Prochaska Leads Falcons to 60-55 win at EMU

Saturday, February 12

Ypsilanti, Mich.

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Eastern Michigan

Hastily-slapped-together Lauren Prochaska photo thingie

Lauren Prochaska had 37 points as the Falcons won at Eastern Michigan

February 12, 2011 | Women's Basketball

Senior scores 37 points in come-from-behind win on the road

By: YPSILANTI, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Bowling Green State University women's basketball senior Lauren Prochaska, a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, had a player-of-the-year type of effort on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 12), leading the Falcons to a 60-55 win at Eastern Michigan. The MAC cross-divisional game was held at the Convocation Center.

FINAL STATS - HTML   |   BOXSCORE - PDF
POSTGAME AUDIO: Curt Miller   |   Lauren Prochaska

With the win, the Falcons improve to 20-4 overall and 8-3 in MAC action. BGSU has won 20 games for the eighth consecutive year, a MAC record. The Eagles drop to 16-9 and 7-4, respectively.

BGSU's win, coupled with Kent State's loss at Central Michigan on Saturday, moved the Falcons into sole possession of first place in the MAC's East Division. BG is now a game ahead of KSU and two games in front of third-place Buffalo.

All Prochaska did on Saturday was score 37 points, the second-highest single-game total in school history, and grab a game-high 12 rebounds vs. the Eagles. Not surprisingly, Prochaska owns the only higher single-game total in program annals, with 43 points in a win over Central Michigan during her sophomore season.

At the defensive end, Prochaska helped limit EMU's leading scorer, Cassie Schrock, to just five points on 2-of-12 shooting. Schrock's only two baskets came on a putback after her own miss in the final minute of the first half, and a fast-break layup after a long outlet pass from a teammate in the second period.

Sydney Huntley led the Eagles with 20 points, while Tavelyn James added 15 and Paige Redditt 11.

The game featured five ties and 13 lead changes. Eleven of those lead changes came in the second half, as BGSU led for just 20 seconds in the game's first 30 minutes.

Eastern led by as many as nine points on several occasions, the last with 16:41 left in the second half. At the first media timeout of the half, just over a minute later, Falcon head coach Curt Miller inserted all three of his freshmen into the lineup. Jillian Halfhill, Jill Stein and Noelle Yoder helped spark the visitors to a 9-4 run during the time they were on the court together, as BG trailed by just two points, 37-35, before an EMU timeout with 11:45 left in the game.

A Prochaska layup with 10:11 left gave the Falcons the lead, 38-37, for the first time since the game's opening minutes, for the first of those 11 second-half lead changes. The senior hit a long three-pointer with two defenders charging at her, breaking a 52-all tie and giving the Falcons the lead for good with 1:42 on the clock. The Falcons then went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line in the final 45 seconds.

Each team got off to a slow start offensively, as -- despite a frenetic, up-and-down game -- the first successful field goal did not come until 3:22 had expired, as Falcon senior Maggie Hennegan banked home a layup for a 3-1 lead. That would prove to be BG's only lead for the first 29-plus minutes.

James, however, came right back for the Eagles, hitting a three-pointer to give the hosts a 4-3 lead at the first media timeout of the afternoon.

Another triple by James gave her team a 7-3 advantage six minutes into the game. James and Prochaska each hit 100 percent of their respective team's three-pointers on the day. Prochaska went 5-of-11 from long distance, while James was 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Prochaska's first trey of the day came in rather dramatic fashion. On the next possession after the James three-ball, the ball went out of bounds to the Falcons with just one second left on the shot clock. Junior Jessica Slagle's inbounds pass went to Prochaska in the corner, in front of the EMU bench. Prochaska caught the ball and immediately fired a shot, which glanced off of the glass and went through the hoop.

Redditt, however, responded with back-to-back hoops for the hosts. She scored inside, then got an offensive rebound and putback, and the Falcons took a timeout, trailing by an 11-6 count.

Eastern increased the lead to seven points, however, forcing a BG miss before Huntley used an array of dazzling moves for a coast-to-coast layup. She split two Falcon defenders and went around a third before banking home a sweet shot that gave the hosts a 13-6 lead.

But, as she would do all day, Prochaska answered for the visitors, converting a four-point play around the 11:42 media timeout. She took a pass from redshirt sophomore Danielle Havel and knocked down a three-pointer as she herself was knocked down. Out of the timeout, Prochaska sank a free throw to cut Eastern's lead to three points.

