Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Face IPFW Friday
November 18, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2004
Falcon Game Notes (9 pages) in PDF Format
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GAME #2 - BGSU at IPFW
Fri., Nov. 19, 2004 - 8:00 p.m.
Hilliard Gates Sports Center (2,800) - Fort Wayne, Ind.
RADIO: WBGU-FM (88.1)
SERIES: BGSU leads, 3-0
LAST MEETING: at BGSU 91, IPFW 68 - Dec. 6, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team continues a season-opening three-game road swing ... the Falcons of fourth-year head coach Curt Miller head to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a Friday (Nov. 19) contest vs. IPFW ... tipoff for the game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center (2,800).
FALCONS ON LOCAL RADIO FOR AT LEAST 26 GAMES
A total of 25 of the Falcons' 27 regular-season games, plus any postseason action, will be on the air in 2004-05 ... student station WBGU-FM (88.1), the flagship station for the women's basketball Falcons, is scheduled to air all but two regular-season contests -- the games at the Lobo Shootout (Dec. 10-11) ... the 2004-05 academic year marks the third season of an agreement between the BGSU department of athletics and the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO) to have WBGU serve as the flagship station for both hockey and women's basketball ... games produced by BGRSO can be heard on the web, both at bgrso.org and via the Real One Package available through BGSUFalcons.com.
ABOUT THE FALCONS
The Falcons are coming off an 89-41 loss at nationally-ranked Ohio State in Friday's (Nov. 12) season opener ... redshirt junior Casey McDowell and sophomore Megan Thorburn each scored nine points to lead the Falcons in that game, a first-round contest in the Sportsview.tv WNIT ... BGSU ended the 2003-04 season with a record of 21-10, and the Falcons finished the MAC campaign with an 11-5 slate ... BG tied for second in the West Division, then posted a pair of buzzer-beating wins in the league tourney to advance to the championship game ... head coach Curt Miller welcomes back 11 letterwinners, including three starters, from that team ... the returning starters, all sophomores, are Liz Honegger, Ali Mann and Thorburn ... Miller's team includes three seniors in Kelly Kapferer, Tene Lewis and Sakima Smith ... a pair of juniors, Jill Lause and McDowell, also return ... in addition to the three returning starters, the sophomore class consists of Amber Flynn, Julie Gompers and Carin Horne ... two freshmen, guards Kate Achter and Whitney Taylor, made their official collegiate debuts Friday at OSU.
SCOUTING IPFW
For IPFW, Friday's game vs. BGSU marks the season opener ... the Mastodons of head coach Bruce Patterson returns nine letterwinners, including three starters, from last year's 8-20 squad ... in the team's lone exhibition game, IPFW downed Marian College by a 104-53 score (Nov. 6) ... a freshman, guard Johnna Lewis-Carlisle, led the 'Dons with 15 points in that game, while senior Courtney Nicley had 12 and frosh Sarah Glowacki and Lindsey Bayer 11 apiece ... Nicley is the top returning scorer from last season, having averaged 11.6 points a year ago ... other returning starters include junior guard Jenny Green (4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and senior center Verea Bibbs (3.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg) ... Patterson has a record of 21-62 entering his fourth year with the Mastodons ... IPFW's athletics web site is www.ipfw.edu/athletics.
THE SERIES
The Falcons lead IPFW, 3-0, in the all-time series between the teams ... the Falcons and Mastodons are meeting for the fourth consecutive year ... three years ago (Nov. 29, 2001), the Brown and Orange recorded a 73-57 win at Anderson Arena ... two seasons ago (Dec. 11, 2002), in the lone prior meeting in Fort Wayne, the Falcons came away with a 76-58 victory at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center ... last Dec. 6, BGSU was victorious over the visiting 'Dons by a 91-68 count.
BGSU/IPFW TIES
Friday's game will mark the first of two consecutive contests in which a former Falcon will be on the opposing team ... IPFW guard Molly Martin began her collegiate career at Bowling Green ... Martin played in eight games, making four starts, at point guard in her freshman year of 2002-03 ... she averaged 13.8 minutes, 1.6 points and 2.6 assists per game, before leaving the team on Dec. 26, 2002.
LAST TIME OUT
Jessica Davenport and Ashley Allen each scored six of their 17 points during a 17-0 first-half run to lead host Ohio State to a 89-41 victory over the Falcons Friday night (Nov. 12) ... the game was a first-round contest in the Sportsview.tv WNIT ... the Buckeyes shot an eye-popping 65 percent from three-point land, going 13-of-20 in the game ... the Falcons trailed, 6-0, just one minute into the contest, but then went on a 14-2 run to take a 14-8 lead into the first media timeout ... from there, however, it was all Buckeyes, as the hosts scored the next 17 points ... OSU led by a 37-23 score at the break, then scored 23 of the first 30 points in the second half to build a 60-30 lead ... redshirt junior Casey McDowell and sophomore Megan Thorburn each had nine points to pace the Falcons ... sophomores Liz Honegger and Carin Horne scored six points apiece, while classmate Ali Mann had five points and a team-high five rebounds.
