Falcons Host Buffalo, Play 4Kay

Saturday, February 13

Bowling Green, Ohio

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Buffalo *

Tickets

Women's basketball Play 4Kay game Feb 2016

February 12, 2016 | Women's Basketball

BGSU battles Bulls in second half of a doubleheader at the Stroh

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team continues a three-game homestand with a Mid-American Conference East Division matchup this weekend. The Falcons of head coach Jennifer Roos face the University at Buffalo on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 13), with tipoff tentatively scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center. The game is the second half of a doubleheader, with the BGSU men's team facing Western Michigan University at 2:00 p.m. and the women's game scheduled to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the men's contest.

LINKS
GAME NOTES: BGSU | Buffalo
2015-16 Women's Basketball Media Central
BGSU's 2015-16 Notes for All Games
Season Statistics | Career Stats for Current Falcons
Buy Tickets | Join the Falcon Club Today!

#TBT on a Friday: Remember when Tracy Pontius hit 5 3-pointers IN OVERTIME? | Stats

PLAY 4KAY
• Saturday's game is the Falcons' annual Play 4Kay game. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game in support of breast cancer awareness. Additionally, all fans in attendance will receive a free pink bandanna courtesy of Kroger.

• Fans will be able to make a donation to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund on behalf of BGSU Women's Basketball at the game by visiting the Marketing Kiosk at the Stroh.

• The Play 4Kay initiative (formerly known as WBCA Pink Zone) is an opportunity for a nation of coaches to raise awareness and funds for women's cancer research on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. Since its inception in 2007, the Play 4Kay initiative has helped the Kay Yow Cancer Fund support $5.18 million in women's cancer research and related projects.

• Coach Kay Yow, former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, and passed away on January 24, 2009, after facing her third bout with the disease. More information on Coach Yow and the Play 4Kay initiative can be found on the web at KayYow.com and Play4Kay.org.

BIKE FOR A CURE
• BGSU Athletics is asking fans to help Bike for A Cure during Saturday's doubleheader. During both games, in partnership with BGSU's Department of Recreation and Wellness, two stationary bikes will be located on the concourse of the Stroh Center. The goal is have riders on each bike at all times during the games. BGSU students and organizations can reserve a bike for an hour to ensure that the pedals never stop moving! Fans can also sign up for any available time to take their turn at helping to raise awareness.

• While raising awareness is impactful, donations to the Kay Yow Foundation are also important. Fans can donate based on the combined mileage of the bikes, the total time the bikes are in motion, or a set amount.

• Anyone interested in helping Bike For A Cure and who can commit to one hour should contact Director of Marketing David Theby at thebyd@bgsu.edu.

WATER FOR FLINT
Fans are encouraged to assist Flint, Mich., as that community's water crisis continues. BGSU Athletics will be collecting unopened cases of water at the north and south lobbies of the Stroh Center during Saturday's doubleheader. For each case of water donated, fans will receive a voucher good for a $5 general-admission ticket for one of the remaining regular-season basketball or hockey games (excluding the women's basketball's game vs. Toledo).

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to the Stroh on Saturday, fear not – you can still follow the Falcons via your radio- or computer-like devices. The BGSU-UB 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.

LAST TIME OUT: BRONCOS BEST BG WITH STRONG SECOND HALF
• Visiting Western Michigan shot nearly 63 percent from the field in the second half, erasing a five-point halftime deficit en route to a 65-49 win over the Falcons Wednesday night (Feb. 10).

• Four starters scored in double digits for the Broncos (14-10, 6-6 MAC), led by Deborah Meeks. Meeks had a game-high 15 points, while Jessica Jessing had 12. Breanna Mobley also scored 12 points, and had a game-high 12 rebounds along with five assists. Alex Morton added 11 points and tied Mobley for game honors with five helpers.

• The Falcons (8-12, 4-7 MAC) got 12 points from senior Miriam Justinger on the night. Ten different players made at least one field goal for the hosts, but Justinger was the only BG player to score more than six points in the loss.

