Bowling Green State University
BUFFALO
Falcons Brand Bulls with Road Win
January 19, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2008
Miller and Achter post-game audio |
Final Stats
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The University at Buffalo Bulls (9-8, 2-2) became the fourth Mid-American Conference victim to fall to the Bowing Green State University Falcons (15-3, 4-0) as the Orange and Brown rolled to a conference victory, 75-56. The Saturday night league game was held at UB's Alumni Arena in Central New York.
Kate Achter and Tara Breske led the Falcons with 16 and 17 respective points. Crystal Murdaugh also joined the double-digit club with her 13 points. Achter went on to record seven assists and two defensive rebounds. Breske on the other hand brought home six defensive boards and a pair on the offensive end.
The BGSU defense held Buffalo's leading scorer, Stephanie Bennett without a bucket; in the previous two league contests Bennett rattled-off 19 and 10 respective points. Teammate Heather Turner led the Bulls with her 12 second half points.
Three Falcon touches - the jump by Breske, a pass by Achter and a stroke by Prochaska were the winning combination as BG net their first points, a trey by the freshman guard five seconds into the game. It would be the only three the Falcons would hit; BG was 1-8 on the night (.125).
One UB turnover later, Achter found Murdaugh in the high post for the next BG basket, but their 5-0 lead was cut to a field goal as UB's Ashley Zuber went "#2 for three" after Achter was knocked down in a high screen.
In the subsequent possessions, Breske sank one-of-two free throws and Achter laid in a signature drive for the Falcons as they scored on their first four possessions (8-3; 17:05).
UB's Jessica Fortman also sank a pair of free throws to bring UB back into the game, 8-5, at 17:00 as a result of a Murdaugh foul.
After a Zuber missed lay-up, Prochaska, Achter and Breske combined in a reversed order of the opening tip, but the result of their transition touch-passes were the same - a BG shot stirring nothing but the bottom of the net.
Out of the first media TO, BGSU not only scored with a Murdaugh jumper in the paint, but also drew an offensive player control foul on UB's next trip down the court at 14:35.
The squad's traded baskets and toyed with a four-seven point difference for the next 4:10.
Lindsey Goldsberry, looking more like a defensive back than a shooting guard, stepped in front of a Zuber pass and after fighting her way down the court a resulting spin move and a lay-up in the paint in transition doubled the lead on the Bulls, 10-20 at 10:13. The lay-up was the mid-point of BG's first real run at the hosts.
An over and back violation proved to be the straw which broke the camels' back and Buffalo called their first time out of the night, but BG followed the 30-second break with a bucket, a steal, and another bucket to extend their 13-0 run, 27-10, at 8:11.
At 7:40 UB broke their silence in grand fashion with a Bridgette Kendricks' steal under the Bulls' basket and a resulting lay-up from the left side. Three additional points would directly lead to Buffalo's 5-0 run and the need for a BG 30-second regrouping session.
Buffalo continued that run upwards toward seven points as they caused another Falcon turnover, but Murdaugh's short shot in the paint broke the Falcons almost four minute (3:45) scoreless effort.
By halftime, Bowling Green was ahead 35-23 and had kept both Bennett and Turner out of the boxscore for the Bulls. The Falcons were 14-25 with the starting five sinking 12 first half field goals; Buffalo on the other hand was 9-25 from the floor with the starters responsible for five FG's.
Breske opened the second half with an easy basket at 19:45 on the first play out of the lockerroom only to be followed by fellow post, Murdaugh's 11th swat of her rookie season negating a Bennett lay-up attempt from the right side of the floor. The freshman averages almost one block per game in league play.
A 9-3 spurt put the Falcons back on track with a +20 margin, 46-26, hitting 3-of-5 shots from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line between 18:59 and 15:24. At the same time, UB was 1-for-6 from the floor and 1-of-2 from the line.
Despite having a to climb out of that 20-point deficit, UB kept the spring in their step first chipping at the lead to bring it within 16-18 points between 13:37 and 12:06; later enabling themselves to whittle it down to 14 points by 9:50.
Almost three minutes passed between Tracy Pontius' made jumper at 9:32 and Achter's free throw at 6:43 and while turnovers plagued the Falcons, Buffalo remained patient and continued to convert made baskets.
By 6:11 Buffalo diminished the lead to ten points, but a pair of made Breske free throws jump started the Falcons' engine back to a 12 point lead and 30-seconds later Achter added another pair for a 14 point lead.
The rebuilding of the advantage stretched back to 19 points at 2:48 due in part to nine unanswered BG points including six from three post players alone.
Goldsberry's two made free throws at 1:57 put the Falcons back ahead at +21, but in the final two minutes the Bulls would go on to out-score the visitor's 7-5 and would trail by 19 at games' end.
Bowling Green's forwards and centers were 17-21 (.809) from the floor with each scoring at least six points. Freshman Chelsea Albert was a perfect 2-2 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line. Between the four, they also had a combined 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and just a pair of turnovers.
Tonight also marked the 100th MAC game in which Curt Miller has coached the Falcons. Under his tutelage, Bowling Green is 70-30 in the conference.
The Falcons will return to the friendly confines of Anderson Arena for a quick turn around to host the RedHawks of Miami on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. Today, Miami dropped a 74-55 on the road at Ohio University.
*Falcon Notes*
With Toledo's victory over Ball State tonight in Savage Hall, Bowling Green remains as the only undefeated team in conference play.
Kate Achter, Tara Breske and Lauren Prochaska have scored in the double-digit figures in three of four MAC games while Crystal Murdaugh has done the same twice. In fact tonight was the first game since St. Bonaventure (Nov. 24) that Prochaska has not scored more than ten points.
No conference team has come within 15 points of the Falcons. Bowling Green averages 78.2 ppg in the MAC while allowing 55.2. Five players average 10-or more points in MAC only games while an additional athlete averages. 8.3. Each of the starting five is represented in this population.
Bowling Green scored 38 points in the paint and another 20 off turnovers, but managed just three in the form of second chance points.
Prior to being held scoreless tonight, UB's Stephanie Bennett has scored in the double digits on 12-of-16 occasions this season. Her season low scoring effort was seen on Dec. 29, 2007 when SE Missouri State held her to two field goals for four points on the road in Cape Girardeau, MO.
To date, BGSU is 9-1 versus the Royal Blue and White and is perfect against teams from the Empire State (3-0) this season. Quite unexpectedly, BG has found a good luck charm in former radio announcer, Paul Braverman. Braveman has been in attendance for each of the Falcons' New York wins in 2007.
##BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL##
