Bowling Green State University
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Broncos Defeat Falcons, 75-51
January 29, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2003
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Host Western Michigan University scored the first 10 points of the second half, breaking open an eight-point game en route to a 75-51 victory over the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team Wednesday night (Jan. 29). The Mid-American Conference West Division contest was held at WMU's University Arena.
With the victory, the hosts remain the lone unbeaten team in the MAC at 5-0, and the Broncos are 11-5 overall. The Falcons drop to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in league play.
A pair of Smiths led the Falcons in scoring. Freshman Marisa Smith had a team-high 14 points off the bench, while sophomore Sakima Smith had a season-high 10 points, including her first two three-point field goals of the campaign.
Western Michigan entered the game leading the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (.448 at the time of the latest rankings) and ranked among the national leaders in scoring offense (fourth, 82.1 points per game) and three-pointers made per game (7.1). The Falcons held the Broncos under those averages, as WMU scored 75 points, made six treys and shot .375 from long range. But, WMU held the Falcon offense to a season-low 51 points on the night.
The Falcons struggled offensively in the first 20 minutes. But, despite getting a total of only two first-half points from the starting five players, BGSU trailed by only eight points, 27-19, at the intermission. WMU's Kelly Koerber scored eight points in the Bronco 10-0 run to open the second stanza, as the hosts went up by 18 points.
The Falcons battled back, however, going on a 10-0 run of their own. Junior Lindsay Austin hit a three-pointer, and Sakima Smith followed with her first trey, cutting the WMU lead to 12 points at the 14:55 mark.
Then, after a technical foul on the Broncos, Marisa Smith made a pair of free throws. Then, Sakima Smith scored on a layup off an Austin feed, cutting the BG deficit to eight points, 39-31, with 12:21 left. But, the Broncos had one more run left.
Maria Jilian and Casey Rost had three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and a Curleta Harris layup gave Western a 47-31 lead with 11:10 remaining. Austin hit another trey to cut the lead to 13 points at the 10-minute mark, but the Falcons would get no closer. The Broncos scored the next eight points to push the lead over 20 points, and BG got no closer than 16 points thereafter.
Rost led four Bronco double-digit scorers with a game-high 23 points, including three of the team's six treys. Koerber had 14 points, while Lori Crisman added 13 and Jilian 10. Jilian's night included eight steals, while Crisman had a game-high eight rebounds, matched Jilian's team-best five assists and added five steals of her own.
The Falcons were 9-of-20 from three-point range, with six different players sinking treys. Sakima Smith was 2-for-2, while Marisa Smith was 2-for-3. Austin made two triples in four attempts, while seniors Francine Miller and Megan Jerome and freshman Britt Anderson hit one long-distance shot apiece.
BGSU got only 15 points from the starters, while the six Falcons off the bench combined for 36 points. By contrast, the Broncos got 64 points from the starting five and 11 points from the bench players.
The Falcons forced WMU into 15 turnovers, but BGSU committed a season-high 25 turnovers in Wednesday's contest.
The Falcons return home for a Saturday (Feb. 1) contest vs. Northern Illinois. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
NOTES:
