.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Flynn, Falcons Fly Past Flashes, 89-66, Clinching MAC's Best Record for Third-Straight Season
February 21, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2007
Final Stats |
Quotes |
AP Photo Gallery 
BGSU-Kent State Boxscore in PDF Format
KENT, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team put together one of its most complete games of the year, posting an 89-66 victory at Kent State University Tuesday night (Feb. 20). The Mid-American Conference game was held at the M.A.C. Center.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 25-2 overall and 14-0 in MAC play, and BGSU concludes the road portion of the conference schedule with a perfect 8-0 record for the second-straight season, while improving several other streaks (see notes below). The Golden Flashes drop to 13-12 and 9-5, respectively.
BGSU's victory clinched the MAC's best overall regular-season record for the third consecutive season.
The win was truly a team effort, as the Falcons had six players reach double digits in scoring to hand the Flashes their worst home loss in over 16 years. Senior Amber Flynn led the way with a career-high 21-point effort off the bench. Flynn, who BGSU head coach Curt Miller has called the top sixth man in MAC history, was perfect from the field, going 8-for-8, and also hit five of her six free-throw tries on the night.
Junior Kate Achter scored 14 points, while senior Carin Horne had 13. Senior Ali Mann and sophomore Lindsey Goldsberry each scored 12 points in the win, while soph Jasmine McCall had 10 points to round out the sextet in double figures.
Kristin Peoples was the lone double-figure scorer for the Golden Flashes, with a game-high 23 points.
The Falcons, leading by nine points at the half, shot 60.0 percent from the field in the second 20 minutes. BGSU shot over 50% in the second half for the seventh consecutive game.
BGSU forced Kent State into a season-high 27 turnovers, and the Falcons had a commanding 40-10 advantage in points off turnovers. The Brown and Orange also enjoyed a 43-20 margin in bench points.
The game got off to a slow start, as the teams seemed to be feeling each other out. Horne hit a pair of free throws to open the scoring 57 seconds in, and a long two-pointer by Achter tied the game at 4-4 a minute later. Peoples drained a three-point field goal to give the home team the lead, and Horne got to the line again, splitting her free-throw tries to send the teams into the first media timeout with KSU holding a 7-5 lead.
In a sign of things to come, KSU's Jamilah Humes was whistled for her second foul prior to that timeout. The teams combined for 45 fouls and 57 free-throw attempts on the night.
The Flashes scored four-straight points, as La'kia Stewart's layup was followed by a Mallorie Griffith layup, a BG foul and a Falcon timeout. The ensuing free-throw was no good, but the home team held an 11-6 advantage.
Kent State's seventh foul of the game came at the 13:29 mark, and Flynn went to the stripe and split her two tosses. Then, Horne stepped in front of a pass at midcourt, stole the ball and fed Achter for an `and-one' jumper. The free throw was good and the Falcons trailed by an 11-10 count.
Rumors that the teams were using the same basketball that the NBA used at the beginning of this season proved to be untrue. But, the middle stretch of the first half featured enough turnovers by both sides - many of the unforced variety - to make one wonder. KSU had 10 turnovers by the 11:20 media timeout, but still held a 12-10 lead, due in part to BG's six turnovers and 2-for-10 shooting.
Out of that 11:20 timeout, Goldsberry's pass found Flynn down low for one of her patented turnaround one-handers, and the game was tied at 12-12, and BG would never trail again. Then, Mann backed her defender down for a turnaround jumper and a BG lead.
KSU's Kerrie James drove the lane and scored, but Mann went to the line and hit a free throw, then a driving layup a moment later.
With the shot clock winding down, Peoples hit a three-pointer from NBA range to tie the score for one last time. But, at the six-minute mark of the half, senior Liz Honegger, double-teamed on the right side of the lane, fired a pass to an open Goldsberry in the left corner. The sophomore's rain-making three-point try dropped through the hoop, and BGSU had the lead for good.
Two Goldsberry free throws a minute later gave BG a 22-19 lead, and Horne grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled. The senior made both of her charity tosses for a five-point Falcon edge.
But, KSU got a pair of free throws from Peoples, and Achter was called for her third foul of the game as both she and Peoples went for a BG pass just before the final media break of the half. Peoples split the resulting free throws, but Goldsberry made a pair at the other end. Then, Flynn drove and scored, and Goldsberry spotted McCall underneath the hoop for a reverse layup, prompting a KSU timeout at the 2:32 mark.
Just 17 seconds later, the Flashes called their third timeout of the half when they were unable to inbound the ball. Sarah Burgess hit a pair of free throws on that possession, but a Flynn layup was followed by Mann's trailing three-pointer. Then, McCall made a steal and raced ahead of the pack for a layup and a 37-24 lead. A total of six free throws over the final minute of the half resulted in a 39-30 BG advantage at the intermission.