I'VE GOT GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS ... FIRST, THE BAD NEWS
OK, in case you were wondering ... the 48-point loss at Ohio State was the sixth-most lopsided setback in BGSU history, and the worst loss in over three years, since a 96-44 loss at nationally-ranked Colorado on Nov. 23, 2001 ... the last time the Falcons had seen no player reach double digits in scoring was on Feb. 5, 2003, in a 42-30 loss at Central Michigan.
NOW, THE GOOD NEWS ...
The Falcons lost the opening game of the season for the third consecutive year ... last year, BGSU also dropped the opener. but bounced back in a big way ... the Brown and Orange recovered from a season-opening loss at Youngstown State to win 21 games and advance all the way to the championship game of the MAC Tournament.
IF IT'S ANY CONSOLATION
Obviously, no one wants to lose, especially by a lopsided margin ... but, BGSU's opening opponent, Ohio State, has had similar success in every game since the opener vs. the Falcons ... the Buckeyes have advanced to the championship of the Sportsview.tv WNIT by winning three games by an average score of 81-33 against teams coming off 20-win seasons ... the Bucks held second-round foe St. Joseph's to just 29 points in a 47-point win, then downed nationally-ranked Arizona by 33 points in the semifinal round.
EARLY START
For the Falcons, last Friday's game at Ohio State marked the earliest beginning to a season in school history ... prior to this season, BGSU's earliest season-opening game came on Nov. 14, 1997, an 81-72 win at Youngstown State ... ironically, that was the season in which BG advanced to the Postseason WNIT.
A MAGICAL YEAR
The Falcons finished the 2003-04 season with an overall record of 21-10, a nine-win improvement from the previous season, and advanced all the way to the championship game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament ... one of the most improved teams in the nation, BGSU had a conference mark of 11-5 ... the Falcons, picked to finish sixth in the West Division, actually tied for second place, just a game out of first ... head coach Curt Miller and his staff had just two seniors, Lindsay Austin and Stefanie Wenzel, on last year's 15-player roster.
FALCONS PICKED THIRD IN THE WEST
The Falcons have been picked to finish third in the MAC's West Division in the 2004-05 season, according to members of the MAC News Media Association ... BGSU received 153 points and one first-place vote in the poll, finishing behind Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan ... WMU, the preseason choice to win the West, received 212 points in the poll, while EMU, the defending MAC Tournament champion, received 175 points ... Toledo had 125 points, just a single point ahead of Ball State, while Northern Illinois (71) and Central Michigan (36) rounded out the West Division picks ... the Falcons' point total was more than 100 points higher than the team's total in last year's poll ... in the East, Miami was the choice of the media, finishing four points ahead of Kent State ... a total of four voters tabbed the Falcons to win the 2005 Kraft MAC Tournament ... Eastern, the 2004 tourney champ after downing the Falcons in the title game, received 10 votes to win this year's tournament ... Marshall garnered seven votes, followed by WMU (six), BGSU, Miami (three) and KSU (two).
MANN NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-MAC SQUAD
Sophomore Ali Mann was named to the MAC's preseason all-conference team ... the team, a result of voting by members of the MAC News Media Association, consists of five student-athletes from each of the MAC's two divisions ... a native of Chelsea, Mich., Mann was named the MAC's Freshman of the Year last winter ... she earned honorable mention on the 2003-04 All-MAC Team, and also was named to the MAC's All-Tournament Team ... Mann averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds last season ... her total of 400 points was the second-highest by a freshman in school history, while her 245 rebounds set a Falcon freshman record ... Mann set a new MAC record with a .535 three-point field-goal percentage (23-of-43) in conference games.
CAPTAINS KAPFERER AND LEWIS
Seniors Kelly Kapferer and Tene Lewis have been named the co-captains of the 2004-05 Falcons ... the two were selected in a vote of team members and the coaching staff ... Kapferer, a fifth-year senior from Jefferson, Ohio, was a unanimous choice for captain, the first in head coach Curt Miller's four-year tenure at BG ... she played in all 31 games last season, averaging 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game ... two of Kapferer's six double-digit scoring games on the year came in the MAC Tournament ... Lewis, from Detroit, Mich., averaged 1.7 points and 1.0 assists per game last season, and has been called upon to be a defensive stopper for the Falcons over the past few seasons ... "This is a great honor for Kelly and Tene," said Miller. "In some programs, the coaches choose the captains. In our program, though, each player has a say. I think it brings more significance to that role, and Kelly and Tene will do a great job in upholding the honor of leading the 2004-05 Falcons."
