Bowling Green State University Athletics
Monday, November 15
Bowling Green, Ohio
6:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
79
vs
53
Creighton
Sophomore Chrissy Steffen drives past Creighton's Ally Jensen (photo by Craig Bell)
Second-Half Surge Lifts Falcons Past Creighton, 79-53
November 15, 2010 | Women's Basketball
The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team scored 16-straight points to break open a close game in the second half, surging to a 79-53 win over Creighton University Monday night (Nov. 15). The non-conference contest was held inside venerable Anderson Arena.
FINAL STATS - HTML
BOXSCORE - PDF
PHOTO GALLERY - photos by Craig Bell
POSTGAME AUDIO: Pontius & Prochaska | Curt Miller
Scroll to the bottom of the page for postgame video interviews of Pontius, Prochaska and Miller
With the win, the Falcons improve to 1-1 on the young season, while dropping the Bluejays to 1-2.
Seniors Lauren Prochaska and Tracy Pontius combined for 41 points on the night, in the Falcons' final home opener at Anderson. Prochaska had a game-high 21 points, while Pontius scored 20. The duo combined to go 17-for-19 from the free-throw line.
Sophomore Chrissy Steffen had 11 points, the highest total of her young career, in the win. Steffen made three of her four shots from the floor and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. The Falcons hit 26 free throws in 29 tries (89.7%).
Kelsey Woodard led the visitors with 14 points, while Sarah Nelson added 10 off the bench.
Monday's victory means that BGSU won the home opener in each of the last eight seasons of Anderson Arena. The team will move into the Stroh Center in time for the 2011-12 season.
The game was tied, 30-30, at the half, and the Bluejays were within two points after a layup by Carli Tritz with 15:38 left in the second period, but the Falcons then scored 16 points in a row to take command. Six different BGSU players scored during that stretch, and the home team held CU off the scoreboard for a seven-and-a-half minute span.
The Bluejays shot 54.5% in the opening half, making 12-of-22 shots, but the Falcons held CU to just a 31.0% rate (9-of-29) in the second period. For the game, BGSU shot 43.9% from the field to the Bluejays' 41.2%.
The Falcons forced 19 Creighton turnovers, including 11 in the second half, and BG had a 30-11 advantage in points off turnovers for the game.
The first half gave no indication that one team would eventually win by 26 points. The opening 20 minutes featured six ties and four lead changes, and neither team led by more than five points.
The Bluejays scored with relative ease on their first two possessions of the night, working the ball inside to Woodard and Kellie Nelson for back-to-back layups. A Prochaska putback got the home team on the scoreboard, and Pontius hit a three-pointer for the Falcons' first lead of the game, 5-4.
Steffen's layup a few minutes later gave the Brown and Orange a 9-6 lead, but an Ally Jensen three-pointer tied the score as the teams headed into the first media timeout.
Another Pontius triple put BG up by three points and, after Sam Schuett hit two free throws at the 13:07 mark, Prochaska threw in a contested runner for a 14-11 BGSU lead.
Woodard scored on a pair of jumpers, sandwiched around redshirt sophomore Danielle Havel's nice driving left-handed layup. But, after Woodard's second shot in that stretch, Steffen sank a pair of free throws, then found senior Kelly Zuercher with a nifty drive and dish underneath the basket. Zuercher's layup gave BG a 20-15 lead, the largest margin of the half for either team.
Sarah Nelson came right back with a three-pointer to cut that lead to two, but sophomore Allison Papenfuss responded with a turnaround jumper for a 22-18 lead.
Woodard hit a triple, before Prochaska spotted senior Jen Uhl slipping past her would-be defender for an easy layup. But, Woodard connected again from three-point territory, and the game was tied at 24-all.
The Falcons and Bluejays would trade points over the remainder of the half, with Prochaska scoring each of BGSU's last six points before the break. Her last two points were a pair of tosses from the free-throw line that sent the teams into their respective lockerrooms tied.
In the second half, senior Maggie Hennegan's shot fake on the left side of the hoop freed her for a right-side layup, a CU foul, a free throw and a 33-30 lead. The Falcons would not trail again.
After a Hennegan defensive rebound, Pontius was fouled and hit two shots. The visitors scored four-striaght point to cut the BG lead to 35-34, but Steffen hit a left-elbow three-ball after taking a pass from Pontius, and the visitors took a timeout.
Tritz scored for the Bluejays, before Prochaska came up with a steal and a jumper. Tritz answered with another layup, cutting the Falcon advantage to 40-38, before the aforementioned 16-0 run.
