Bowling Green State University
Detroit Mercy
Falcons Dismantle Detroit, 77-53
November 25, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team led from wire to wire and posted a 77-53 win over the University of Detroit Mercy Tuesday night (Nov. 25). The non-conference game was held at Anderson Arena.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 1-1 on the young season, while the Titans drop to 1-1 on the year.
The balanced Falcon scoring attack saw five players hit double digits for head coach Curt Miller, led by senior Stefanie Wenzel's 14-point night. A pair of BG teammates, senior Lindsay Austin and freshman Ali Mann, recorded double doubles on the night. Mann had 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Austin had 10 points and 10 boards.
Three freshmen were among the five double-digit Falcon scorers, as newcomers Liz Honegger and Carin Horne had 10 points apiece.
Detroit had three players -- Lindsey Pasquinzo, Nicole Anaejionu and Joanna Cooper -- score 10 points apiece.
The Falcons had a quick start, scoring the first nine points of the game. A three-point field goal from freshman Megan Thorburn opened the scoring, off a Wenzel assist, and Wenzel followed with a basket on BG's next possession. Freshman Liz Honegger's layup put BG up by seven points, before Mann hit a pair of free throws to give BG the nine-point margin and force UDM coach Mickey Barrett to take a timeout.
Cooper's field goal at the 15:16 mark put the Titans on the board, but Mann scored the next five points to give the Falcons a 14-2 edge. After another Cooper hoop, the Brown and Orange scored five consecutive points to go up by a 19-4 margin, and the visitors got no closer than 13 points the rest of the evening.
The Falcons shot over 60 percent in the first half, leading by as many as 23 points (41-18), before the Titans scored the final six points of the half. The Brown and Orange made 14-of-23 shots in the first 20 minutes (.609), while holding the visitors to just a .281 success rate (9-of-32) in that half.
BGSU turned the ball over on the first two possessions of the second half, and a Pasquinzo three-pointer (the Titans' first of the game) cut the margin to 14 points. But, the Titans would get no closer.
A Thorburn jumper was followed by a Wenzel triple, and when Austin scored at the 16:49 mark, the lead was over 20 points at 48-27.
After a Melissa Harakas trey, the Falcons scored the next nine points to take a 57-30 lead with 12:22 remaining. Honegger scored five of BGSU's points during that run.
The Falcons, who had more rebounds than their opponents on only four occasions during all of last season, now have held a rebounding advantage in each of this season's two games. The Brown and Orange pulled down 46 caroms to the Titans' 33.
For the game, BGSU shot .522 from the field, while holding the Titans to a .309 success rate.
In addition to her double-double, Austin also had game-high totals of six assists and three steals. Sophomore Casey McDowell had four assists in just 14 minutes off the bench.
BGSU now heads to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday. BG will play a pair of games in the Flint Hills Resources Islander Classic, hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Falcons will meet Southeast Missouri State in Friday (Nov. 28) action, with a Saturday contest vs. either host TAMUCC or Prairie View A&M.
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