Bowling Green State University Athletics
Costa Rica: Day 5
August 16, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Let's play two!
No, former Chicago Cub Ernie Banks is not in Costa Rica, at least as far as we know, but the BGSU women's basketball team stole his pet phrase on Sunday (Aug. 16). The Falcons played, and won, a pair of games at Liceo.
PHOTO GALLERY - Sunday, August 16
The Brown and Orange won the first game of the day, 93-23, over the
BGSU led by scores of 29-5 after the first quarter and 53-5 at the half. The lead was 71-17 after three quarters.
Individually, Lauren Prochaska had 21 points, while Tamika Nurse scored 17 points and dished out a game-high nine assists. Sarah Clapper also was in double digits, with 14 points on the day. Her total included a game-high four of BG's nine three-pointers.
Tracy Pontius added eight points, while no fewer than five players – Tara Breske, Laura Bugher Maggie Hennegan, Jen Uhl and Kelly Zuercher – had six points apiece. Chelsea Albert rounded out the BGSU scorers with three points on the morning/afternoon.
Immediately after heading back to the hotel, the team walked across the street for a quick lunch at an Italian restaurant in the mall. Then, it was back to the hotel to try to get some much-needed rest before the day's second game.
That game was against Bodega Radio, a club team from the San Jose area. The Falcons' first opponent of the trip was a team comprised of high-school-aged players, and the trip's second game (and Sunday's first contest) was against a collegiate team. However, Bodega Radio featured numerous players who were older than the BGSU players, including a 46-year-old player.
That game marked the first time that the Falcons have trailed during this trip, as Bodega Radio got a defensive stop and then scored a transition basket to begin the game. BG's opponent scored the first and last baskets of the opening half, but the Falcons had no trouble finding the mark during the rest of the opening 20 minutes. The Brown and Orange opened up a 52-9 halftime lead en route to an 84-21 win.
Nurse had another monster game, with 26 points and five assists. She scored 16 of the Falcons' 27 first-quarter points. After giving up that opening basket, the Falcons scored the next five points to take the lead for good. A Bodega Radio free throw cut the margin to 5-3, and BG's lead was 9-5 when the Falcons went on a 13-0 run to put the lead into double digits for good.
As part of that run, Nurse hit a straightaway three-pointer that barely moved the net, then got a steal at midcourt and sailed in for a wide-open layup that gave BG a 16-5 lead and forced the host team to take a timeout.
Just as in the first game, the Falcons made a big run that spanned much of the second quarter. BGSU scored 30 consecutive points from late in the opening quarter to late in the second period. Early in that second quarter, however, coach Curt Miller took a timeout and gave his team a colorful pep talk that quite possibly overcame any and all language barriers existing between any and all inhabitants of the arena. The team responded by picking up the defensive intensity, leading to that 30-0 run.
The Falcons increased the lead to 75-16 after three quarters en route to the victory. In the second half, the aforementioned 46-year-old player scored over a returning All-MAC First-Team (and honorable mention All-America) point guard, who shall remain nameless, perhaps striking a blow for all of the old folks (editor's note: me) watching at courtside. "Her kids and grandkids were cheering and laughing at me," said that anonymous player after the game.
In addition to Nurse's scoring proclivity, Prochaska hit double digits with 15 points, adding five assists. Pontius had 13 points and a game-high eight assists, while Clapper also scored 13 points.
Nurse hit six three-pointers in the game, as the Falcons made 13 shots from beyond the arc. Clapper and Pontius each knocked down three treys.
Uhl had six points in the win, while Albert and Bugher scored four apiece.
Following the game, the Falcons had dinner outdoors at Soda Tapia, a San Jose restaurant, with fireworks exploding in the distance, before heading back to the hotel and calling it a night. The players and the coaches definitely need to rest up, because Monday is yet another busy day. Several events are on tap, including a move from the San Jose area to the San Ramon area. Internet access permitting, we'll be back to tell you all about it late Monday night.
