Bowling Green State University
BUCKNELL
Falcons Get Offensive, Hit Century Mark At Bucknell, 100-77
December 03, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team hit the century mark for the first time in nearly five years, scoring early and often in a 100-77 win at Bucknell University Wednesday night (Dec. 3). The non-conference game was held at Sojka Pavilion.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 3-2 on the season, while the Bison drop to 1-3.
Senior Lindsay Austin had a career night to pace five double-digit scorers for the Falcons, as both BG seniors -- Austin and Stefanie Wenzel -- had double-doubles.
Austin had 21 points and 15 assists, posting career-high totals in both categories. Her assist total was just three shy of the school record.
Wenzel had 16 points, going 4-of-6 from three-point land, and a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Casey McDowell had 19 points off the bench, while freshman Liz Honegger and junior Kelly Kapferer had 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The Falcons shot over 50 percent in both halves, finishing with a .565 field-goal percentage for the game. BGSU made 12-of-22 three-point attempts (.545), but also outscored the hosts, 42-26, in the paint.
BGSU's balanced attack overcame a herculean effort by Bucknell's Desire Almind. Coming off a 23-point, 18-rebound game vs. Coppin State Sunday, Almind scored a career-high 33 points on 14-of-16 shooting vs. the Falcons, and pulled down a game-high 16 boards.
The Falcons burst out of the starting gate, scoring on the first four possessions. Freshman Megan Thorburn lost her defender and took a Wenzel pass for a backdoor layup just nine seconds into the game. Thorburn kicked a pass to Honegger for a three-pointer, then Honegger scored again on a rebound layup. When Austin stole a pass at midcourt and sailed in for a layup, the Falcons led, 9-0, with just 1:14 elapsed.
The Bison fought back, largely on the efforts of Almind. The hosts scored eight consecutive points to take a 14-13 lead, and an Almind three-point play put Bucknell up by a 17-15 count. But, a Honegger hoop was followed by a pair of McDowell triples, as BGSU went on a 16-8 run to take a 31-25 lead. McDowell's treys came just 28 seconds apart.
Five-straight Almind points began a 10-2 Bison burst, giving the host team a 35-33 advantage with 6:05 to play until the intermission. Late in the half, the game was knotted at 45-45 before the Falcons went on an 8-3 run. Wenzel began that stretch with a three-pointer, while Austin's trey with only two seconds remaining sent the Falcons into the lockerroom with a 53-48 lead.
In that first half, Almind scored 21 points, going 9-of-10 from the field, and grabbed 12 of her team's 20 rebounds.
Bucknell got within two points as a Lindsey Hollobaugh three-pointer opened the second-half scoring, but the home team would get no closer. The Falcons mounted a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to jump out to a 12-point lead.
The Bison were within seven less than two minutes later, before the Falcons outscored Bucknell 23-9 over the next seven minutes. During that stretch, the Brown and Orange held the hosts without a point for nearly three minutes on two occasions.
With 1:09 left in the contest, freshman Julie Gompers drove the lane for a layup, giving the Falcons their final points of the night.
In addition to Almind's 33-point night, Hollobaugh had 13 points for the hosts, while Rachel Hanley had 12 off the bench and Laura Hatalsky added 11. Bucknell shot .414 for the game, but only .333 in the second half, as the Falcons outscored BU, 47-29, in the final 20 minutes.
BGSU returns home for a Saturday (Dec. 6) contest vs. IPFW. That game, the second half of a hoops doubleheader, is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
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