The Eagles, however, responded by scoring six-straight points, holding the Falcons scoreless for nearly four minutes. Huntley made a pair of layups before two James free throws gave EMU a 19-10 lead with 8:12 left in the half.

BG scored the next four points, as Slagle hit a tough jumper in the lane with the shot clock winding down, and Prochaska got to the line and sank a pair of foul shots with 7:07 left in the half. But, James drained a three-pointer after her defender fell down, giving the hosts a 22-14 lead. That would be Eastern's last made trey of the day.

After sophomore Allison Papenfuss split a pair of tosses, India Hairston hit her only shot of the day to give the Green and White a nine-point lead, 24-15, with five minutes left before the half. Prochaska and Huntley then traded hoops over the next few minutes.

Prochaska, who scored BG's last eight points of the half, hit a turnaround layup with 3:50 on the clock, but Huntley made an 'and-one' layup in transition just eight seconds later. Her free throw did not drop, however, and Prochaska got an offensive rebound and hit a putback on the next possession.

Huntley's jumper gave the hosts a 28-20 lead, but Prochaska rebounded her own missed three-pointer, slicing to the hoop for a nifty putback with 2:09 left. Eastern scored three-straight points before two Prochaska free throws with 14.6 ticks on the clock brought the Falcons within seven points, 31-24, at the break.

Prochaska scored 17 of her team's 24 first-half points. The senior went 5-of-11 from the field in the opening 20 minutes, while the rest of the Falcons combined to make just two shots in 17 attempts.

In the second half, as was the case in the opening period, neither team made a basket for over three minutes. Huntley opened the scoring with two free throws at the 16:41 mark, but Stein threw a pass inside to senior Jen Uhl for a layup just 14 seconds later.

The score was still the same -- 33-26, Eastern -- when Miller inserted Yoder into the game after a media timeout with 15:41 left. She joined classmates Halfhill and Stein, along with Prochaska and Uhl, in the game. It marked the first time this season that all three freshmen were on the court at the same time with a game's outcome in doubt.

After a BG miss, Stein got the rebound and laid the ball back up and in. Natachia Watkins hit a jumper for the hosts, but Halfhill pass freed Prochaska for a layup with 13:28 left. Schrock countered with a fast-break layup after a Falcon shot was blocked, but Prochaska hit a triple from the left elbow. Then, the senior slashed through traffic in the paint to come up with an offensive rebound and bank home a shot, cutting EMU's lead to just two points.

With 10:49 on the clock, a Hennegan free throw cut that lead in half, and the senior then made a hustle play to help give her team the lead. After a missed three-point try, Hennegan saved the ball from going out of bounds, whipping a pass to Prochaska in the process. Prochaska's layup try rolled up and over the front rim and through the hoop for a 38-37 BGSU lead.

Schrock split a pair of shots from the line with 9:47 left, snapping an 8-0 BG run and tying the score, and Huntley's transition bucket put the home team ahead once again.

Hennegan got an offensive rebound several moments later, drawing Redditt's fourth foul in the process. With 8:18 on the clock, the BG senior split two free throws as Redditt came out of the game.

Huntley knocked down a tough jumper for the hosts, but Prochaska answered with a pair of tosses to cut the lead to one point. Then, after an Eagle turnover, Hennegan fired a pass in to Prochaska, who hit a tough jumper of her own. BG was back in the lead, 43-42, with 6:22 left.

Huntley gave her team the lead again with a pair of free throws, but Papenfuss took a pass from fellow sophomore Chrissy Steffen and hit a jumper in the lane with 5:51 left.

The lead changes continued as James made a jumper, before Slagle drained two free throws with just over five minutes remaining. Huntley made a long two-pointer with 4:24 left, but Prochaska's shot fake at the arc drew several defenders to her, and she then fired a pass to a cutting Hennegan for a layup and a 49-48 lead with 3:55 left.

Redditt, back in the game with those four fouls, scored inside, but senior Tracy Pontius quickly threw a long pass to Prochaska, who drained a three-pointer from the right elbow with 3:20 remaining. The Falcons had a 52-50 lead.