The Falcons recovered from their frigid start to shoot 11-for-26 (42.3%) from the field, while the Flashes were 9-of-25 (36.0%). Both teams' shooting percentages would drastically improve in the second half.
In that second half, Horne, held without a field goal in the first 20 minutes, made four in a two-and-a-half minute span. Mann and Horne worked down low, resulting in a layup for Horne, and the senior then hit a running layup on the next possession.
A Horne steal deep in KSU's end of the court was followed by a layup at the 17:40 mark, and she grabbed an offensive board and converted a putback a minute later. The Flashes were converting their shots at the other end, hitting 5-of-6 shots to begin the half, and BG's lead was 47-41 at the first media timeout.
Goldsberry helped the Falcons score the game's next four points, with a steal and a pass to Achter for a two-on-one layup, then a pair of free throws after being fouled on a drive to the hoop. BG had a 51-41 lead.
The Flashes battled back, scoring the game's next five points to cut BG's lead in half. But, with 12:41 on the clock, Mann drew a triple team in the lane, and kicked the ball out to a wide-open Honegger for a straightaway three-pointer and a 54-46 lead.
Then, Humes turned the ball over and was called for her fourth foul of the game. Less than 20 seconds later, Mann and Achter combined for a nifty pass and layup, and Achter was fouled on the shot, Griffith's fourth foul of the evening. Achter's free-throw try was good, and the Falcons had a 57-46 lead.
A moment later, Honegger hit a left-elbow triple off a Mann pass for a 60-48 BG advantage, and Goldsberry stole the ball and found a trailing Mann for a runner in the lane. The Falcons' lead was 14 points and the Flashes took a timeout - their fourth of the game - with 10:52 remaining.
A highlight-reel reverse jumper by Flynn - in which the senior swooped under the hoop and fired a line-drive shot while being fouled -- resulted in a three-point play, a successful free throw and a 65-48 lead.
Burgess hit a trey for the home team, but Peoples became the fourth KSU player with four fouls a minute later, picking up her fourth of the game at the 7:45 mark.
With 6:35 on the clock and the shot clock winding down, McCall drove past three players for a nifty layup and a 16-point lead. Then, an Achter steal and layup prompted KSU to use their final timeout of the game with the Falcons holding a 71-53 lead and 5:33 remaining.
KSU's Samantha Scull hit a layup, but Achter responded with a drive toward the hoop, drawing several defenders toward her, and the junior found a wide-open Flynn for a layup and a 73-55 lead.
The Flashes got a three-pointer from Peoples, but Achter hit a short jumper after the teams traded turnovers deep in KSU's end.
A Humes jumper cut BG's lead to 75-60 with under four minutes left, but Flynn had two putbacks of teammates' misses in a 32-second span. The first of those two layups resulted in a three-point play. After the second layup, the Falcons had an 82-62 lead with 2:45 left, and the Flashes could draw no closer than 19 points.
The teams each pulled down 30 rebounds in the game, with BGSU holding a 15-10 second-half advantage in that department. Stewart had a game-high 10 boards for the Flashes, while Horne led the Falcons with seven and Flynn had six.
Goldsberry had five rebounds, a game-high five steals and three assists. Mann led the Brown and Orange with four helpers in the game.
The Falcons shot 51.8% from the field for the game, while KSU shot 44.0%. BGSU was 27-of-32 from the foul line (84.4%), while the home team was 17-for-25 (68.0%).
BGSU returns home for the final two games of the regular season. The Falcons will host Ohio on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 24) in a 1:00 p.m. start, then will meet Miami on Wednesday night, Feb. 28, at venerable Anderson Arena.
NOTES
* The Falcons, as mentioned, increased a number of winning streaks in the game ... BGSU has won 18 consecutive games since a Dec. 19 loss to top-ranked Duke ... that streak is the fifth-longest in school history.
* BGSU has now won a school- and MAC-record 39 consecutive games against conference opposition.
* The Falcons have completed the road portion of the MAC regular-season schedule with a perfect 8-0 record for the second consecutive year ... BGSU's seniors will always be able to say that they capped their careers by winning 17-straight MAC road games.
* BG has now won 53 of 58 games since the beginning of last season, and the Falcons have won 59 of the last 65 contests.
* The Falcons now have a record of 97-23, including a 54-8 conference mark, since the current senior class arrived on campus in the fall of 2003.
* The 23-point loss was Kent State's worst home setback in over 16 years, since a 110-86 loss to Ohio on Jan. 19, 1991.
* Junior Kate Achter scored 14 points, as mentioned, in the win ... Achter now has a career total of 987 points entering Saturday's game vs. Ohio.