MILLER AGREES TO FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION
Bowling Green State University has reached an agreement with Falcon women's basketball coach Curt Miller on a five-year contract extension, BGSU Director of Athletics Paul Krebs announced in mid-October ... the contract will run through June 30, 2009 ... Miller has an overall record of 42-46 in his fourth year at the helm of the Falcons ... he guided the Brown and Orange to a 21-10 record, including a MAC mark of 11-5, last winter ... Miller and his staff orchestrated a complete reversal of the previous year's league record (5-11 in 2002-03) and helped the Falcons - picked to finish sixth in the league's West Divison - to a second-place tie, just a game out of first.
JENNIFER ROOS ELEVATED TO ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
Jennifer Roos, now in her fourth season on Curt Miller's staff, has been elevated to associate head coach of the Falcons ... Roos came to BGSU as an assistant coach in July of 2001 ... she is in charge of the Falcon defense, and also serves as the team's recruiting coordinator ... defensively, the Falcons set a 'modern-day' record by allowing opponents to shoot just .388 from the field last year ...that marked the third-lowest opponent field-goal pct. in school history and the lowest since 1977-78 ... Falcon teams have posted two of the school's top-five totals in that category over the last three seasons ... Roos, a native of Louisville, Ky., came to BG after spending eight years on the staff at Davidson College ... she became a coach with the Wildcats upon her graduation from the school.
BGSU-OHIO GAME PART OF MAC TV PACKAGE
The Falcons' home game vs. Ohio University, scheduled for Feb. 5, 2005, will be televised as part of the league's seven-game package on Fox Sports Net Ohio ... start time for the game has been moved to 2:00 p.m. ... this is a change from the previously published start time listed in the media guide and on schedule cards, posters and season ticket information ... Comcast Local will also air the game, with additional clearances possibly being announced at a later date.
START TIME CHANGED FOR WMU GAME
The starting time for the Falcons' game on Jan. 22, 2005, has been changed (please make a note of it) ... that game, vs. Western Michigan, has been moved to a 3:00 p.m. start at Anderson Arena ... the move sets up a Falcon basketball doubleheader that day ... the BGSU men's basketball team will host Toledo in a 6:00 p.m. game that is part of the MAC's television package for 2004-05.
ONE OF THE NATION'S TOP TURNAROUNDS
With nine more wins than in the 2002-03 season, the Falcons made one of the nation's top turnarounds in 2003-04 ... the Brown and Orange went 12-16 the prior season ... BGSU's nine-win improvement tied the Falcons for the 11th-best turnaround in NCAA Division I last season.
ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S TOP TURNAROUNDS, TOO
The Falcons' nine-win improvement tied for the second-best turnaround in school history ... the 1991-92 team posted a 10-win improvement, with a 24-5 mark after the previous team had gone 14-15 ... the 1986-87 team (27-3) won nine more games than the previous year's Falcon team.
OF COURSE, ONE OF THE MAC'S TOP TURNAROUNDS
A case can be made that the Falcons were the MAC's most improved team last winter ... the Falcons finished at 21-10 overall, and 11-5 in MAC play ... BG topped the overall win total from last season by nine games, tied for the highest improvement in the league ... the previous year's squad went 12-16 overall and 5-11 in the MAC ... BGSU, six games better than the prior season in league play, was the only team to improve by more than three games over last season in MAC action.
THAT'S IMPROVEMENT!
The Falcons, as mentioned several times already, won 21 overall games in 2003-04, including 11 MAC contests ... in each case, BGSU win total matched the totals for Curt Miller's first two seasons combined ... Miller's first team went 9-19 overall and 6-10 in league action ... his second squad was 12-16 and 5-11.
20 WINS FOR THE FALCONS
BGSU put together a 20-win season for the ninth time in school history, but the first since the 1997-98 campaign ... that '97-98 squad, coach Jaci Clark's last BGSU team, went 21-8 en route to a berth in the Postseason WNIT.
STATE PRIDE
The Falcons' 21 wins tied BGSU for second among the 13 NCAA Division-I schools in the state of Ohio ... BGSU trailed only Miami (22-9) ... Ohio State matched the Falcons' 21-10 record last winter.
BLOCK PARTY FOR HONEGGER
It has taken Liz Honegger only one year to add her name to nearly all of the BGSU records lists for blocked shots ... Honegger broke the school single-game mark in that category with seven blocks in the Falcons' win at Eastern Kentucky ... she tied the BGSU single-season record with a total of 50 rejections on the year ... Honegger set the school seasonal mark for MAC games with 27 blocks.
A 'MODERN-DAY' RECORD
The Falcons have greatly improved defensively during the Curt Miller Era ... in fact, BGSU set a 'modern-day' record by allowing opponents to shoot just .388 from the field in 2003-04 ... that marks the third-lowest opponent field-goal pct. in school history, and the lowest since 1977-78 ... the 1976-77 team set the school record (.348) ... that '76-77 season is the first year that such statistics are available ... Miller-coached teams have posted two of the top-five totals in that category in school history.
