BGSU women’s basketball (17-13, 9-9) ended its season with a victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies (7-23, 4-14), winning 77-66 one final time at the Stroh Center, with four Falcons reaching double-figures in points scored today. Junior guard Paige Kohler headlined senior night with 20 points, three rebounds, and one assist against NIU.
Bowling Green and Northern Illinois were in lock step after the conclusion of the first quarter, with the score reading 20-17 in favor of BG. The Orange and Brown finished the first period shooting 43% from the field, while the Huskies ended the quarter shooting 38% from the floor.
Having said that, both teams were shooting the long ball, with NIU and BGSU combining for 17 3-point shot attempts in the opening period. The Falcons finished the quarter with a 40% 3-point percentage, while Northern Illinois ended the quarter with a 42% 3-point mark.
Moving into the second quarter of action, BG began to pull away, ending the half leading, 37-26.
Bowling Green’s defense held the Huskies to their worst shooting percentage in the outing during the second quarter, where NIU connected on only 15% of their shots.
Despite ending the first half down by 11, Northern Illinois managed to outscore the Orange and Brown 17-16 in the third quarter, with their game-best 42% field goal percentage in the third quarter.
Junior forward Navaeh Wingate, who finished the night as the leading scorer between both schools, with 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block, continued to keep the Huskies in reach of the Falcons.
Yet, BG’s sophomore forward Lauren Gerken began to regain her confidence with clutch shot after clutch shot down the stretch. All in all, she ended the night with 17 points from 5-14 from the floor, including 3-11 from distance.
Although Northern Illinois’ shot making progressed into the fourth quarter, it proved to be too much of a deficit with Bowling Green tying its largest lead of 11, winning 77-66.
Outside of Kohler and Gerken, who topped BGSU with the most points scored on the day, sophomore guard Johnea Donahue made her presence felt on the floor. She scored 12 points, coupled with a team-high eight rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.
Sticking in the paint, the Orange and Brown won the rebounding battle 40-34, and the Falcons’ junior forward Jaedyn Cook played a pivotal role, securing four rebounds off the bench. On top of that, Cook scored 12 points, with an additional steal and block on the afternoon.
With the Falcons coming out on top, they will now wait for their opponent to be revealed as they await the Mid-American Conference (MAC) women’s basketball tournament. The MAC tournament will be held next week, from March 11 to 14, in Cleveland, Ohio, at Rocket Arena.