• BGSU erased an early seven-point deficit, holding the Broncos to just one field goal during a nine-minute stretch that spanned the last seven-plus minutes of the first quarter and the first minute-plus of the second. The Brown and Orange then went on a 13-4 run to take a seven-point lead of their own before a Western bucket in the final minute of the half cut the BG lead to 27-22 at the intermission.

• But, the visitors scored the first eight points of the third quarter, and after freshman Carly Santoro's three-point field goal tied the score at 31-all, a 9-0 Bronco run gave Western the lead for good. BG got within seven points on several occasions, the last on a pair of Justinger free throws early in the fourth quarter, but an 11-4 run put the Broncos ahead, 57-43, midway through the period, and BG's deficit never dropped below 12 points the rest of the night.

Western Michigan outscored BGSU by a 24-10 count in the third quarter to take the lead for good. The Broncos were 8-of-15 from the field (53.3%) in that 10-minute stretch, while holding the Falcons to just a 3-for-11 (27.3%) success rate. Then, in the fourth period, Western shot 75% (9-of-12) from the floor to keep BG at bay.

THIS ONE GOES TO ELEVEN
Bowling Green tied an NCAA record last Saturday (Feb. 6) at Central Michigan. The Falcons made 11 consecutive three-point attempts vs. the Chippewas, matching the NCAA Division-I mark set by TCU vs. Lamar in March of 1996. BGSU missed the final three-point attempt of the first quarter, then made all six long-distance tries in the second quarter before going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc to begin the third period.
NCAA RECORD BOOK - CONSECUTIVE THREE-POINT FG MADE
11  TCU vs. Lamar   March 3, 1996
11  BGSU vs. Central Mich.  Feb. 6, 2016

A SCHOOL RECORD-TYING EFFORT
BGSU tied the school record for three-point field goals made in a game, connecting from beyond the arc 16 times at Central Michigan (Feb. 6). It marked the fifth time in school history that the Falcons had hit 16 triples, and all five have come in MAC regular-season games. It's interesting (or maybe it's not interesting at all) to note that two of the previous four such games took place at venerable Anderson Arena, while the other two occurred at Kent State's M.A.C. Center. The list...
BGSU RECORD BOOK - THREE-POINT FG MADE, GAME
16 vs. Akron Jan. 26, 2000   W 94-72
16 at Kent State Jan. 16, 2008   W 90-64
16 vs. Buffalo March 2, 2011   W 92-68
16 at Kent State Feb. 28, 2012   W 91-48
16 at Central Michigan Feb. 6, 2016 L 75-76

NEARLY A SCHOOL RECORD-TYING EFFORT
Sophomore Rachel Myers hit seven of BG's 16 three-pointers at CMU, falling just one trey shy of tying the school single-game record for an individual. Whitney Taylor made a school-record eight three-pointers in one of those aforementioned Kent State games (Jan. 16, 2008), while Tracy Pontius tied the record with eight triples in a MAC Tournament win over Toledo (March 14, 2009).

THREE-MARKABLE
• During the Falcons' three-point shooting clinic at Central Michigan, BG went went 9-of-15 from beyond the arc in that opening half, including a perfect 6-for-6 effort from long range in the second quarter. Senior Miriam Justinger, sophomore Rachel Myers and freshman Sydney Lambert all hit three first-half triples, with all three of Lambert's makes coming in the first quarter, and both Justinger and Myers going a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown in the second.

• And, BG did not cool off as the third quarter got underway. After that 6-for-6 performance in the second period, the Falcons went 6-for-7 from long distance in the third.

• Myers missed her first two three-point attempts in the game, then made seven in a row. After going 3-for-3 from long distance in the second quarter, she was again 3-of-3 from downtown in the third, and also hit her first trifecta try of the fourth quarter. Additionally, classmate Haley Puk went 2-for-2 from long range in the third period.

THREE-MENDOUS
• The Falcons exploded for 15 three-point field goals in the win over Kent State (Jan. 23). 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 downtown Bowling Green 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 four days later (Jan. 27). BG went 5-for-7 (71.4%) from beyond the arc in the second quarter of that game.

• Two games later, of course, the Falcons went 16-of-27 at CMU.

