BGSU women’s basketball (6-4) took on the Lourdes University Gray Wolves (9-0) on Sunday, winning the contest 104-76 via a triple-double from junior guard Paige Kohler, the first in program history.
Kohler’s first career triple-double consisted of 17 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds.
“Being at home, we’re starting to knock down some shots,” Kohler said postgame. “Being able to run the floor and get some easy transition points for us, it tires the other team out.”
Bowling Green was without sophomore guard Johnea Donahue, who was on the bench but not dressed for the game.
Junior forward Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick logged 17 points and five boards, while sophomore forward Lauren Gerken scored 16 points with four rebounds.
For the Gray Wolves, two players—senior guard Emma Pedroza and junior guard Kaylona Butler—accounted for 75% of the team’s entire scoring output, with 32 and 25 points, respectively.
The Falcons struggled out of the gate and were trailing Lourdes 21-19 at the end of the first quarter. This was mainly due to the Gray Wolves picking up 10 offensive rebounds in the first quarter, compared to just one for the Falcons. BG also committed eight turnovers in the first quarter.
Despite this slow start, the Orange and Brown turned things around in the second quarter, scoring 32 points and cleaning up the turnovers. The Falcons also earned 11 fast-break points and took a 51-33 lead into halftime.
BG stayed dominant in the third quarter, with 28 more points and four steals.
Despite allowing 25 fourth-quarter points, BG scored 25 of its own, and its early cushion helped it coast to a decisive 28-point win. Lourdes forward Camryn Ivey fouled out of the game in the fourth, further assisting the Falcons.
The Falcons primarily excelled in creating shots from beyond the arc, successfully making 13 three-point shots collectively. Redshirt junior guard Jasmine Fearne paced the team with four three-pointers made.
“We shot the ball fairly well,” head coach Fred Chmiel said. “We had some unforced turnovers and some poor decision-making, but other than that, we seemed to improve throughout the game.”
Lourdes took more shots than the Falcons—79 compared to BG’s 63—but struggled to make those shots land, shooting just 38% from the field. BG shot 57.1% and scored 21 points off turnovers.
The Orange and Brown controlled the fast break, with 31 fast break points compared to just seven for Lourdes. BG spread the ball around, with four players—Kohler, Fearne, Gerken, and Bland-Fitzpatrick—scoring double-digit points. For the Gray Wolves, the aforementioned Pedroza and Butler were the only players to score more than eight.
In handing Lourdes their first loss of the season, the Falcons picked up their fifth straight win. They host Le Moyne on Dec. 16 at 11:00 a.m., before opening MAC play in a home bout against Kent State on Dec. 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Coverage can be found at bgfalconmedia.com. Both contests will be broadcast on WBGU 88.1 FM.
