Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OAKLAND
Falcons Hang On, Win A Thriller, 70-69
January 03, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2003
ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Bowling Green women's basketball team built a double-digit lead, then withstood a furious Oakland University rally to post a 70-69 win over the Golden Grizzlies Friday night (Jan. 3). The non-conference win came at the Athletics Center 'O'rena.
With the victory, the Falcons move to 7-4 on the season. BGSU has won three consecutive games and five of the last six contests. OU, an NCAA Tournament qualifier last season, dropped to 3-7 on the year.
BGSU led by 15 points at the half, then saw the Grizzlies cut the lead to three points, 59-56, midway through the second stanza. The hosts were still within four points when BGSU went on an 11-3 run to take a 70-59 lead on a hoop by junior Lindsay Austin with 3:46 remaining. The Falcons would not score again.
OU rallied, with Jayme Wilson scoring five consecutive points. With 2:18 remaining, senior Francine Miller made a running 10-footer from the right side as the whistle blew. Instead of a basket and an opporunity for a three-point play, however, Miller was called for an offensive foul. OU was within six points and had the ball, and Wilson responded with another basket.
Then, after the Falcons threw the ball away with a minute remaining, OU's Romica Clint hit a three-point field goal with 40.1 seconds left, cutting the lead to 70-69. Those three points were the final points of the game, but the heart-stopping action was far from over.
The hosts fouled, but BG missed the front end of two one-and-one free-throw opportunities in those final 40 seconds.
After the first miss, Oakland came the other way. Wilson missed a shot, but the Grizzlies got the rebound. Then, however, an OU player was called for travelling, giving BG the ball with 18.6 seconds left. After a BG timeout with 13.6 seconds remaining, Clint stole the Falcons' inbounds pass and raced downcourt, with Falcon senior Kim Griech several feet behind her. But, Clint missed a breakaway layup attempt, and Griech rebounded the ball and was fouled with 7.6 seconds remaining.
Griech missed her free-throw try, however, and OU rebounded. The hosts took the ball over midcourt and called time with exactly 4.0 seconds remaining. After the timeout, Falcon sophomore Tene Lewis stole the OU inbounds pass and ran out the clock.
Miller led the Falcons with 23 points, while Austin had 12 and junior Stefanie Wenzel 10. Wilson led the hosts with 25 points, 17 in the second half.
The Falcons had led by an 18-16 count after OU's Wilson made a three-point goal with just over eight minutes left in the first half, but BG then went on a 24-11 run to end the half. Lewis took a pass from Austin and hit a trey, her first of the year, at the buzzer. That shot gave the Falcons a 15-point lead, the biggest of the game, at 42-27.
The hosts slowly whittled away at the BG lead, getting within single digits on a Jasmin MacAlpine bucket with five minutes gone. The Golden Grizzlies slowly cut the lead, getting within three points midway through the half and setting the stage for the frenzied finale'.
OU outrebounded the Falcons by a 19-13 count in the second half and a 35-33 margin for the game. The Grizzlies, after shooting .379 from the field in the first 20 minutes, shot .607 after the intermission to finish at .491 on the night. BGSU shot .431 from the field.
Oakland went 10-of-16 from three-point land, led by Wilson's 5-of-8 performance. Katie Wolfe had three treys in five tries for the hosts. BGSU was 6-of-13 from long range, with Miller making three of her six attempts.
The Falcons held the advantage at the free-throw line. BGSU made 14 charity tosses on the night, in 21 attempts. By contrast, the Grizzlies only got to the line for four shots, making three.
In addition to her 12 points, Austin had five assists and tied her career best with five steals. Wenzel led the Falcons with five rebounds, including three at the offensive end. Griech had nine points on the night.
Lewis, in 21 minutes, had seven points, four assists and three steals. She was 3-of-4 from the floor in the win.
BGSU forced OU into 19 turnovers while committing just 11 themselves. The Falcons turned the ball over only four times in the first half.
The Falcons now prepare for the Mid-American Conference opener, hosting Ohio University in a Wednesday (Jan. 8) game. That contest will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