THREE-LIGHTFUL
• BGSU's three-point field-goal 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.

• Then, however, the Falcons shot 59.3% from beyond the arc at Central Michigan, the team's highest three-point success rate in nearly six years (since a 13-for-20 performance in a MAC Tournament win over Miami on March 10, 2010).

THREE-GION OF BOOM
• The Falcons have made at least five three-point field goals in 18 of this season's 20 games to date, and BG has hit at least four triples in all 20 contests.

• In fact, BG has hit four or more triples in 52 of the last 53 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 UB game. The Falcons have hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last 361 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.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• Bowling Green enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 8-12, and the Falcons are 4-7 in MAC play. After suffering a 76-75 loss at the buzzer on the road against MAC West Division-leading Central Michigan last weekend, the Brown and Orange returned home and fell to Western Michigan, 65-49, on Wednesday night (Feb. 10).

• BGSU is looking to snap a three-game losing streak, as the Falcons fell by a 75-61 final on the road at Toledo (Jan. 30) prior to the CMU game. The loss to UT snapped a season-best three-game winning streak for BG.

• That winning streak included a 67-63 win over Eastern Michigan, picked to win the MAC's West Division in the preseason coaches poll, on Jan. 27. The EMU win came on the heels of victories 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.

• BGSU is 5-5 at home, 2-6 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site games this season. The Falcons are 2-4 at the Stroh in MAC play, and BG is 2-3 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. After beating Illinois State and Bradley to begin the season, the Falcons also posted non-conference wins over Jacksonville and Evansville.

• A pair of BGSU newcomers have posted double-digit scoring averages to date. Fifth-year senior Lauren Tibbs has 11.4 points per game, while freshman Sydney Lambert is scoring 10.1 ppg. Tibbs, in her first season at BGSU after transferring from Marquette, also leads the Falcons with 7.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocked shots per contest. Tibbs, who was 7-of-11 from the field en route to 14 points at CMU, is shooting 55.7 percent from the field to lead the team and rank third in the MAC in that category.

• Lambert leads the Falcons in minutes played (30.2) and assists (2.1 apg) and is tied for the steals lead (1.1 spg). Lambert paces the team in three-point field goals made, with 45, and she leads the entire MAC in three-point percentage, having made 45.5% of her long-distance attempts to rank among the national leaders as well.

• Senior Miriam Justinger and sophomore Rachel Myers have 8.7 and 8.2 ppg, respectively. Justinger has 2.1 apg, with 41 helpers to Lambert's 42, and Justinger is tied with Lambert for the BG steals lead. She has made 25 long-distance shots and pulled down 4.1 rpg year, ranking third on the Falcons on both lists. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from long range in the CMU contest.

• Myers has hit 41 three-pointers this winter to date, including seven triples – just one shy of the school record – at Central. She ranks fourth in the MAC with a three-point field-goal percentage of 39.0%.

• Redshirt sophomore Kennedy Kirkpatrick has 4.2 ppg, while junior Ashley Tunstall and freshman Carly Santoro have 4.1 ppg apiece. Kirkpatrick is third on the Falcons in assists, while Tunstall is second in rebounding. Santoro is fourth on the team with 10 three-pointers made.

• Sophomore Haley Puk has 3.1 ppg, while juniors Abby Siefker and Rachel Konieczki are averaging 1.8 and 1.4 ppg, respectively. Puk scored a career-high 13 points at Central Michigan, adding three assists in 26 minutes. Siefker is second on the team in blocked shots.

• Seven players – Justinger, Kirkpatrick, Lambert, Myers, Santoro, Siefker and Tibbs – each have seen action in all 20 games, while Konieczki, Puk and Tunstall all have played in 18. Sophomore Sarah Baer and freshman Maddie Cole have come off the bench in 12 and six games, respectively. Justinger, Lambert, Myers and Tibbs each have started all 20 games for the Brown and Orange this season, while Tunstall has started 10 and Siefker four. Tunstall returned to the starting lineup for the EMU game after Siefker had started the prior four contests.