The run began innocently enough, as Hennegan hit a jumper in the lane with 15:10 on the clock. Hennegan blocked a Jensen shot at the other end, and Uhl grabbed the rebound and found Pontius in transition. Pontius was fouled and made a pair of shots.
Witih 13:17 remaining, junior Jessica Slagle banked home a runner, and BG's lead was 46-38. Papenfuss knocked down a jumper, and the lead was double figures for the first time.
Two free throws by Steffen were followed by a pair of tosses from Pontius. Then, after Slagle forced a CU turnover near midcourt, Pontius picked up the ball and headed in for an 'and-one' layup. Her free throw was good, and 27 seconds later, Prochaska split a pair of throws, giving the Falcons a 56-38 advantage midway through the half.
Prochaska's free-throw tries came after Schuett was whistled for her fifth foul of the night, with 10:12 still remaining.
Finally, Alyssa Kamphaus stopped Creighton's scoreless streak, sinking a layup with 8:04 left. But, Falcon freshman Jillian Halfhill responded by throwing in a shot in the lane for her first career points and a 58-40 BGSU lead.
The Bluejays looked to mount one last rally, scoring six-straight points to cut BG's lead to 12 withi just under six minutes left. But, Pontius hit a foul-line jumper jumper while being fouled, and completed the three-point play. Two more free throws by the senior point guard just 14 seconds later restored the lead to 17 points.
An 8-0 run pushed BG's lead past 20 points for the first time. Prochaska scored the last four of those eight points, hitting back-to-back fastbreak layups after BGSU steals. The first came after Havel's steal, as Pontius fired the ball ahead to her classmate. Then, Prochaska stole the ball herself and sailed in for a layup and a 71-48 lead.
The Falcons had a 41-31 rebounding advantage, with Prochaska grabbing seven and Hennegan six. Hennegan also had seven points on the night, with Slagle scoring five by shooting 2-for-2 from the field and 1-of-1 from the stripe.
BGSU, and Prochaska in particular, held CU's Schuett at bay. The senior, a first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honoree last year, led the league with a three-point field-goal percentage of .422 in 2009-10, averaging 12.9 points per game. But, Prochaska and the BG defense held Schuett to just two points in 27 minutes before fouling out.
The Falcons now prepare for a Wednesday (Nov. 17) game with Youngstown State. That contest will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Anderson.
FALCON NOTES
* The win was BGSU's 31st consecutive regular-season home win ... the Falcons' last regular-season loss at Anderson Arena came to Western Michigan on Jan. 30, 2008 ... overall, BGSU has won 33 of the last 34 home games, with the lone loss in that stretch coming to Indiana in the third round of the 2009 WNIT ... 28 of those 33 BG wins have come by double digits.
* The victory also was the eighth consecutive win in the home opener for Curt Miller's Falcons ... BGSU has won those eight games by an average of 24.8 points per game, with no less than a 19-point margin in any of the eight contests.
* Prior to the game, the members of the 2009-10 Mid-American Conference championship team were recognized in a ceremony ... the players and coaches received their championship rings, with three of last year's four seniors -- Laura Bugher, Sarah Clapper and Tamika Nurse -- on hand for the ceremony.
* Another banner was unveiled high atop Anderson Arena, commemorating the team's 2010 NCAA Championships appearance.
* At the first media timeout, senior Tracy Pontius was recognized for surpassing the 1,000-point mark for her career ... Pontius became the 24th player in BGSU history to reach the milestone with her first field goal of the night in Friday's (Nov. 12) game at Evansville.
* The Falcons were victims of a 16-0 game-opening run at UE three nights ago, but put together a 16-point run of their own against Creighton.
* Sophomore Chrissy Steffen set a career scoring high with her 11 points against CU ... her previous collegiate best was a 10-point outing against Akron in last season's MAC Tournament (March 12, 2010).
* BGSU's three freshmen each saw the first action of their collegiate careers ... Jillian Halfhill played five minutes, with two points and a rebound ... Noelle Yoder pulled down a rebound in two minutes of action, while Jill Stein played just over a minute and had an assist.
* Stein's assist came on a pass to redshirt sophomore Maribeth Giese with 40 seconds left ... for Giese, Monday night marked her first action in a regular-season game in nearly 12 months ... she played in home wins over Chicago State (Nov. 13, 2009) and UNC Greensboro (Nov. 27, 2009) before missing the rest of the 2009-10 season due to injury.
