Falcons Win in Youngstown, 73-45

Monday, December 21

Youngstown, OH

11:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

Youngstown State

Tracy Pontius had 16 points, 5 assists and 4 steals at YSU

December 21, 2009 | Women's Basketball

BGSU allows fewer than 50 points for third time in four games

By: YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Junior Tracy Pontius scored 16 points to pace three double-digit scorers as the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team downed host Youngstown State University Monday morning/afternoon (Dec. 21). The non-conference game was held at YSU's Beeghly Center.

BGSU 73, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 45 - Final Stats
BGSU 73, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 45 - PDF Boxscore
Curt Miller Postgame Audio

With the win, the Falcons improve to 8-3 on the year. BGSU went 4-1 on the just-completed five-game road swing. The Penguins drop to 0-11.

Junior Lauren Prochaska had 12 points for the Brown and Orange, while senior co-captain Tara Breske added 10. Both Prochaska and Breske had eight rebounds as the Falcons held a 45-39 advantage on the boards.

Macey Nortey was the lone YSU player in double figures with 14 points. Brandi Brown had nine points and a game-high 18 rebounds.

For the second-straight game, the Falcons held the opponent to less than 30 percent shooting from the field, as YSU made just 16 of 59 shots (.271). And, the BG defense held the opposition to under 50 points for the fourth time this year and the third time in the past four games.

The Falcons got off to a lightning-quick start, scoring five points in the first 28 seconds of the game. Breske won the opening jump, tapping the ball back to Pontius. Then, Breske sprinted downcourt, receiving a return pass from Pontius and laying the ball home with just four seconds gone. After a YSU miss, Pontius hit senior Tamika Nurse for a three-point field goal from the left elbow at the 19:32 mark.

Then, however, the visitors went cold, as BG did not score again for over four minutes. The Falcon defense held YSU to only one hoop during that time, a Nortey jumper. Pontius hit a jumper at the 15:42 mark, then picked Maryum Jenkins' pocket at midcourt and sailed in ahead of the pack for a layup and a 9-2 lead.

Nortey converted a three-point play, but junior Jen Uhl got an offensive rebound and putback, and classmate Kelly Zuercher hit a nice turnaround fadeaway shot off redshirt junior Maggie Hennegan's entry pass.

But, the Penguins continued to battle, as Jenkins knocked down a three-pointer, and Brown hit a shot in traffic to cut BG's lead to 13-10 and prompt a Falcon timeout.

The home team hung around, trading baskets with the Falcons over the next few minutes. A Uhl layup was followed by another hoop from Brown. Freshman Jessie Tamerlano hit a runner, but Rachael Manuel scored for the hosts.

Nurse answered with her second three-pointer of the day for a 20-14 BG lead, but Jenkins made another layup. Uhl answered with her third hoop of the game, and another steal and layup from Pontius gave the Brown and Orange an eight-point lead, 24-16.

Tamerlano's jumper out of the ensuing media timeout gave the Falcons a 6-0 run and a 10-point lead. The teams again proceeded to trade baskets over the next few minutes. Brown converted a layup, but Pontius knocked down a jumper.

Bojana Dimitrov responded with a three-pointer, but Pontius dribbled around the arc and hit a left-elbow triple of her own for a 31-21 lead.

That trey began a 7-0 run, as part of a larger 13-2 surge for the Falcons. Nurse poked the ball away Nortey, got it back and hit Prochaska for a layup, and Hennegan got a rebound in traffic and muscled home a jumper, giving BG a 35-21 lead with 3:33 on the clock.

Nortey scored to snap that run, but BG would score six-straight points, beginning with a Breske layup. Then, the senior hit one of her patented fadeaway jumpers over Manuel for a 39-23 lead. Freshman Allison Papenfuss drained a jumper in the paint before YSU split a pair of free throws, and the Falcons took a 41-24 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Brown hit a jumper to cut the lead to 16 points, but back-to-back triples keyed an 8-0 run for the Falcons. Prochaska hit a three-ball after Pontius drove the baseline and found her in the left corner, and Prochaska's steal on the ensuing possession led to a fast-break trey from Pontius. When Prochaska's pass found Pontius for a layup, the Falcons had a 50-26 lead with 2:40 gone in the half, and BG's lead never dropped under 16 points thereafter.

The Penguins made four shots from beyond the arc in the second half, the last coming from Jenkins with 3:46 left to cut BG's lead to 21 points. But, the Falcons scored the final seven points of the day, with the final 28-point margin being the largest of the day.

BGSU shot .426 from the field, including a 19-for-36 (.528) effort in the opening half. Nurse had nine points and five assists for the visitors, while Uhl scored eight points and Papenfuss added six.

BGSU had a 30-18 advantage in points in the paint. The Falcons forced 23 YSU turnovers and had 25 points off turnovers to the Penguins' 11. BG had 18 assists and 13 turnovers on the morning/afternoon.

The Falcons return to Northwest Ohio to prepare for one final game before the holiday break. BGSU will host Appalachian State on Wednesday night (Dec. 23), with tipoff at 7:00 p.m. at venerable Anderson Arena.