BGSU women’s basketball (11-9, 4-5 MAC) defeated the Akron Zips (3-17, 0-8 MAC) 80-62, in the Stroh Center, on Wednesday night, snapping their three-game winless streak.
Points came from within the paint throughout the game for BG, with 44 total points in the paint. The Falcons did have to battle for those points as they were fouled continuously during the game. They managed to make 10 of their 14 first-quarter shots from the free-throw line.
Overall, BG would finish 22 of 31 from the line on the night.
Falcons head coach Fred Chmiel highlighted the reason behind the increased free-throw trips. “We’re a downhill driving team, and anytime we can punch the paint, we’re trying to do that,” Chmiel said. “We’re also trying to accumulate fouls on the other team.”
Neither side was able to get going from the field, as both teams shot under 35 percent in the half.
In a basketball oddity, BG’s first three-pointer came at the 3:42 mark of the second quarter. That was despite BG leading 37-22, heading into the half. The Falcons didn’t allow the game to return to a single-digit deficit.
The first half would also end with a bizarre free-throw discrepancy. As BG shot 23 to Akron’s two.
Turnovers were a glaring problem for Akron in the first half. Their 12 turnovers bottlenecked their offensive ceiling. Freshman guard Shaena Brew led the Zips’ mistakes with her 6 turnovers in the first half. Brew would finish with 8 total turnovers.
A catalyst for most of the Zips’ turnovers is sophomore guard Johnea Donahue. She flew around the court defensively for the Orange and Brown and would lead the game with six steals and 21 points.
Donahue would not be alone in the scoring department. As junior guard Paige Kohler scored 19 points and sophomore forward Lauren Gerken added 13.
Gerken has scored 10-plus points in six consecutive games. Chmiel brought up Gerken gaining key experience this season. “She got hurt her first year…. And she’s getting more comfortable and aggressive.”
Multiple steals by Donahue came in the third quarter as the Falcons would flash in transition to extend their lead to 24. BG’s 29 fastbreak points were far greater than Akron’s two.
Fifth-year guard Kaia Woods was able to get sweet revenge against her former team, as she led the game with 10 rebounds while being 5-foot-3.
The Falcons are one game under .500 in conference play, and looking to run the table in the final 10 games of the season.
Up next on Saturday at 5 p.m., Bowling Green will face Toledo in the first edition of the Battle of I-75 this season at Savage Arena.
