Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Murdaugh, Prochaska Double-Double in Falcons' Second MAC Victory
January 12, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2008
Miller (BGSU) audio | Goldsberry and Murdaugh (BGSU) audio | Sylvia Crawley (Ohio) audio |
Final Stats
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Freshmen Crystal Murdaugh and Lauren Prochaska each recorded double-doubles as the Bowling Green State University Falcons avenged last season's loss to the Ohio University Bobcats in Anderson Arena Saturday (Jan. 12) afternoon with a dramatic 60-45 finished. BGSU is now 13-3 on the season and a perfect 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference while Ohio, the MAC East preseason favorite, falls below .500 overall (7-8) and are winless in two MAC contests. The game was played before 3,010 fans - the largest crowd in Curt Miller history.
Murdaugh, not only netted her first collegiate three-point field goal in the opening minutes of play, but she also finished the night with a game-high 17 points while tying Prochaska with her game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore Tara Breske nearly joined the two with her 12 points and nine rebounds. Prochaska and Lindsey Goldsberry each contributed 10 points to the win. Goldsberry also dished five assists and took home six steals.
Lauren Kohn and Jennifer Poff were the leading scorers for the Bobcats with their 18 and 13 respective points. The guard pair combined for 31 of the Bobcats 45 points.
Ohio's 45 points marked the third time in the past four games that the Falcons did not allow their opponent to surpass the 50-point plateau; in the remaining game of that group, BGSU allowed 56. In those four games combined, the Falcons have outscored their opponents 306-187.
As noted by Miller in his post-game press conference, the story within the day's story was rebounding. BGSU out-rebounded Ohio 40-34 and 10-5 on the offensive end alone. Entering the game Ohio lead the conference in total rebounds, offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds. For more of Miller's press conference select the above link to hear full post-game commentary. Lindsey Goldsberry and Crystal Murdaugh can also be heard as well as Ohio head coach Sylvia Crawley.
Though the Falcons ended with a positive 15-point advantage it was not an easy night for the host team. In the first half alone, the lead was changed five times (BG 3; Ohio 2) while the score was tied four.
To open play, Ohio's Quintana Ward hit a lay-up in the paint to give the visitor their first lead of the game, but 9:00 into the contest an additional three lead chances and another three ties continued to plague the teams' power struggle. Yet, while Breske's jumper at 11:01 gave the game its final tie, both squads still were going to continue to jockey for the short term win on the scoreboard throughout the match.
Poff answered Breske with an unassisted jumper of her own thirty-seconds later, but the Bobcats' eventual four point lead would be diminished as Murdaugh first laid in a pair of points in the paint and was followed by Goldsberry's three point field goal; the duo scored 33-seconds apart.
With Goldsberry's three-pointer, BG took a one point lead, 20-19, but at no point was their advantage safe, though it lasted through the remainder of the half.
After the aforementioned Goldsberry three, each team went cold for three-minutes only to be broken-up by a pair of made Tracy Pontius free throws putting BG ahead three, 22-19. But just as quickly as they had built their lead, Poff and Ohio cut it back within a point with yet another lay-up by the sophomore guard.
By 2:47, the Falcons put together a 6-2 run on the Bobcats capped by a Murdaugh jumper and assumed the largest lead of the game to that moment at five points, 28-23. The score would stabilize itself at the mark through the end of the half.
At half time, Murdaugh was already pacing the game as the leading scorer with her 13 points and six rebounds. Poff was not far behind netting 11 points and four rebounds of her own.
To begin the second 20:00, Prochaska commenced her eight point half with a made three ball to push the home team ahead eight. Once again the veteran Ohio team showed why they were selected in the preseason to lead the East Division and within two minutes of their first basket of the half, BG's lead was not only cut, but also negated, 32-31 (15:55).
A ping-ponged scoring battle left the record crowd gasping for air, and it was now Prochaska who broke the ice for the Orange and Brown. Murdaugh, Breske, Pontius and Goldsberry followed suit until BG was ahead 10, 44-34, while keeping Ohio silent.
For the next seven minutes Ohio fought to cut the BG lead but was unable to shorten it to less than six points; included in that time frame was 4:06 of scoreless play..
Though Poff did land a jumper at 4:56 resulting in that six point deficit, the Falcons began to roll and transformed the single digit lead by doubling it to 12 at 2:17 as Murdaugh and Breske combined for six points to put the game away in front of the home crowd.
BG hit 6-9 free throws down the stretch as Ohio fouled the Falcons in an attempt to regain possession of the ball and game.
BGSU will return to MAC action on Wednesday, Jan. 16 as they travel to Kent State University to face the Golden Flashes at 7:00 p.m. The game will be the first of a week long MAC road slate which will also pair the Orange and Brown with Buffalo (Jan. 19).
Falcon Notes
*Tonight's game marked the 200th time head coach Curt Miller graced the sidelines with the Orange and Brown. In that time, he is 137-63 overall and 68-30 in the MAC. In his past 35 regular season MAC games, Miller and Co. have won 34. To add to the past 200 games, the win also proved to be the fourth victory over the Bobcats in Anderson Arena in January.
*The last time the Falcons saw two rookies double-double was Feb. 21, 2004. It was also the last happening for BG in a MAC game as Ali Mann and Carin Horne led the fight against Kent State in what would result in an eventual MAC loss.
*Not only did Bowling Green set a new attendance record during the Curt Miller-era; it is believed the Falcons also set an Anderson Arena record for most Girl Scouts to attend a single game. An estimated 800 friends, family and Girl Scouts from Western Ohio filled the stands.
##BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL##
