Falcons, Rockets Renew Rivalry Saturday Afternoon

Saturday, January 30

Toledo, Ohio

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Toledo

Tickets

Miriam Justinger v EMU - Jan 27 2016 - Ruben Kappler

Miriam Justinger & the Falcons face Toledo Saturday afternoon

Photo by: Ruben Kappler, BGSU Marketing & Communications

January 29, 2016 | Women's Basketball, The Battle Of I-75

BGSU heads to the Glass City for a 2:00 p.m. matchup in the "Battle of I-75"

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, riding a three-game winning streak, makes a short trip north to renew a Northwest Ohio rivalry this weekend. The Falcons of head coach Jennifer Roos head to the Glass City for a Saturday (Jan. 30) contest vs. the University of Toledo. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at Savage Arena.

LINKS
GAME NOTES: BGSU | Toledo
2015-16 Women's Basketball Media Central
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#TBT on a Friday: Falcons Down Toledo in 2014 Trip to Savage | Stats

THREE-MARKABLE
• The Falcons exploded for 15 three-point field goals in Saturday's (Jan. 23) win over Kent State. BGSU's total tied the Stroh Center record and was just one shy of the school record. As a team, BG went 15-for-29 from long range, a success rate of 51.7 percent. The Falcons were 6-of-9 from long range in the third quarter alone.

• Then, BGSU hit 11 triples in 23 tries (47.8%) en route to a win over Mid-American Conference West Division favorite Eastern Michigan at the Stroh on Wednesday night (Jan. 27). BG went 5-for-7 (71.4%) from beyond the arc in the second quarter of that game.

THREE-MENDOUS
• Freshman Sydney Lambert tied the arena record by making six of the Falcons' three-pointers vs. KSU. Lambert was 6-for-9 from long distance on the day. Sophomore Rachel Myers also displayed deadly long-range shooting vs. the Flashes, making her first five triple tries and finishing 5-for-6 in the game. Both Lambert and Myers set new career bests for three-pointers made.

• Then, against Eastern Michigan, both Lambert and Myers connected four times from behind the three-point line.

• Over the last two games, the Falcons have made 26 three-pointers as a team. In that two-game span, Lambert has gone 10-of-16 (62.5%) from long distance, while Myers has made 9-of-15 (60.0%) three-point tries.

THREE-LIGHTFUL
• BGSU's three-point percentage in the Kent State game was the team's best since a 9-for-16 effort (55.7%) in a WNIT win over Michigan in late March of 2014.

• The Falcons have shot an even 50% from long distance over the last two games, having made 26 triples in 52 tries.

THREE-GION OF BOOM
The Falcons have made at least five three-point field goals in each of this season's 17 games to date. In fact, BG has hit four or more triples in 49 of the last 50 games, dating to late in the 2013-14 season. The lone exception during that stretch was last year's MAC Tournament first-round game, when BG made three treys at Western Michigan.

THREE- ... UMMM, SOME OTHER PHRASE THAT STARTS WITH 'THREE'
BGSU will be looking to extend an impressive streak in the Toledo game. The Falcons have hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last 358 games. BG has not been held without a triple in over 10 years – since Feb. 12, 2005, at Akron, when the Falcons won, 61-52, despite going 0-of-13 from long distance.

IF YOU'VE GOT A GOOD THREE-POINT-RELATED HEADLINE, LEAVE IT HERE
• Over the last four games, the Falcons have made a total of 44 three-point field goals, an average of 11.0 successful triples per game.

• The Falcons have made 10 or more three-pointers in five games this season, including in each of the last two contests. BGSU's total of 15 three-pointers made vs. Kent State was a season high. It was also the team's highest total in nearly two years, since Feb. 9, 2014, when BG shredded the nets with 15 triples in a 91-45 win over Miami.

• No fewer than of 11 different players have made at least one triple for the Falcons this season.

LAST TIME OUT: FALCONS TAKE DOWN EASTERN MICHIGAN, 67-63
• The Falcons scorched the Stroh Center nets in the first half to build a double-digit lead, then held off a late surge by Eastern Michigan en route to a 67-63 win Wednesday night (Jan. 27).