* The Falcons and Creighton now are tied, 1-1, in the all-time series ... the only meeting prior to Monday night was an 84-73 CU win in the first round of the 1994 NCAA Championships (March 16, 1994) at Anderson Arena.
FINAL STATS - HTML
BOXSCORE - PDF
PHOTO GALLERY - photos by Craig Bell
POSTGAME AUDIO: Pontius & Prochaska | Curt Miller
Scroll to the bottom of the page for postgame video interviews of Pontius, Prochaska and Miller
With the win, the Falcons improve to 1-1 on the young season, while dropping the Bluejays to 1-2.
Seniors Lauren Prochaska and Tracy Pontius combined for 41 points on the night, in the Falcons' final home opener at Anderson. Prochaska had a game-high 21 points, while Pontius scored 20. The duo combined to go 17-for-19 from the free-throw line.
Sophomore Chrissy Steffen had 11 points, the highest total of her young career, in the win. Steffen made three of her four shots from the floor and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. The Falcons hit 26 free throws in 29 tries (89.7%).
Kelsey Woodard led the visitors with 14 points, while Sarah Nelson added 10 off the bench.
Monday's victory means that BGSU won the home opener in each of the last eight seasons of Anderson Arena. The team will move into the Stroh Center in time for the 2011-12 season.
The game was tied, 30-30, at the half, and the Bluejays were within two points after a layup by Carli Tritz with 15:38 left in the second period, but the Falcons then scored 16 points in a row to take command. Six different BGSU players scored during that stretch, and the home team held CU off the scoreboard for a seven-and-a-half minute span.
The Bluejays shot 54.5% in the opening half, making 12-of-22 shots, but the Falcons held CU to just a 31.0% rate (9-of-29) in the second period. For the game, BGSU shot 43.9% from the field to the Bluejays' 41.2%.
The Falcons forced 19 Creighton turnovers, including 11 in the second half, and BG had a 30-11 advantage in points off turnovers for the game.
The first half gave no indication that one team would eventually win by 26 points. The opening 20 minutes featured six ties and four lead changes, and neither team led by more than five points.
The Bluejays scored with relative ease on their first two possessions of the night, working the ball inside to Woodard and Kellie Nelson for back-to-back layups. A Prochaska putback got the home team on the scoreboard, and Pontius hit a three-pointer for the Falcons' first lead of the game, 5-4.
Steffen's layup a few minutes later gave the Brown and Orange a 9-6 lead, but an Ally Jensen three-pointer tied the score as the teams headed into the first media timeout.
Another Pontius triple put BG up by three points and, after Sam Schuett hit two free throws at the 13:07 mark, Prochaska threw in a contested runner for a 14-11 BGSU lead.
Woodard scored on a pair of jumpers, sandwiched around redshirt sophomore Danielle Havel's nice driving left-handed layup. But, after Woodard's second shot in that stretch, Steffen sank a pair of free throws, then found senior Kelly Zuercher with a nifty drive and dish underneath the basket. Zuercher's layup gave BG a 20-15 lead, the largest margin of the half for either team.
Sarah Nelson came right back with a three-pointer to cut that lead to two, but sophomore Allison Papenfuss responded with a turnaround jumper for a 22-18 lead.
Woodard hit a triple, before Prochaska spotted senior Jen Uhl slipping past her would-be defender for an easy layup. But, Woodard connected again from three-point territory, and the game was tied at 24-all.
The Falcons and Bluejays would trade points over the remainder of the half, with Prochaska scoring each of BGSU's last six points before the break. Her last two points were a pair of tosses from the free-throw line that sent the teams into their respective lockerrooms tied.
In the second half, senior Maggie Hennegan's shot fake on the left side of the hoop freed her for a right-side layup, a CU foul, a free throw and a 33-30 lead. The Falcons would not trail again.
After a Hennegan defensive rebound, Pontius was fouled and hit two shots. The visitors scored four-striaght point to cut the BG lead to 35-34, but Steffen hit a left-elbow three-ball after taking a pass from Pontius, and the visitors took a timeout.
Tritz scored for the Bluejays, before Prochaska came up with a steal and a jumper. Tritz answered with another layup, cutting the Falcon advantage to 40-38, before the aforementioned 16-0 run.
The run began innocently enough, as Hennegan hit a jumper in the lane with 15:10 on the clock. Hennegan blocked a Jensen shot at the other end, and Uhl grabbed the rebound and found Pontius in transition. Pontius was fouled and made a pair of shots.
