28 points, putting their lead at 55-8.
The defense was extremely effective in the first half, with Donahue leading the way. She had eight steals and two defensive rebounds. She also led the team in points, with 10.
In the third quarter, Bowling Green began showing their depth, with all 13 players on the team having seen game time. The Falcons also extended their lead up to 78-18.
“You can’t undervalue experience. Being out there and fighting through some fatigue,” said Chmiel after the game. “The hard part about all of this is working with the four other people on the floor. I thought (the bench) did a really good job.”
The fourth quarter was just as dominant. The Falcons put up an additional 25 points and held Kentucky State to only 14 in the quarter. All of Bowling Green’s points from the fourth quarter came from bench players.
Bowling Green now turns their attention to Defiance College. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the Stroh Center. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Adam Duffin and Daniel Ridenour will have the call on WBGU 88.1 FM.