• BGSU's starting guards – sophomore Rachel Myers and freshman Sydney Lambert – each hit four three-point field goals, combining for 32 points. The Falcons' starting center, Lauren Tibbs, nearly had a double-double, with 14 points and nine rebounds. And, the team's starting forwards – senior Miriam Justinger and junior Ashley Tunstall – each had eight points, three assists and two steals.

• The Falcons (8-9, 4-4 MAC) have won three consecutive games for the first time this season. BG has doubled the team's conference win total for all of last season, when coach Jennifer Roos and the Falcons went 2-16 in MAC play after suffering multiple injuries.

• Myers, after going 5-for-6 from behind the arc in Saturday's (Jan. 23) win over Kent State, hit four more triples against the Eagles, who were picked to win the MAC's West Division in the league's preseason poll. She wound up with a game-high 18 points.

• Lambert, after hitting a career-high six treys vs. KSU, went 4-for-7 vs. Eastern, despite battling foul trouble. She scored 14 points in the win. Lambert and Myers each had five rebounds, and Lambert added four assists to lead the Falcons and tie for game honors.

• Cha Sweeney led four double-digit scorers for the visitors. Sweeney had 15 points, but needed 23 shots to get those points. She was 6-for-23 on the night, including a 1-for-9 performance from long distance.

• BGSU shot a blistering 61.9 percent from the field in the first half, going 13-for-21 from the floor to build a 36-24 halftime lead. The Falcons made 7-of-10 shots in the second quarter, including a 5-for-7 effort (71.4%) from three-point range in that period alone. BG went 7-of-11 from long distance in the opening half.

• Meanwhile, the Falcons' defense allowed Eastern to make just nine total field goals and shoot only 25.7% (9-of-35) in the first 20 minutes.

• The Eagles rallied back, with a furious 17-3 run over a five-minute span getting the visitors within just two points. In fact, EMU was within a bucket on two occasions in the late stages of the game, but the Falcons responded with points each time to keep the Eagles from having a chance to tie or take the lead.

• The Falcons shot 48.0% from the field for the game, while EMU shot just 36.5%. The Eagles held a slim 35-33 rebounding advantage, but despite pulling down 17 offensive boards to BG's nine, EMU was outscored in second-chance points. The Falcons enjoyed a 16-11 result in that category.

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE
• The Falcons allowed Northern Illinois to shoot just 26.7 percent from the field, make only 16 field goals and score just 43 points in last week's BG win in DeKalb. All were season-low totals/averages for a BGSU opponent.

• Then, the next time out, the Brown and Orange limited Kent State to only 13 field goals made and a field-goal percentage of just 26.5%, setting season bests in those categories for the second-straight game.

• BGSU had not held back-to-back opponents to less than 30% shooting in just over three years, since lopsided wins over Ball State and Ohio in January of 2013.

• The Falcons held back-to-back foes under 50 points for the first time since an epic two-game stretch two years ago, when BG allowed a TOTAL of 77 points in home wins over Kent State (82-38) and Ohio (63-39).

• On Wednesday, Eastern Michigan scored 63 points vs. the Falcons. But, that total was nearly 11 points under the Eagles' scoring average (73.9) for the season, and EMU shot only 36.5% from the field, including just 25.7% in the first half.

A FEW NOTES GUARANTEED TO BLOW. YOUR. MIND.
• Over the last three games, the Falcons have made an average of 24 field goals per game – in fact, BG has hit exactly 24 shots from the floor in each of the three games – and shot 42.4 percent from the field.

• Meanwhile, the BG defense has allowed the opponents to make just 17.3 buckets per game and shoot 30.2% from the field in that three-game span.

• All five BGSU starters made at least one three-point field goal in the win over Eastern Michigan. The Falcons' starting guards, sophomore Rachel Myers and freshman Sydney Lambert, hit four triples apiece, while the team's forwards and center – seniors Miriam Justinger and Lauren Tibbs and junior Ashley Tunstall – were a combined 3-for-4 from long range in the win.

