Falcons, Rockets Meet in Latest Edition of the 'Battle of I-75'

Saturday, January 27

Bowling Green, OH

2:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

Toledo

Tickets

January 26, 2018 | Women's Basketball, The Battle Of I-75

BGSU faces UT on National Girls & Women in Sports Day

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

BGSU vs. TOLEDO
<><> Saturday, January 27, 2018 • 2:00 p.m. <><>
<><> Stroh Center (4,347) • Bowling Green, Ohio <><>
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
<><> TELEVISION / VIDEO: ESPN3.com <><>
<><> RADIO / AUDIO: BGRSO <><>
<><> LIVE STATS: www.BGSUFalcons.com <><>
<><> TWITTER: @BGSUwbb <><>

all available audio, stats & video links can be found at BGSUFalcons.com on game day

UP NEXT FOR YOUR FALCONS...
The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team will face the arch-rival school from the north in the latest edition of the "Battle of I-75" this weekend. Head coach Jennifer Roos and the Falcons reach the midpoint of the Mid-American Conference schedule by taking ono the University of Toledo on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 27), with tipoff scheduled for shortly after 2:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center.

EVENTS / GIVEAWAYS / PROMOTIONS
>> BGSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will host a sports clinic as part of National Girls & Women In Sports Day. The clinic, which will run from 12:15-1:15 p.m., will feature members of BGSU's women's athletic teams interacting and engaging with children to teach the importance of sport participation, leadership and leading a healthy and active lifestyle. The clinic is open to children in grades 1-8.

>> Mecca Management, Inc., will be giving away one year of free rent to a lucky resident or future resident, and the winner will be announced at Saturday's game.

>> The first 250 fans through the gates will receive a Chick-fil-A coupon, while the first 150 BGSU students to arrive at Saturday's game will receive free pizza.

>> Additionally, Saturday's game is an Orange Out, and fans are encouraged to wear orange to the game.

BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL LINKS
Get Your BGSU Women's Hoops Tickets Now!
Game Notes: BGSU | UT | BGSU Game Notes Central
Nat'l Girls & Women in Sports Day Clinic Set for Saturday
2017-18 Schedule | Spark Page | Giveaways / Promotions
Alumnae Day, 2006-07 Team Recognition Set for Feb. 3
2006-07 Sweet Sixteen Team: BGSU Wins MAC Regular-Season Crown, Again
Falcons Welcome Dean to Program
"In The Nest" - Parker
2017-18 Record Book | Quick Facts | Career Stats of Current Falcons
PHOTO GALLERIES: Ohio | Ohio 2 | Kent St. | Ball St. | Eastern Mich. | Ferris St. | FSU 2 | Xavier | Valparaiso | Canisius | Eastern Ky. | Seton Hill
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FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to the arena on game day, fear not – you can still follow the Falcons via your radio- or computer-like devices. Saturday's game vs. the Rockets will feature a free video stream, as well as live stats and Twitter updates. All links will be available via BGSUFalcons.com.

All of BGSU's home games, and many road contests, will have audio broadcasts, courtesy of the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO). And, every BGSU home game this season – including the Toledo tilt – will have a free live stream, with all but one home contest in 2017-18 aired via ESPN3.com.

Live stats are also available for all games, and in-game Twitter updates for every BGSU game can be found at @BGSUwbb.

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. Any and all available links to ticket info. and game coverage will be available there.

"CS" IS SHORT FOR BOTH "Carly Santoro" AND "CHARITY STRIPE"
Junior Carly Santoro has had a knack for getting to the foul line this season. Through 19 games, Santoro leads the Falcons with 78 free throws made and 117 attempts. Both totals are the most in a season by a BG player in three years (since Deborah Hoekstra was 91-of-101 at the line in 2014-15).

Santoro is currently averaging 4.11 free throws made and 6.16 attempts per game. No BG player has come close to those averages since the legendary Lauren Prochaska went 204-for-224 at the stripe in the 2010-11 campaign. That season, Prochaska averaged 6.18 FTM and 6.79 FTA.

THE FALCONS: A QUICK OVERVIEW
BGSU is 10-9 on the season, and the Falcons are 2-6 in Mid-American Conference play. BG is 5-4 at the Stroh Center, 4-5 in true road games and 1-0 in neutral-site contests this season to date.

The Falcons opened the season with seven games in a 19-day span. BGSU went 6-1 during that time, then began December by downing Xavier before a large School Day crowd at the Stroh. But, BG then dropped six of the last seven games.

After an 82-73 win over Ferris State, BG suffered a loss at Cincinnati to end the non-conference slate, then opened league play with four losses vs. West Division foes. BGSU lost at Western Michigan, at home to Eastern Michigan and Ball State, and on the road vs. Central Michigan. The Brown and Orange snapped the five-game losing streak with a 66-64 win at Akron, and BG then downed Kent State, 60-50, last Wednesday. But, Ohio snapped the Falcons' modest two-game winning streak with a 70-63 verdict at the Stroh last Saturday, and BG lost a Wednesday matchup at Ball State (Note: Unfortunately, we don't remember the score of the BSU game, but there's probably a PDF of the box somewhere around page 20).

