Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Youngstown State
Pontius, Falcons Shoot Past YSU, 94-61
December 06, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2008
Final Stats | BGSU-YSU Boxscore in PDF Format
Pontius Post-Game Audio
Coach Miller Post-Game Audio
McCoy Post-Game Audio
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - Sophomore Tracy Pontius scored 20 of the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team's 54 first-half points, as the Falcons downed Youngstown State University, 94-61, Saturday afternoon (Dec. 6). The non-conference game was held at venerable Anderson Arena.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 6-2 on the season, and BG has won six consecutive games. The Penguins drop to 1-6 on the year.
BGSU took a 14-2 lead to start the game, en route to a 28-point halftime lead.
"That first half was as good an offensive half -- production, execution -- as we have had, maybe since I've been here," said eighth-year head coach Curt Miller. "We made shots, we executed and it was a tremendous first-half effort. Our starting group really got us going, and I couldn't be more pleased with that effort.
"I wish we could bottle that -- that was a very special first half indeed."
For the game, Pontius had 22 points to lead all players. Junior Niki McCoy scored 18 points and tied for game honors with seven rebounds, while soph Lauren Prochaska added 14 points.
Tiara Scott led the visitors, with 12 points.
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For the game, BGSU enjoyed a 34-19 margin in points off turnovers. In the opening half, the Falcons had more points off TOs than YSU had points. BG had a 27-3 advantage in that category in opening up a 54-26 lead at the break.
On a day more suitable for Penguins than Falcons, the teams traded baskets to start the game. Junior Tara Breske found McCoy for a layup, and Jaquetta Westley answered with a jumper for the visitors.
But, the home team then went on a 12-0 run, holding YSU scoreless for nearly four minutes. The run began with Breske's offensive rebound and putback, and continued when Prochaska found an open Pontius for a three-pointer, one of 11 on the day for the Brown and Orange.
McCoy got herself to the free-throw line for the first of many times in the game, hitting both tosses. Then, a driving layup by Pontius gave the Falcons an 11-2 lead. When Prochaska knocked down a trey off of senior Lindsey Goldsberry's pass, BG had a 12-point advantage with less than four minutes gone.
Westly hit a triple for the visitors to stop the BG run, and another Westley jumper got the 'Guins to within eight points at 15-7. But, YSU would get no closer. Moments later, Breske hit a layup, then made a steal, grabbed an offensive board and fed Prochaska for a putback and a 21-9 advantage.
After Macey Nortey hit a shot for the Penguins, McCoy drove inside and kicked the ball out to Goldsberry for one of her patented rain-making three-pointers, and the home team had a 24-11 lead with less than eight minutes elapsed.
At the second media timeout, with 11:58 left in the first half, the Penguins had six turnovers and five fouls, while the Falcons had none of each. BG's first foul came with 11:13 on the clock, and the home team did not commit a turnover until exactly midway through the half (on an offensive foul).
BG slowly extended the lead. Five-straight points by Pontius, on a three-ball and a pair of free throws, gave the Falcons a 19-point edge. Then, Goldsberry, as wide open as wide open can be, hit another triple off another McCoy pass, putting the Brown and Orange ahead, 41-19, with 4:03 on the clock.
With just over a minute left in the half, Pontius ripped the ball out of the hands of YSU's Rachael Manuel near midcourt and sailed in for a layup. With just seconds remaining before the intermission, Pontius took a McCoy pass and drained a three-pointer, giving her 20 first-half points and her team a 54-26 advantage.
A Breske jumper to start the second period gave the Falcons a 30-point lead, but YSU then scored the next five points as part of an early 7-2 run. But, the BG margin never dropped below 25 in the half.
A McCoy kickout led to a three-pointer from Prochaska at the 15:01 mark, and the lead was back out to 30 points, 65-35. YSU whittled the lead down to 25 on three more occasions, the last coming with 8:05 left, but a layup by junior Laura Bugher, off sophomore Kelly Zuercher's entry pass, began a quick 8-1 run. Junior Sarah Clapper hit a three-pointer during that run, and Zuercher (one) and Goldsberry (two) each connected on free throws.
For the Falcons, both Goldsberry and freshman Maribeth Giese scored eight points, while Breske had six on perfect 3-for-3 shooting. Zuercher added five points, while freshman Jessica Slagle had four. In all, 12 different Falcons found the scoresheet.
YSU got nine points apiece from Westley and Kelsey Gurganus, while Nortey and Ashley Pendleton each added eight.
The Falcons shot 59.1% from the field in the second half en route to that 59.6% success rate for the game. The Penguins, after shooting 60.0% in the opening half, were just 12-of-29 in the second period (41.4%).
BGSU made 11 three-point field goals in 20 attempts (55.0%), while the visitors were 4-of-7 (57.1%) from long range. The Falcons were 21-for-25 at the line, sinking more free throws than the opponent for the eighth time in as many games this season. YSU went 9-for-16 from the stripe.
McCoy and Goldsberry each had four assists, as the Falcons had 24 helpers on 31 baskets. No fewer than eight different BG players had at least two assists in the win.
The Falcons now have over a week off before the next game. BG will continue a season-long, four-game homestand by taking on Saint Bonaventure on Sunday, Dec. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at "The House That Roars."
