Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
TOLEDO
Rockets Hold Off Falcons, 70-62
January 15, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2003
TOLEDO, Ohio - Tia Davis scored 21 points and the host University of Toledo won the battle of the boards to ultimately down the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, 70-62, Wednesday night (Jan. 15) at UT's Savage Hall.
With the victory, the Rockets improve to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in Mid-American Conference play. The Falcons drop to 8-6 and 1-2, respectively.
UT held a 48-32 rebounding advantage, including a 30-16 margin in the second half. The Rockets, who had 20 offensive rebounds on the night, had 27 second-chance points to the Falcons' three.
Junior Lindsay Austin led the Brown and Orange with 15 points, while senior Kim Griech and Francine Miller had 14 and 12, respectively.
The Falcons opened the game by holding the Rockets scoreless on their first five possessions. BGSU scored the first five points before UT got a rebound layup from Amanda Davis at the 17:10 mark.
The Falcons went on a 9-0 run, beginning with a basket by senior Karen Stocz. The visitors got a pair of hoops by Austin sandwiched around a three-point field goal from junior Stefanie Wenzel. But, the hosts would rally.
UT scored the game's next 12 points as part of a 23-6 run over the next 11 minutes. A basket by Karin Hoogandam gave the Rockets their first lead of the night, 20-18, at the 8:12 mark. Then, after a Griech basket tied the score, a free throw by Lexee McConnell gave the hosts the lead for good with 5:52 left in the first half.
The Rockets built the lead to seven, but BGSU rallied with two triples in the final minute of the half. Griech hit the first, then made a steal and fed Miller for the second. A free throw gave UT a 30-28 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Rockets scored the first four points, and began the half on a 12-2 run to take a 40-30 lead. Moments later, a Kelly Walker basket gave the Blue and Gold a 13-point lead, the largest of the game, at 44-31.
But, the Falcons made a run. Miller made back-to-back layups to cut the lead to nine, and a pair of free throws by freshman Marisa Smith got the Falcons within seven points. Walker hit a three, but senior Megan Jerome answered with a triple of her own, and freshman Jill Lause and Austin hit layups to bring BG within three points, 47-44, with 10:22 left.
The Rockets got three points from Davis, who split a pair of charity tosses before making a basket, but Griech was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws with 8:45 remaining. Davis converted a conventional three-point play 15 seconds later, and the Rockets led by a 53-47 count.
Then, neither team would score over the next two minutes. The Falcons had several possessions with chances to whittle away at the Rocket lead, but could not convert. Finally, UT's Mary Blessing drew a foul and made both tosses with 6:33 left. After a Hoogendam hoop, Blessing made two more free throws with 4:49 remaining, giving the hosts a 59-47 lead.
The Falcons could come no closer than seven points the rest of the game, and the Rockets put the game away by going 6-for-6 at the foul line in the final 1:09 of the game.
BGSU shot .404 from the field to UT's .354, but the Rockets' ability to get offensive rebounds and convert them into points was the difference. The Blue and Gold had 13 offensive boards in the second half alone.
Walker, with 14 points, and Kahle (12) joined Tia Davis in double digits. Davis had a game-high nine rebounds, while Kahle added eight and two teammates had seven each.
Austin and Griech each had five boards to lead the Falcons. Austin had team highs of four assists and four steals, with most of her steals coming on Rocket inbounds passes in UT's offensive end.
Griech was 3-of-7 from three-point land, as the Falcons shot .316 (6-for-19) from beyond the arc. UT went 3-of-12 from long range.
The Falcons return home for a Saturday (Jan. 18) contest vs. Central Michigan. That game, the first half of a BGSU basketball doubleheader, will begin at 1:00 p.m.