• The Falcons scored points on six of seven possessions to begin the fourth quarter vs. EMU, including on five-straight trips down the floor. In fact, BGSU got at least one offensive rebound and at least two second-chance points on each of four consecutive possessions during that stretch.

• BGSU's total of 25 points in the third quarter of the win over Kent State was a season high, and therefore, a school record. The Falcons went 6-for-9 from three-point range in the third quarter alone.

• No fewer than 11 different Falcons had at least one assist in the win over KSU.

• The Falcons held NIU's top-two scorers, Ally Lehman and Kelly Smith, without a field goal in BG's win on the MAC's "West Coast." Lehman entered the game with an average of 13.3 points per game, while Smith was scoring 11.6 ppg. But, the duo went a combined 0-for-18 from the field vs. BGSU. Smith had one point in 21 minutes of action, while Lehman was scoreless in 35 minutes.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to Savage Arena on Saturday, you can still follow the Falcons via your radio- or computer-like devices. The BGSU-UT game, like all of BG's games, will be broadcast by WBGU-FM 88.1, the flagship home of Falcon women's basketball, and will be available over the air or on the web. Additionally, Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN3.com, and live stats will be available as well. And, in-game updates can be found at @BGSUwbb on your twitter machine. To follow the Falcons, simply log on to BGSUFalcons.com and click the 'calendar' link on the day of the game, or navigate your way to the women's basketball page.

JUSTINGER IS MOVING UP THE SCORING LIST
Senior Miriam Justinger enters the Toledo game with a career total of 919 points at BGSU, good for 31st in school history. Justinger moved past Tara Breske (916 points from 2006-10) in the win over Eastern Michigan, and is now 12 points behind Kim Griech (931 points from 1999-2003).

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• Bowling Green enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 8-9, and the Falcons are 4-4 in MAC play. BG has won three-straight games after losing the previous four contests.

• The Falcons knocked off Eastern Michigan, picked to win the MAC's West Division in the preseason coaches poll, by a 67-63 count at the Stroh Center Wednesday night (Jan. 27). That came on the heels of wins over Northern Illinois on the road (58-43; Jan. 20) and Kent State at home (71-49; Jan. 23).

• BG opened conference action with a 64-58 win at Miami (Jan. 2), but the Brown and Orange then suffered a road loss to Western Michigan before falling at home to defending MAC champion Ohio, Akron and Ball State.

• The Miami game was the Falcons' first in 12 days, and just BG's second in a 25-day span. BGSU played three games in seven days to begin December, and after a game on Dec. 8, did not play again until Dec. 21. Then, a trip to San Antonio just after Christmas was cancelled.

• BGSU is 5-4 at home, 2-4 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site games this season. The Falcons are 2-3 at the Stroh in MAC play, but BG is 2-1 on the road in league action after going 0-10 against conference opponents away from Bowling Green last year (0-9 in the regular season, 0-1 in the MAC Tournament).

• BG began the season with a pair of double-digit wins at the Stroh, then left Northwest Ohio and played three games that were decided by a total of 10 points.

• Each of the Falcons' first three home games came against Missouri Valley Conference foes, and the Brown and Orange won those three games by an average of 16.3 points. BG began the season by dispatching both Illinois State and Bradley at the Stroh Center over a three-day span, before losing a narrow 54-51 contest at Cincinnati the following weekend.

• The Falcons headed to Wilmington, N.C., and split a pair of games, dropping a 70-66 decision to Davidson before downing Jacksonville, 72-69 in overtime. Those two contests were part of the UNCW Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic.

• BGSU began the month of December with a 74-56 win over Evansville at the Stroh, but then lost road games to Cleveland State (at Quicken Loans Arena) and Virginia (in front of more than 10,000 fans). Just before Christmas, the Falcons suffered a 58-45 setback against perennial mid-major power South Dakota State at the Stroh.

• A pair of BGSU newcomers have posted double-digit scoring averages to date. Fifth-year senior Lauren Tibbs has 11.2 points per game, while freshman Sydney Lambert is scoring 10.2 ppg. Tibbs, in her first season at BGSU after transferring from Marquette, also leads the Falcons with 7.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocked shots per contest. She had her third double-double of the season, with 15 points and 10 boards at Northern Illinois, and just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine caroms vs. EMU. Tibbs is shooting 55.3 percent from the field to lead the team and rank third in the MAC in that category.

