BGSU women’s basketball (8-4, 1-0) looks to continue its momentum in MAC play as they visit the Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-5, 0-1) Tuesday evening, in hopes of grabbing its eighth straight victory. 

Falcon Media Sports Network’s Adam Duffin and Dan Ridenour will be on the call, with tipoff set for 5:00 p.m. at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on WBGU 88.1 FM.

Matchup History 

The Falcons have dominated this rivalry between the two squads, topping 59 out of the 80 total games against the Eagles, while also riding a two-game winning streak against them.  

Additionally, BG is 8-2 against Eastern Michigan in their last 10 meetings, with the Orange and Brown coming out victorious, 87-67, the last time the two schools faced each other last March. 

Bowling Green

Bowling Green has won seven consecutive games ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Eastern Michigan, with their most recent win against the Kent State Golden Flashes on December 20th, coming out on top 73-69.

At this point in the season, head coach Fred Chmiel has yet to find a consistent starting lineup, with only one Falcon starting in all 12 games, and that being junior guard Paige Kohler. Having said that, Chmiel has benefited from the depth of his lineup throughout every contest. 

The latest example is senior guard Kaia Woods, who has started in five of BGSU’s 12 games played. Woods looks to build off her momentum from her last game, in which she scored 18 points and totaled seven rebounds, and had one assist in 18 minutes of action. 

On top of that, sophomore guard Johnea Donahue returned to the starting five against the Golden Flashes after missing the last two games due to an apparent injury. Donahue played well and started right back where she left off, scoring 19 points, tallying 11 boards, and distributing three assists across 36 minutes. 

The Orange and Brown head into Ypsilanti fresh off a steady 41% shooting performance during their conference opener against Kent State, a mark that exceeds the team’s overall shooting percentage, which is at 40.8% on the season.

At this point in the year, it is safe to say that BG thrives in transition offense, and in their win against the Golden Flashes, it proved to be what prevailed for Bowling Green to victory. The Falcons produced 23 fast-break points against Kent State’s six en route to the win. 

Eastern Michigan 

The Eagles enter Tuesday’s matchup on a two-game losing streak, with their most recent loss against the Mid-American Conference (MAC) frontrunners Ball State, losing 78-74. 

Eastern Michigan’s offense is powered in large part by senior forward Sisi Eleko, who averages 17.7 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting a strong 50.3% from the floor on the season. Despite the Eagles’ four-point loss to the Cardinals, Eleko led Eastern Michigan with 20 points off 9-12 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. 

Overall, the Eagles are shooting 41.6% from the field, just a shade better than the 40.6% clip they allow their opponents to shoot from. That narrow edge extends to the scoreboard, where Eastern Michigan outscores opponents by an average of 68-63. That slim five-point margin has resulted in multiple close affairs this season for the Eagles. 

Similar to the Falcons, the Eagles thrive under a pass-heavy offense while distributing the ball to each other frequently throughout each matchup. This season, Eastern Michigan is averaging 13.8 assists per contest, and senior guard Ainhoa Cea is the leader of the herd within this particular stat, averaging 5.6 assists on the season. 

FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Paige Kohler (Bowling Green – No. 10 junior guard) 

Kohler arguably has been BGSU’s most consistent player this season. As noted earlier, Kohler is the one player to have started in every game this season for the Falcons. Kohler leads the squad in points scored per game, averaging 14.8 a contest, and she managed to score 14 of the Orange and Brown’s 73 points just over a week ago. 

Johnea Donahue (Bowling Green – No. 3 sophomore guard)

Donahue is the type of player who can energize teams on both sides of the ball. She thrives when matched up against opposing guards on the defensive end. Donahue leads the Falcons with 37 total steals on the season and sparks multiple key transition looks for her team on the offensive end.

Peyton Hill (Eastern Michigan – No. 23 freshman guard)

As a freshman, Hill is averaging 12.9 points per game, including 3.5 rebounds per game. She is a threat with the ball in her hands and can make shots whenever given the opportunity, given her 41.7% shooting. 

Fernanda Ovalle (Eastern Michigan – No. 6 freshman guard)

Ovalle is another young playmaker for the Eagles who puts up 10.7 points per game and is a threat to draw contact while attacking the rim. The Orange and Brown need to keep this in mind because she does post an efficient 81% free-throw percentage.