BGSU women’s basketball (15-12, 7-8 MAC) prevailed over Toledo (14-11, 8-6 MAC) 61-52, on Saturday afternoon in the Battle of I-75 at the Stroh Center.

Head coach Fred Chmiel spoke about the rivalry win in his opening statement. Defensively, they’re pretty gritty. We were lucky to get some turnovers in transition,” Chmiel said. “We knew it was going to be physical, really competitive, so I’m glad we answered the bell.”

The first quarter finished with BG leading, and a final score of 20-18. Both teams have their star guards generate offense early.

Junior guard Paige Kohler generated 10 points in the first quarter, with an electric transition layup in the final seconds of the quarter. Kohler finished with 17 points and three 3-pointers during the afternoon.

For Toledo, junior guard Kendall Carruthers scored seven in the opening quarter. Carruthers would end with 13 points and lead the Rockets offensively as their lone scorer in double figures.

To begin the second quarter, BG rapidly went on a 10-3 run. It was fueled by sophomore forward Lauren Gerken, as she nailed two 3-pointers in a row to force a timeout by Toledo. Gerken would end with 14 points and four 3-pointers. The four shots from long range tie her career-high.

Chmiel spoke about Gerken’s shooting ability. “We’ve been forcing her to shoot the ball since day one,” Chmiel stated. “We make a concentrated effort to stay on her and make sure she’s taken advantage of those [shooting] windows.”

After BG’s rally, Toledo had one of their own. An 8-0 run into the break made it 36-29 at the half, with the Falcons still leading.

In the opening minutes of the third quarter, sophomore guard Johnea Donahue officially eclipsed the BG single-season steals record, which was 101. Nyla Hampton, the previous record holder, achieved it during the 2022-2023 season. Donahue finished with six steals in the game and sits at 104 total steals. 

As the game went on, junior forward Taya Ellis repeatedly made her presence known. By snatching shot attempts out of the air and hounding rebounds, Ellis gave the Falcons a boost on both ends. Ellis registered 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high six blocks in her third double-double performance of the season.

Chmiel spoke about Ellis’ defensive skillset. “Taya’s got [an] innate ability to block shots,” Chmiel said. “Great timing and great leaping ability.”

Alongside Ellis, Gerken joined the block party with three of her own. For the Orange and Brown, nine blocks tie their season-high in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. On the Rockets’ side, sophomore forward Evalyse Cole denied multiple Falcon shots, with four blocks.

The closing quarter was the only one in which Toledo outscored Bowling Green, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.

The Falcons move on to face Ohio on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m., in the Convocation Center. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer will call the game on WBGU 88.1 FM.