Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wednesday, March 10
Cleveland, Ohio
4:53 PM
Bowling Green State University
91
vs
58
Miami (Quarterfinals)
BGSU's Offensive Onslaught Leads to 91-58 Win over Miami
March 10, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Falcons advance in MAC Tournament with Wednesday's quarterfinal-round win
The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team was clicking on all cylinders on offense Wednesday (March 10), posting a 91-58 win over Miami University. The Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal game was held at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.
Final Stats | PDF Boxscore | BGSU-Miami Photo Gallery
Postgame Press Conference Audio: Breske, Miller and Uhl
Postgame Video: Curt Miller | Jen Uhl
With the win, the Falcons improve to 25-6 on the season, and top-seeded BGSU moves on to face the University of Akron in Friday's (March 12) semifinal round. The RedHawks, seeded eighth, end the season with a mark of 9-22.
Senior center Tara Breske led all scorers with a season-high 20 points, as the Falcons rode a solid inside-outside game to a season-best scoring total. Junior wing Lauren Prochaska had 15 points for BGSU, while senior guard Tamika Nurse added 14. Nurse was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in the game.
Junior forward Jen Uhl had 11 points to round out the Falcons' double-digit scoring quartet.
The Falcons had a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint, and blistered the nets with a 65.0 percent success rate from three-point land. BGSU went 13-of-20 from long range.
Kirsten Olowinski had 16 points to lead the RedHawks, while fellow freshman Courtney Osborn scored 10.
A total of 15 different Falcons saw action in the game, with no fewer than 13 finding the scoresheet. Only one BGSU player was on the court for more than 25 minutes.
In addition to points, the Falcons set season highs in field goals made and attempted, going 36-for-72 for the game. BGSU's three-point percentage also was a season best, and the Brown and Orange tied a season standard in assists. BG had 24 assists while turning the ball over just nine times.
The 33-point margin of victory was the largest in the history of the BGSU-Miami series.
The Falcons led by a 40-29 count at the half, then began the second half on a 13-2 run to push the margin over 20 points for the remainder of the game. BG increased the lead past 30 points on a Nurse three-pointer midway through the period.
The lead changed hands several times in the game's first few minutes. Nurse knocked down a triple on the game's opening possession, but the RedHawks scored four-straight points before the first minute had expired.
Breske gave BG a brief 5-4 advantage on an offensive rebound and putback, but Osborn answered with a three-point field goal at the 18:15 mark. The RedHawks went 3-of-3 from the field to begin the game.
Prochaska, however, took a pass from Uhl and hit a trey of her own, giving the Falcons the lead for good with 17:34 left before halftime. Another Breske putback gave BGSU a 10-7 lead at the game's first media timeout.
After that timeout, Uhl stepped out to hit back-to-back three-pointers. She took a pass from junior Tracy Pontius and drained a straightaway trey, then got open in the right corner and hit another long-range jumper, giving the Falcons a 16-7 lead and forcing the RedHawks to burn a timeout with just over five minutes gone.
MU scored the next four points, holding BGSU without a point over four minutes. But, junior Maggie Hennegan took Breske's entry pass and scored down low, and Prochaska stole an Osborn pass and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Breske then picked up a steal and headed downcourt. The senior looked to make a pass before deciding to take a shot herself. That shot was on target, giving the Falcons a 22-11 lead and prompting another MU timeout.
The 'Hawks were whistled for an offensive foul out of that timeout, however, and sophomore Jessica Slagle pounded the ball inside to Breske for another layup, completing an 8-0 run by the top-seeded Falcons.
Briana Dunlap hit a three-pointer to break a five-minute scoring drought for the RedHawks, but Slagle split a pair of free throws, and Breske's kick-out pass found an open Sarah Clapper in the right corner. The senior's three-point try found nothing but net, giving the Brown and Orange a 28-14 lead at the eight-minute media time out.
The RedHawks, however, battled back to within eight points, cutting the lead to 30-22 on a Olowinski putback. Falcon coach Curt Miller took a timeout, and Breske fed Uhl for an 'and-one' layup. Then, Breske's jumper off of a Pontius inbounds pass gave the Falcons a 35-22 lead with 4:34 left.
Again, the 'Hawks responded. Miami scored five-straight points, as Osborn hit a two-pointer and a three-pointer, to cut BG's lead to 35-27. But, BG scored five of the last seven points of the half, the last three coming from Breske, to take an 11-point lead into the lockerroom.
In the second half, Prochaska came off a screen and hit a triple with just 11 seconds gone, sparking that 13-2 run to begin the half. After the RedHawks threw the ball away, the Falcons' next possession lasted 44 seconds, resulting in a fifth-chance layup. BG's four offensive rebounds in that span included one by Nurse and three by Uhl. The last board resulted in Uhl's layup, which gave the Brown and Orange a 45-29 lead as Miami used another timeout.