Witih 13:17 remaining, junior Jessica Slagle banked home a runner, and BG's lead was 46-38. Papenfuss knocked down a jumper, and the lead was double figures for the first time.
Two free throws by Steffen were followed by a pair of tosses from Pontius. Then, after Slagle forced a CU turnover near midcourt, Pontius picked up the ball and headed in for an 'and-one' layup. Her free throw was good, and 27 seconds later, Prochaska split a pair of throws, giving the Falcons a 56-38 advantage midway through the half.
Prochaska's free-throw tries came after Schuett was whistled for her fifth foul of the night, with 10:12 still remaining.
Finally, Alyssa Kamphaus stopped Creighton's scoreless streak, sinking a layup with 8:04 left. But, Falcon freshman Jillian Halfhill responded by throwing in a shot in the lane for her first career points and a 58-40 BGSU lead.
The Bluejays looked to mount one last rally, scoring six-straight points to cut BG's lead to 12 withi just under six minutes left. But, Pontius hit a foul-line jumper jumper while being fouled, and completed the three-point play. Two more free throws by the senior point guard just 14 seconds later restored the lead to 17 points.
An 8-0 run pushed BG's lead past 20 points for the first time. Prochaska scored the last four of those eight points, hitting back-to-back fastbreak layups after BGSU steals. The first came after Havel's steal, as Pontius fired the ball ahead to her classmate. Then, Prochaska stole the ball herself and sailed in for a layup and a 71-48 lead.
The Falcons had a 41-31 rebounding advantage, with Prochaska grabbing seven and Hennegan six. Hennegan also had seven points on the night, with Slagle scoring five by shooting 2-for-2 from the field and 1-of-1 from the stripe.
BGSU, and Prochaska in particular, held CU's Schuett at bay. The senior, a first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honoree last year, led the league with a three-point field-goal percentage of .422 in 2009-10, averaging 12.9 points per game. But, Prochaska and the BG defense held Schuett to just two points in 27 minutes before fouling out.
The Falcons now prepare for a Wednesday (Nov. 17) game with Youngstown State. That contest will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Anderson.
FALCON NOTES
* The win was BGSU's 31st consecutive regular-season home win ... the Falcons' last regular-season loss at Anderson Arena came to Western Michigan on Jan. 30, 2008 ... overall, BGSU has won 33 of the last 34 home games, with the lone loss in that stretch coming to Indiana in the third round of the 2009 WNIT ... 28 of those 33 BG wins have come by double digits.
* The victory also was the eighth consecutive win in the home opener for Curt Miller's Falcons ... BGSU has won those eight games by an average of 24.8 points per game, with no less than a 19-point margin in any of the eight contests.
* Prior to the game, the members of the 2009-10 Mid-American Conference championship team were recognized in a ceremony ... the players and coaches received their championship rings, with three of last year's four seniors -- Laura Bugher, Sarah Clapper and Tamika Nurse -- on hand for the ceremony.
* Another banner was unveiled high atop Anderson Arena, commemorating the team's 2010 NCAA Championships appearance.
* At the first media timeout, senior Tracy Pontius was recognized for surpassing the 1,000-point mark for her career ... Pontius became the 24th player in BGSU history to reach the milestone with her first field goal of the night in Friday's (Nov. 12) game at Evansville.
* The Falcons were victims of a 16-0 game-opening run at UE three nights ago, but put together a 16-point run of their own against Creighton.
* Sophomore Chrissy Steffen set a career scoring high with her 11 points against CU ... her previous collegiate best was a 10-point outing against Akron in last season's MAC Tournament (March 12, 2010).
* BGSU's three freshmen each saw the first action of their collegiate careers ... Jillian Halfhill played five minutes, with two points and a rebound ... Noelle Yoder pulled down a rebound in two minutes of action, while Jill Stein played just over a minute and had an assist.
* Stein's assist came on a pass to redshirt sophomore Maribeth Giese with 40 seconds left ... for Giese, Monday night marked her first action in a regular-season game in nearly 12 months ... she played in home wins over Chicago State (Nov. 13, 2009) and UNC Greensboro (Nov. 27, 2009) before missing the rest of the 2009-10 season due to injury.
* The Falcons and Creighton now are tied, 1-1, in the all-time series ... the only meeting prior to Monday night was an 84-73 CU win in the first round of the 1994 NCAA Championships (March 16, 1994) at Anderson Arena.
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