Bowling Green State University
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WESTERN MICHIGAN
Falcons Start Fast in Win over WMU, 80-58
January 22, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team reeled off 16-straight points early in the first half, en route to an 80-58 win over Western Michigan University Saturday afternoon (Jan. 22). The Mid-American Conference game was held at Anderson Arena.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 12-5 overall and 5-1 in MAC play, and BGSU remains in first place in the MAC's West Division. Western drops to 6-11 and 3-3, respectively.
Sophomore Liz Honegger had a game-high 21 points to pace four double-figure scorers for the Falcons. Classmate Ali Mann had 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while freshman Kate Achter had 11. Senior co-captain Tene Lewis matched her career high with 10 points off the bench.
For the Broncos, Kelly Koerber had 13 points while Brittany Tyson added 12.
WMU's Kate Verseput opened the scoring, with a jumper 41 seconds into the game. But, Honegger answered just 10 seconds later, sparking a 16-0 BG run. The Broncos were held scoreless for a span of 4:34, before a Koerber jumper at the 14:45 mark broke the drought. But, BGSU's lead would remain in double digits the rest of the game.
BGSU's first 12 points of the game all came from shots in the paint, as BGSU held a 44-20 advantage in points in the paint on the afternoon.
The Falcons' fast start also was aided by a strong performance on the boards. BGSU held a 15-5 advantage in rebounding in the first eight minutes of the game. At that point, BG had a total of eight offensive rebounds, to the Broncos' zero. Lewis and sophomore Carin Horne had three offensive boards apiece during that time, and combined for nine offensive rebounds in the game.
For the game, the Falcons held a 42-28 rebounding margin, with a total of 18 BG boards coming on the offensive glass.
Another key in BGSU's early success was the Falcons' ability to take care of the ball. The first BG turnover did not come until only 5:10 remained in the first half.
After that turnover, however, the Falcons forced a Bronco miss, and got the ball back. Honegger hit a three-point field goal in the ensuing possession, giving the Brown and Orange a 40-16 lead.
The Broncos went on a 12-4 run to end the half, and trailed by 16 at the break. But, the Falcons never let the lead get below 17 points in the second half. Koerber, who had two fouls at the intermission, picked up her third and fourth fouls in the first 3:02 of the second half.
BGSU upped the lead to a game-high 25 points, as a rebound and putback by senior co-captain Kelly Kapferer gave the hosts a 67-42 advantage with 9:25 to go.
The lead hit 25 points on two other occasions, and the Broncos never cut the margin under 20 points in the game's final 13 minutes.
In addition to the Falcons' four double-digit scorers, Kapferer had eight points and junior Casey McDowell seven. McDowell had a game- and season-high six assists, while Achter added five. The two guards combined to make just one turnover.
Mann had a game-high seven rebounds, while Horne and Lewis had six apiece. For the Broncos, Kim Driggett and Ashley Owens tied for team honors with five boards each.
Honegger and Lewis each had four steals, as BG had a team total of 10. The Broncos committed 19 turnovers to the Falcons' 13, and BGSU held a 22-5 margin in points off turnovers.
BGSU returns to action Wednesday (Jan. 26), heading to Northeast Ohio to face Kent State University. That game begins at 7:00 p.m. at KSU's M.A.C. Center. The Falcons return home on Wed., Feb. 2, hosting Northern Illinois University.
FALCON NOTES
