Bowling Green State University
Cornell
Prochaska Named MVP as Falcons Win Cornell Classic
December 01, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2007
ITHACA, NY - Freshman Lauren Prochaska became the first rookie to be named MVP of an in-season tournament under head coach Curt Miller as the Bowling Green State University Falcons beat host Cornell University in the championship game,70-54, of the Cornell Classic. Captain Kate Achter headlined the All-Tournament team as the Falcons won their sixth straight contest of the season (6-0); the Big Red is now 3-3 in 2007.
Both Prochaska and Achter scored a game-high 18 points in the win. The duo also combined for six of the Falcons 12 steals in the contest.
For the two-day tournament, Prochaska led all Falcons averaging 15.5 points and 27.0 minutes per game. She was also 12-16 (.750) from the field and 6-7 from the outer skirts of "three-point-land".
As a whole, Bowling Green nabbed a season-high 32 rebounds and held the Big Red to 16 made field goals - the second lowest total of the season. The BG defense also allowed Cornell to convert just 34 percent of their shots from the floor.
BGSU took an early 20-9 lead over the hosts, but a Cornell lay-up and back-to-back three point field-goals by Kayleen Fitzsimmons brought the Big Red right back into the game. A driving lay-up by Lauren Benson cut the BG lead to one and Jemoi Maduka's baseline jumper gave the Big Red the 21-20 advantage at 7:48.
Two minutes later, Virginia McMunigal saw the bottom of the net twice as her free throws gave the Big Red their largest lead of the game at five points, 27-22. Tara Breske answered the effort with a pair of points herself as a result of her short jumper in traffic. Prochaska then complimented Breske's score with her third and final three-pointer of the night to even the game at 31-31.
A steal by Lindsey Goldsberry gave the Falcons possession of the ball once again and Achter, making the most of it, put the Orange and Brown ahead two, but not for long.
At the intermission, Bowling Green found themselves with a clean slate, 33-33, for the first time in more than forty games, dating beyond last season. In fact, today's halftime tie marked just the second time in the six-plus seasons in which a Miller-led team was neither winning nor losing after 20 minutes of play.
In the only other occasion in which the Falcons were tied, BG found themselves evenly keeled with the University of Toledo [35-35] in Anderson Arena on Feb. 26, 2005. The Falcons went on to beat the Rockets 72-71 and are 2-0 when even at the half under Miller.
Bowling Green took control of the second half beginning with Prochaska's early steal and lay-up allowing the Falcons to never look back. The guard then stepped in on yet another Cornell possession creating the follow-up Falcon basket - a transition bucket from Goldsberry to Chelsea Albert, a trailer in the Falcons fast break.
Cornell netted their first points of the half on account of Fitzsimmons free throws, but a Goldsberry three only pushed the visitors ahead by seven.
Bowling Green kept the lead at a handful of points, but once again it was a Prochaska field goal that made the difference in the game extending the lead into the double-digits, or two handfuls, at 11:11.
Despite the conversion of a pair of Maduka charity shots that cut the lead to nine points with less than six minutes reaming in the contest, the Falcons were in the driver's seat for the remainder of the game.
Bowling Green's defense held the hosts to just three field goals in the second half and forced the Big Red to shot a dismal 13.6 percent (3-22); Cornell score 14 second half points from the free throw line.
With the win, the Falcons are 14-1 under Miller versus programs based out of the Empire State. Bowling Green has not lost in the New York area since dropping their only loss to MAC participant the University at Buffalo [72-60] on Feb. 12, 2003.
Miller is also just five wins shy of tying former Falcon head coach Jaci Clark's 135-65 seven year career record. Clark, the second winningest coach in Falcon women's basketball history, stood at the helm of the Orange and Brown program during the 1991-98 seasons.
Under Miller, Bowling Green:
• is 4-4 when facing the host of an in-season tournament.
• is 10-3 when having 24 hours to prepare for their day two opponent.
• has gone 2-0 in in-season tournament play in at least one tournament since 2003.
The Falcons will return home for their final home game of 2007 on Wednesday night as they host nationally ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Dec. 5 match-up with the foe from South Bend, Ind. is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 p.m.
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