After the teams traded baskets, a pair of Nurse three-pointers gave the Falcons a 53-31 advantage with just over four minutes gone in the period. Michelle Oswalt knocked down a triple try of her own, but Breske beat everyone downcourt to take a long pass from Pontius and hit a layup. The Falcons scored 15 points in a span of 4:30 to begin the second half.
Pontius, held scoreless for over 25 minutes, hit a three-pointer for a 59-36 BG lead at the 14:31 mark. The junior drained another trey for a 64-40 lead with just over 12 minutes left, and Prochaska then had a hand in the next seven BG points.
Prochaska, the MAC Player of the Year for the second-straight season, rebounded her own miss and scored on the follow try, then fed fellow junior Kelly Zuercher, who backed down her would-be defender and hit a turnaround layup. Out of the 10:33 media timeout, Prochaska hit a triple for a 71-42 lead.
That lead increased to 32 points as Nurse made another three of her own. Oswalt answered with a triple, but Clapper's bounce pass to Allison Papenfuss resulted in a layup by the Falcon freshman.
The Falcons were rolling along. Slagle hit a foul-line jumper, and senior Laura Bugher drove past her defender for a layup and an 80-49 lead with eight minutes left.
Bugher's shot completed a three-and-a-half-minute stretch in which the Falcons went 7-of-7 from the floor, with six different players scoring during that time.
Two Maggie Boyer free throws were the last points by either team for over three minutes, before Papenfuss hit a wide-open Bugher for a layup with just under five minutes left. The Falcons' lead remained at least 30 points the rest of the way, as junior Chelsea Albert, Slagle and Hennegan all scored baskets. Freshman Simone Eli capped the scoring with a three-pointer in the final minute.
The Falcons shot an even 50.0 percent for the game, including a 21-of-39 rate (.538) in the second half alone. BGSU's second-half field-goal total was just two less than Miami's total for the entire game.
Uhl had eight rebounds as the Falcons held a 46-37 advantage on the boards. Breske had six rebounds and a game-high three blocked shots, surpassing the 100-block plateau for her career in the process. Breske is third in BGSU history in career blocks.
Pontius had a game-high five assists, while Uhl and Breske dished out four apiece. Only one BG player had more than one turnover, and no Falcon had more than one foul in the game. The Falcons were whistled for only eight fouls.
As mentioned, the Falcons will face Akron in Friday's semifinal round. The Zips downed Eastern Michigan, 72-46, in Wednesday's final quarterfinal contest. The BGSU-UA game, the second of the day, is scheduled to begin at 2:30 at The Q.
Final Stats | PDF Boxscore | BGSU-Miami Photo Gallery
Postgame Press Conference Audio: Breske, Miller and Uhl
Postgame Video: Curt Miller | Jen Uhl
Senior center Tara Breske led all scorers with a season-high 20 points, as the Falcons rode a solid inside-outside game to a season-best scoring total. Junior wing Lauren Prochaska had 15 points for BGSU, while senior guard Tamika Nurse added 14. Nurse was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in the game.
Junior forward Jen Uhl had 11 points to round out the Falcons' double-digit scoring quartet.
The Falcons had a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint, and blistered the nets with a 65.0 percent success rate from three-point land. BGSU went 13-of-20 from long range.
Kirsten Olowinski had 16 points to lead the RedHawks, while fellow freshman Courtney Osborn scored 10.
A total of 15 different Falcons saw action in the game, with no fewer than 13 finding the scoresheet. Only one BGSU player was on the court for more than 25 minutes.
In addition to points, the Falcons set season highs in field goals made and attempted, going 36-for-72 for the game. BGSU's three-point percentage also was a season best, and the Brown and Orange tied a season standard in assists. BG had 24 assists while turning the ball over just nine times.
The 33-point margin of victory was the largest in the history of the BGSU-Miami series.
The Falcons led by a 40-29 count at the half, then began the second half on a 13-2 run to push the margin over 20 points for the remainder of the game. BG increased the lead past 30 points on a Nurse three-pointer midway through the period.
The lead changed hands several times in the game's first few minutes. Nurse knocked down a triple on the game's opening possession, but the RedHawks scored four-straight points before the first minute had expired.
Breske gave BG a brief 5-4 advantage on an offensive rebound and putback, but Osborn answered with a three-point field goal at the 18:15 mark. The RedHawks went 3-of-3 from the field to begin the game.
Prochaska, however, took a pass from Uhl and hit a trey of her own, giving the Falcons the lead for good with 17:34 left before halftime. Another Breske putback gave BGSU a 10-7 lead at the game's first media timeout.
After that timeout, Uhl stepped out to hit back-to-back three-pointers. She took a pass from junior Tracy Pontius and drained a straightaway trey, then got open in the right corner and hit another long-range jumper, giving the Falcons a 16-7 lead and forcing the RedHawks to burn a timeout with just over five minutes gone.
