Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Delaware
Falcons Finally Fall, 48-44
December 28, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2005
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The University of Delaware knocked the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team from the ranks of the unbeaten, posting a 48-44 win over the Falcons Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 28). The game, a first-round contest in the Hawk Classic, was played at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
With the loss, BGSU drops to 8-1 on the season. The Fightin' Blue Hens are now 8-1 on the year as well.
Junior Ali Mann led the Falcons with 14 points, while classmate Liz Honegger had 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds in the loss. Tyresa Smith had 12 points to lead three UD double-digit scorers.
BGSU will face Iona College in Thursday's (Dec. 29) consolation game. Iona suffered a 52-50 loss to host Saint Joseph's in Wednesday's opening game.
The Falcons' defense held the Hens to just 14 successful field goals and a field-goal percentage of 29.8% on the afternoon. However, UD was able to get to the line, making 16-of-22 free throws. BGSU was 4-of-9 from the charity stripe.
In a game that featured a total of just 92 points, it is probably not a surprise to know that both teams got off to a somewhat slow start offensively. The Falcons drew first blood as junior Carin Horne took a pass from senior Casey McDowell and buried a three-point field goal a half-minute into the game. The teams traded baskets, with Smith scoring for UD and sophomore Kate Achter answering with a layup for the Falcons. BG had a 5-2 lead, but the Brown and Orange would not score again for over four minutes.
BG's defense kept the Hens from going on an extended run, however, during that stretch. UD got free throws from Chrissy Fisher at the 16:47 mark, followed by a Smith hoop a minute-and-a-half later, giving the Hens a 6-5 lead.
Mann answered, however, with a nifty turnaround jumper in the lane, and Achter then found a wide-open Mann underneath the hoop for a layup at the 13:03 mark. Than, freshman Lindsey Goldsberry drained a left-side triple off a Mann pass, and Amber Flynn's sweet move along the baseline resulted in a driving layup midway through the half. When Mann converted a layup off a feed from freshman Jasmine McCall, the run was 11-0 and the BG lead was 16-6.
During that run, the Falcons held Delaware without a point for a span of 6:12. Then, however, it was UD's turn to put the clamps on the opposing offense, as BG was stuck on 16 for over five minutes.
Alena Koshansky broke Delaware's drought with a trey at the 9:06 mark, and Mann was then whistled for her second foul of the game 30 seconds later. UD hit a pair of free throws over the next few minutes, before Arek Deng's shot at the 4:27 juncture cut BG's lead to 16-13.
Finally, Flynn broke the scoreless skein, taking a Honegger pass and hitting a layup at the 4:04 mark. Deng followed her own miss and hit a layup, and neither team would score for the next two-plus minutes. Honegger snapped that spell with a left-side three-ball off an Achter pass, and BG's lead was 21-15. A pair of UD free throws capped the first-half scoring.
In that first half, the Falcons held Delaware to just five field goals in 20 attempts (25.0%).
The second half began just as the opening half had started, with Horne hitting a triple off a McDowell pass. That hoop, just nine seconds in, increased BGSU's lead to 24-17, but Fisher quickly scored at the other end.
Neither team would score for the next two-plus minutes, with the Falcons blocking three shots during that time. Honegger rejected back-to-back UD shot attempts during one possession, and Mann soared from behind to swat a Melissa Czorniewy layup try out of bounds.
Just after that, however, Achter and Honegger each picked up their third fouls of the game, with over 17 minutes remaining. Mann scored off an Achter feed to give the Falcons a 26-21 edge, and Mann split a pair of free throws 26 seconds later.
Deng hit a shot at the other end, and -- after another prolonged scoring drought, McDowell took an Achter pass and drained a left-side trey, giving BG a 30-23 lead. That lead, however, would quickly evaporate.
An 8-0 UD run began and ended with three-pointers by Koshansky, sandwiched around a Czorniewy layup, and the Hens had a 31-30 lead with 12:34 on the clock.
Honegger answered for the Falcons, but Czorniewy hit another layup, and the Hens had the lead and the momentum.
Yet another Czorniewy hoop with 10:37 left gave UD a 35-32 lead, before a Mann layup midway through the half. But, the Hens then would score the next six points, on four free throws and a Smith basket, while holding BG pointless for a span of 2:58. During that time, Mann was whistled for her third and fourth fouls, and the Falcons fell behind by a 41-34 count.
Honegger, once again, snapped BG's scoreless spell with a hoop at the 7:12 mark, followed by a pair of charity tosses with 6:41 on the clock. But, UD would score the next five points, with the final three providing a big swing. After two Smith free throws with 5:30 left, Fisher hit a triple with the shot clock winding down. When the ball went through the iron, the Hens had a 46-38 lead with 4:02 left.
Then, however, the Falcons showed some signs of life. Honegger took a Horne pass and hit a left-side triple with 3:06 left, and BG quickly got the ball back after a UD miss at the other end. Mann lost her defender, and slipped inside for a layup off Honegger's entry pass, and the UD lead was down to three -- 46-43 -- with 2:40 left.
The Falcons got the ball back and drew a foul, but BG could not convert the front end of a one-and-one with 2:02 left. On the Falcons' next possession, Horne was called for an offensive foul, her fifth foul of the afternoon, with 1:28 left. Still, however, the Falcons were not done.
BG's defense forced the Hens into a traveling violation with 1:07 left, and the Falcons found Honegger for a left-side three-point attempt. The shot would not drop, but Mann grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 47.8 seconds left. She missed the first free-throw try, but made the second to cut the lead to 46-44.
UD worked the clock, and Fisher drew a BG foul with 31.1 seconds left. She swished both of her free throws to stop UD's scoreless streak of 3:31 and give the Hens a 48-44 lead. BG was unable to score on the ensuing possession, and UD had the win.
For the Hens, Koshansky and Czorniewy scored in double figures, with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Fisher added nine points and Deng six, as the five UD starters scored all 48 of the team's points.
Horne scored six points and Flynn four for the Falcons. Horne had a team-high four steals, while Achter led all players with five assists.
UD held a 38-35 rebounding advantage, and forced the Falcons into 21 turnovers. For their part, the BG defense forced the UD offense to turn the ball over 19 times. The teams were dead even in points off turnovers (14-14) and second-chance points (5-5).
The Falcons and Iona will meet in a 2:00 p.m. start Thursday. Delaware and Saint Joseph's will battle for the Hawk Classic championship at 4:00 p.m.
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