• Lambert leads the Falcons in steals (1.1 spg) and minutes played (29.2), and she is second on the team in assists (2.1 apg). Lambert leads the team in three-point field goals made, with 39, and she leads the entire MAC in three-point percentage, having made 46.4% of her long-distance attempts.

• Senior Miriam Justinger and sophomore Rachel Myers have 8.1 and 7.7 ppg, respectively. Justinger leads the Falcons in assists, with 2.1 per game, and she is tied for second on the team in steals and third in rebounding. Justinger has made 20 long-distance shots this year, ranking third on the Falcons on that list as well.

• Myers has hit 32 three-pointers this winter to date, and she ranks fourth in the MAC with a three-point field-goal percentage of 40.0%.

• Myers and Lambert have combined to make 19 three-pointers over the last two games, as BGSU has hit 26 treys in that time.

• Redshirt sophomore Kennedy Kirkpatrick has 4.6 ppg and ranks third on the Falcons in assists. Freshman Carly Santoro also has 4.6 ppg, while junior Ashley Tunstall has scored 4.3 ppg this year. Santoro had nine points off the bench in the win over KSU, and is tied for fourth on the team with nine three-pointers made. Tunstall is second on the team with 4.6 boards per contest. She was limited to just 11 minutes in the Ohio game due to injury, and missed each of the next two games before coming off the bench to play in the wins over NIU and KSU.

• Sophomore Haley Puk has 2.1 ppg, while juniors Abby Siefker and Rachel Konieczki are averaging 1.6 and 1.4 ppg, respectively. Siefker had a season-high seven points at NIU, and she pulled down six rebounds in the wins over Northern and Kent State. She is second on the team in blocked shots, with 11 rejections in 17 games.

• Eight players – Justinger, Kirkpatrick, Konieczki, Lambert, Myers, Santoro, Siefker and Tibbs – each have seen action in all 17 games, while Tunstall and Puk have played in 15 apiece, sophomore Sarah Baer 11 and freshman Maddie Cole six. Justinger, Lambert, Myers and Tibbs each have started all 17 games for the Brown and Orange this season, while Tunstall has started seven and Siefker four. Tunstall returned to the starting lineup for the EMU game after Siefker had started the prior four contests.

• The Falcons are shooting 38.9% from the field, 34.4% from three-point land (good for second in the MAC) and 70.5% from the free-throw line. The opponents are shooting 37.8% from the floor, 31.5% from the arc and 67.7% from the stripe.

• In MAC games only, Tibbs is averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds and is shooting 51.2% from the floor, while Lambert has 11.6 ppg and has hit a team-leading 24 triples. Myers and Justinger are averaging 9.5 and 7.4 ppg, respectively, in MAC play.

• Lambert (51.1%) and Myers (46.3%) rank first and fourth, respectively, in three-point field-goal percentage in MAC games. The Falcons are second in the league in both three-pointers per game (8.9) and long-range accuracy (36.6%) in conference contests.

• Head coach Jennifer Roos and the Falcons returned a total of eight letterwinners, all of whom had started at least five games in their BGSU careers entering the season. The returnees were joined by five newcomers, including a pair of transfers (Tibbs and Tunstall) who were eligible to play immediately.

• The 2014-15 Falcons went 9-21 overall after four players on the 12-woman preseason roster suffered season- or career-ending injuries, and a fifth missed the bulk of the conference schedule due to injury as well. The returning players entered the season with a combined total of 203 starts in the Brown and Orange.