• Justinger's next start will be the 100th of her BGSU career.

• The Falcons are shooting 39.3% from the field, 34.4% from three-point land (good for third in the MAC) and 68.9% from the free-throw line. The opponents are shooting 39.4% from the floor, 32.9% from the arc and 69.3% from the stripe.

• In MAC games only, Tibbs is averaging 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds and is shooting 53.1% from the floor, while Lambert has 11.0 ppg and has hit a team-leading 30 triples. Myers and Justinger have 9.9 and 8.5 ppg, respectively.

• Lambert (48.4%) and Myers (42.4%) rank first and third, respectively, in three-point field-goal percentage in MAC games. The Falcons are second in the league in both three-pointers per game (8.6) and long-range accuracy (36.0%) 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.

AMONG THE LEADERS
• Freshman Sydney Lambert leads the MAC and is ranked sixth in the entire nation in three-point field goal percentage. Lambert has hit 45 triples in 99 tries, for a success rate of 45.5 percent.

• Senior Lauren Tibbs is shooting 55.7% from the field this season to date. She is currently third in the MAC, and 21st in the nation, in that category.

• As a team, BGSU is ranked 25th in the nation in three-point field goals made (7.9 per game).

THE BUFFALO BULLS
Buffalo will enter the Stroh Center with an overall record of 11-11, and the Bulls are 3-8 UB has dropped the last two games and seven of the last eight contests, but the one win during that time was a 51-43 victory over MAC-leading Ohio last week (Feb. 3). the Bulls also have a win over West Division-leading Central Michigan this season. UB is 5-4 at home, 5-7 on the road and 1-0 in neutral-site games this season to date. In MAC play, the Bulls are 2-3 in home contests and 1-5 at hostile venues. Individually, junior guard Joanna Smith leads the team and is third in the MAC in scoring, with 18.6 points per game. She also has 5.6 rebounds per contest, and has made a team-leading 66 three-point field goals, nearly half of the Bulls' team total. Smith is averaging a MAC-best 21.5 ppg in MAC games only. Sophomore guard Stephanie Reid has 10.2 ppg and leads the Bulls with 4.6 assists per game. She ranks second in the MAC in that category. Reid and Smith each have started all 22 games this season for coach Felisha Legette-Jack. Last season, the Bulls finished with a 19-13 overall mark and an 11-7 MAC ledger. Legette-Jack and her staff welcomed back seven letterwinners, including two starters, from that 2014-15 team.

THE BGSU-BUFFALO SERIES
The Falcons lead Buffalo, 24-7, in the all-time series between the teams, but the Bulls captured each of last year's meetings. In the first 2014-15 matchup, UB downed the Falcons, 66-45, in Western New York (Feb. 7, 2015), snapping a 20-game BGSU series winning streak. The Bulls had not downed the Brown and Orange since February of 2003. Then, the next month, UB came to Northwest Ohio and escaped the Stroh Center with a narrow 55-47 win (March 4, 2015). BGSU is 11-2 in home games (3-1 at the Stroh Center), 12-4 in road contests and 1-0 in neutral-site meetings vs. Buffalo over the years. Jennifer Roos is 4-2 against the Bulls as a collegiate head coach.

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
The Falcons continue to own the best record in MAC history. Entering Saturday's UB game, BGSU has an all-time record of 396-176 (.692) 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.

JUSTINGER IS MOVING UP THE SCORING LIST
Senior Miriam Justinger enters the UB game with a career total of 954 points at BGSU, good for 28th in school history. Justinger moved up three spots in the CMU game, passing Kim Griech (931 points from 1999-2003), Jen Uhl (932 points from 2007-11) and former teammate Jillian Halfhill (932 points from 2010-14). Her next target on the BGSU career list is 27th-place Rhonda Moore, who had 966 career points from 1982-86.

UP NEXT
Following the UB game, the Falcons' three-game home swing concludes on Wednesday evening (Feb. 13), when Toledo comes to town for a 7:00 p.m. matchup. Then, BGSU ends the season with five games against MAC East Division foes, with four of those five games on the road.

# B G S U W O M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L #