MU scored the next four points, holding BGSU without a point over four minutes. But, junior Maggie Hennegan took Breske's entry pass and scored down low, and Prochaska stole an Osborn pass and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Breske then picked up a steal and headed downcourt. The senior looked to make a pass before deciding to take a shot herself. That shot was on target, giving the Falcons a 22-11 lead and prompting another MU timeout.
The 'Hawks were whistled for an offensive foul out of that timeout, however, and sophomore Jessica Slagle pounded the ball inside to Breske for another layup, completing an 8-0 run by the top-seeded Falcons.
Briana Dunlap hit a three-pointer to break a five-minute scoring drought for the RedHawks, but Slagle split a pair of free throws, and Breske's kick-out pass found an open Sarah Clapper in the right corner. The senior's three-point try found nothing but net, giving the Brown and Orange a 28-14 lead at the eight-minute media time out.
The RedHawks, however, battled back to within eight points, cutting the lead to 30-22 on a Olowinski putback. Falcon coach Curt Miller took a timeout, and Breske fed Uhl for an 'and-one' layup. Then, Breske's jumper off of a Pontius inbounds pass gave the Falcons a 35-22 lead with 4:34 left.
Again, the 'Hawks responded. Miami scored five-straight points, as Osborn hit a two-pointer and a three-pointer, to cut BG's lead to 35-27. But, BG scored five of the last seven points of the half, the last three coming from Breske, to take an 11-point lead into the lockerroom.
In the second half, Prochaska came off a screen and hit a triple with just 11 seconds gone, sparking that 13-2 run to begin the half. After the RedHawks threw the ball away, the Falcons' next possession lasted 44 seconds, resulting in a fifth-chance layup. BG's four offensive rebounds in that span included one by Nurse and three by Uhl. The last board resulted in Uhl's layup, which gave the Brown and Orange a 45-29 lead as Miami used another timeout.
After the teams traded baskets, a pair of Nurse three-pointers gave the Falcons a 53-31 advantage with just over four minutes gone in the period. Michelle Oswalt knocked down a triple try of her own, but Breske beat everyone downcourt to take a long pass from Pontius and hit a layup. The Falcons scored 15 points in a span of 4:30 to begin the second half.
Pontius, held scoreless for over 25 minutes, hit a three-pointer for a 59-36 BG lead at the 14:31 mark. The junior drained another trey for a 64-40 lead with just over 12 minutes left, and Prochaska then had a hand in the next seven BG points.
Prochaska, the MAC Player of the Year for the second-straight season, rebounded her own miss and scored on the follow try, then fed fellow junior Kelly Zuercher, who backed down her would-be defender and hit a turnaround layup. Out of the 10:33 media timeout, Prochaska hit a triple for a 71-42 lead.
That lead increased to 32 points as Nurse made another three of her own. Oswalt answered with a triple, but Clapper's bounce pass to Allison Papenfuss resulted in a layup by the Falcon freshman.
The Falcons were rolling along. Slagle hit a foul-line jumper, and senior Laura Bugher drove past her defender for a layup and an 80-49 lead with eight minutes left.
Bugher's shot completed a three-and-a-half-minute stretch in which the Falcons went 7-of-7 from the floor, with six different players scoring during that time.
Two Maggie Boyer free throws were the last points by either team for over three minutes, before Papenfuss hit a wide-open Bugher for a layup with just under five minutes left. The Falcons' lead remained at least 30 points the rest of the way, as junior Chelsea Albert, Slagle and Hennegan all scored baskets. Freshman Simone Eli capped the scoring with a three-pointer in the final minute.
The Falcons shot an even 50.0 percent for the game, including a 21-of-39 rate (.538) in the second half alone. BGSU's second-half field-goal total was just two less than Miami's total for the entire game.
Uhl had eight rebounds as the Falcons held a 46-37 advantage on the boards. Breske had six rebounds and a game-high three blocked shots, surpassing the 100-block plateau for her career in the process. Breske is third in BGSU history in career blocks.
Pontius had a game-high five assists, while Uhl and Breske dished out four apiece. Only one BG player had more than one turnover, and no Falcon had more than one foul in the game. The Falcons were whistled for only eight fouls.
As mentioned, the Falcons will face Akron in Friday's semifinal round. The Zips downed Eastern Michigan, 72-46, in Wednesday's final quarterfinal contest. The BGSU-UA game, the second of the day, is scheduled to begin at 2:30 at The Q.
Amy Velasco, Lexi Fleming, & Coach Chmiel Postgame Interview (Mar. 5, 2025)
Thursday, March 06
Paige Kohler, Coach Chmiel, & Amy Velasco Postgame Interview (Feb. 26, 2025)
Thursday, February 27
In the Paint: Lexxus Graham-Blincoe
Wednesday, February 26
Erika Porter, Amy Velasco, & Coach Chmiel Postgame Interview (Feb. 22, 2025)
Sunday, February 23