THE TOLEDO ROCKETS
Toledo will enter Saturday's game with an overall record of 9-9, and the Rockets are 4-3 in MAC action. UT is looking to snap a two-game losing streak, with road setbacks vs. Akron (81-71; Jan. 20) and Eastern Michigan (59-41; Jan. 23). The Rockets had a midweek bye, and will have been idle for a week when they take the court vs. the Falcons. Toledo lost the first six games of the season against a difficult non-conference schedule, then won nine of the next 10 games before dropping the last two contests. UT is 5-2 at home, 2-5 on the road and 2-2 in neutral-site games this season to date. In MAC play, the Rockets are 3-0 at Savage Arena and 1-3 in hostile venues. Senior guard Brenae Harris leads the team in scoring, with 14.5 points per game, and she also has 5.2 rebounds and a team-leading 5.0 assists per game. Senior forward Ana Capotosto also is scoring in double digits, with 11.0 ppg, and she has 4.9 rpg and has made a team-leading 27 three-point field goals. Junior forward Janice Monakana and sophomore guard Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott have 9.8 and 9.1 ppg, respectively, with Monakana pulling down a team-high 5.7 rpg. Harris has 16.6 ppg in MAC contests, and leads the entire league with 5.7 apg vs. conference foes. Freshman center Kaayla McIntyre is shooting a MAC-best 74.2 percent (23-of-31) from the field in league games. Last season, head coach Tricia Cullop's team finished 19-14 overall and 10-8 in MAC play, and the Rockets advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Cullop welcomed back eight letterwinners, including four starters, from that 2014-15 club.

THE BGSU-UT SERIES
The Falcons lead Toledo, 42-30, in the all-time series between the teams, but the Rockets won the most recent meeting. Last year, BG led by four points at the half, but UT hit five-straight three-point attempts to begin the second half, posting a 64-48 win at the Stroh Center (Jan. 31, 2015). Two years ago, in the last meeting in the Glass City (Feb. 2, 2014), the Brown and Orange picked up a 66-59 win to snap a three-game Rocket series winning streak. The Rockets have won five of the last seven games after BGSU captured the previous 12 series meetings. The visiting team has won each of the last three BG-UT matchups. BGSU is 20-10 in home games, 14-17 on the road and 8-3 in neutral-site matchups with UT over the years. Jennifer Roos is 1-2 against the Rockets as a collegiate head coach. More information on the BG-UT series can be found on page 28 of the PDF version of these notes.

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
The Falcons continue to own the best record in MAC history. Entering Saturday's Toledo game, BGSU has an all-time record of 396-173 (.696) in MAC regular-season contests, for the most wins and highest winning percentage of all league institutions. And, BG leads the series with all 11 MAC foes, making the Falcons the only team in the league, obviously, with a winning series record against every other school. BG also has the most overall victories and highest overall winning pct. of any conference institution.

A NEW EXPERIENCE
Only three players on the BGSU roster have ever played a collegiate game inside Savage Arena. Senior Miriam Justinger had nine points, four rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes of action in the Falcons' 66-59 win in her sophomore campaign. Juniors Rachel Konieczki and Abby Siefker played four and three minutes, respectively, off the bench in that win over the Rockets.

SIXTY POINTS = SUCCESS AT THE STROH
• The Falcons have an overall record of 53-20 at the Stroh Center since the building opened prior to the 2011-12 season. While a 72.6% winning percentage is certainly impressive, BGSU's chances of winning at home have increased exponentially when the team scores at least 60 points.

• The Falcons have scored over 60 points five times at the Stroh this season, winning all five games. BGSU is 50-2 (96.2%) when reaching the 60-point mark inside the Stroh, and BG is 31-2 when scoring at least 70 points, 12-0 when hitting the 80-point mark and 3-0 when reaching the 90-point plateau.

• BGSU is a perfect 19-0 when scoring between 60 and 69 points at the Stroh. The Falcons are 19-2 when scoring 70-79 points in the building. The losses came to VCU (72-71) in the 2012 WNIT and to Akron (79-71) late last season.

SIXTY POINTS = SUCCESS ANYWHERE
Regardless of venue, the Falcons' chances of winning have significantly improved when the team scores 60 or more points. BGSU is a perfect 7-0 this season when reaching or surpassing the 60-point threshold. Last year, BGSU reached the 60-point plateau only nine times, including just twice after Christmas. The Falcons went 8-1 in such games last winter. Two years ago, BG scored at least 60 points 29 times in 35 games, going 27-2.

UP NEXT
Following the Toledo game, the Falcons will have a midweek bye before heading to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., to take on Central Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 6.

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