Head coach Jennifer Roos and her staff – which is comprised of assistant coaches Jacey Brooks, Nick Moore and Jessie Ivey, director of operations Monique Rosati and video coordinator Amanda Cutcher – welcomed back a total of nine returning players, including three starters, from a year ago. The list of returnees includes two seniors, three juniors and four second-year Falcons.

Rachel Myers and Haley Puk make up the senior class, while Maddie Cole, Sydney Lambert and Carly Santoro each are in their junior year. Sophomores Andrea Cecil, Caterrion Thompson and Jane Uecker also return, as does Clare Glowniak, who is a redshirt freshman in terms of eligibility after missing the bulk of last season due to injury.

The nine returnees are joined by five freshmen, including Terri Battle, Madisen Parker, Angela Perry, Sierra Thompson and Kennedy Williams. Perry made her collegiate debut in the MAC opener at WMU, after missing the entire non-league portion of the schedule due to injury.

Cecil, Lambert, Puk and Santoro each have started all 19 games this season. Uecker started the first 13 contests of the year, while Glowniak has been in the starting five in each of the last six games.

Heading into the Toledo tilt, four Falcons are averaging over nine points per game. Santoro leads the way with 13.4 ppg, and is nearly averaging a double-double, with a team-leading 9.5 rpg. She ranks second in the MAC in rebounds.

Cecil has 9.8 ppg, while Lambert and Puk are averaging 9.3 and 9.2 ppg, respectively. Caterrion Thompson (5.5 ppg) and Uecker (5.1) are ranked fifth and sixth on the team in scoring.

Lambert leads the team in assists, with 2.4 per game, while Santoro has 1.9 helpers per contest. Santoro (1.7) and Lambert (1.6) are ranked 1-2 on the team in steals per game. Lambert has knocked down 36 three-point field goals this year, while Puk has hit 32.

Through eight MAC games, Santoro has BG-best averages of 11.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg, while Caterrion Thompson has 8.3 ppg and Puk 7.9 ppg. Thompson is shooting 47.1 percent from three-point range in league contests, having gone 16-of-34 from the arc. Lambert has 7.1 ppg in MAC play, while Cecil has 6.3 ppg.

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
The Falcons continue to own the best record in MAC history. Entering Saturday's Toledo tussle, BGSU has an all-time record of 404-201 (.668) 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 with a winning series record against every other school. BG also has the most overall victories and highest overall winning pct. of any league institution.

SCOUTING UT
Toledo has a 13-7 overall record, and the Rockets are 4-4 in MAC play. UT, like BG, will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak on Saturday at the Stroh. After losing at Buffalo, 87-69, last weekend, the Rockets fell to Kent State, 62-55, at home on Wednesday. UT is now 9-1 at home, 3-5 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site matchups this season to date. In MAC play, the Rockets are 4-1 at Savage Arena and 0-3 away from home. Kaayla McIntyre paces three double-digit scorers with 14.9 points per game, and is shooting a MAC best 61.9% from the field. Mikaela Boyd has 11.5 ppg while Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott has 11.4. Both McIntyre and Boyd have 8.1 rebounds per outing, and Boyd leads the Rockets in assists and steals. Last year, UT went 25-9 overall and 12-6 in MAC regular-season play, and the Rockets won the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2001. Head coach Tricia Cullop returned nine letterwinners, including four starters, from that squad.

THE SERIES
The Falcons lead Toledo, 42-33, in the all-time series between the teams – a fact that's not surprising at all, since we already told you that BGSU leads the series with EVERY MAC school. But, the Rockets have won the last four matchups. In last year's lone meeting, host UT picked up a 74-59 win in the Glass City (Feb. 11, 2017). The last meeting at the Stroh Center saw the Falcons rally back from 19 points down to tie the score, before UT pulled out a 68-60 victory at the Stroh Center two seasons ago (Feb. 17, 2016). UT has won eight of the last 10 games after BGSU had captured the previous 12 series meetings. BG is 20-11 in home games, 14-19 on the road and 8-3 in neutral-site matchups with Toledo over the years.

UP NEXT
Following the Toledo game, the Falcons will return to the road to end the month of January. BGSU will travel to Kent to face the Golden Flashes on Wednesday (Jan. 31), in a 7:00 p.m. start.

Then, the Brown and Orange will return to the Stroh for the first two February games. BGSU will meet Miami on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 1:00 p.m. That game is Alumnae Day for the Falcons, and the 2006-07 team – which won a MAC-record 31 games and advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Championships – will be recognized. BG then faces Western Michigan at the Stroh (Feb. 7) before returning to the road to meet Northern Illinois (Feb. 10) and Ohio (Feb. 17).

BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Sat., Jan. 27 – TOLEDO, 2:00 p.m. (Orange Out / National Girls & Women in Sports Day)
Wed., Jan. 31 – at Kent State, 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 3 – MIAMI, 1:00 p.m. (Alumnae Day / Sweet Sixteen Team Recognition)
Wed., Feb. 7 – WESTERN MICHIGAN, 7:00 p.m.

HOME games at the Stroh Center
All times Eastern unless noted