Believe it or not, the Eagles then had an offensive possession that lasted 73 seconds. That possession saw the hosts come up with five offensive rebounds, all after Redditt had already made a layup. Somehow, however, those two points were all that EMU would score on the epic possession.

Redditt's layup came as she was fouled with 2:44 left, tying the score at 52-52. She missed the resulting free throw, but Kristin Thomas came up with the offensive board. Thomas missed a layup, and Redditt got the rebound and again was fouled with 2:38 remaining.

Redditt missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, but Schrock rebounded the ball for the hosts. The senior missed a putback try, again got the rebound and again missed a layup. James came up with the next rebound, and the Eagles took a timeout.

After that timeout, however, Slagle poked the ball away from James, ending the possession with 2:07 left in the game.  A Prochaska layup try was blocked, with the ball going out of bounds to the Falcons.

BG inbounded, and Prochaska proceeded to hit a long three-pointer as a pair of would-be defenders charged her. Prochaska's fallaway trey found nothing but net as she fell to the ground, and the Falcons had the lead for good. The game was far from decided, however.

After an Eastern timeout, Huntley misfired on a jumper, and Steffen rebounded the ball for the visitors. The ensuing possession saw Prochaska fouled on a drive to the hoop. The Falcons' career free-throw-percentage leader missed her first shot, but made the second, giving her team a 56-52 lead with 43.4 seconds left.

The Eagles missed several shots on the next possession, but got a pair of offensive rebounds to keep their hopes alive. With 13.4 seconds left, Redditt threw in a scoop shot as she fell to the ground, and her prayer was answered, as the ball fell through the hoop while the whistle sounded. The 'and-one' layup cut BG's lead to just two points.

Redditt's free-throw attempt, however, did not drop, and Uhl was the victim of an over-the-back foul as she came up with the rebound. The Wadsworth, Ohio, native made both of her tosses with 12.7 seconds left, for a 58-54 Falcon lead.

A BG foul sent James to the line, and she split a pair of tries with 4.7 seconds left. Her second shot was off the mark, and Steffen rebounded the ball and was quickly fouled. Steffen's free throws each were good, capping the scoring with 3.0 seconds left.

The Falcons, after shooting just 25.0 percent in the opening half, went 11-of-27 (40.7%) from the field in the second period. BG shot 32.7% for the game, while the Eagles had a 33.3% field-goal rate.

Prochaska, as mentioned, had game-high totals in both scoring and rebounding, but five EMU players had at least five rebounds as the Eagles had a 47-41 margin on the boards. Schrock led the way with nine rebounds, while Kristin Thomas had eight. EMU had 23 offensive rebounds in the game.

BGSU had 16 offensive boards, and the Falcons actually held a 17-15 advantage in second-chance points. The Brown and Orange also had a 17-10 lead in points off turnovers. BG turned the ball over 15 times in the game, while forcing the hosts to cough it up 17 times.

A large percentage of the 713 fans in attendance were supporting the Falcons. "I want to thank our fans for their tremendous support at today's game," said Miller. "We had some supporters who worked hard to organize a large contingent of fans to make the trip to Eastern, and we certainly appreciate their efforts.

"Our crowds on the road have been amazing, not just this year but during our entire run. It is a tribute to how special our fans are, and how impressive BGSU and the Bowling Green community have been in their support of women's basketball. The fans played a big role in helping us come from behind to get the win today."

The Falcons return to action on Wednesday night (Feb. 16), beginning the second round of intra-divisional play by hosting Ohio University. Tipoff for that game is 7:00 p.m. at venerable Anderson Arena, aka "The House That Roars." Wednesday's contest is the team's annual Pink Zone game, with fans encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness.

FALCON NOTES
* Senior Lauren Prochaska's 37-point game, as mentioned, was the second-highest single-game total in BGSU history ... Prochaska now has the top-two scoring games in Falcon lore, with a 43-point game as a sophomore against Central Michigan (Feb. 15, 2009).

* Prochaska's output was a school-record total for a BGSU player in a road game ... her 43-point outburst vs. CMU came at Anderson Arena.

* Prochaska, already the BGSU career scoring leader, moved up a spot on the MAC list on Saturday ... the Falcon great now has 2,164 points in her career ... she passed former Toledo great Mimi Olson (2,144 points from 1993-97) to move into fourth place in conference history ... Prochaska is now 60 points behind third-place Carrie Moore (Western Michigan; 2,224 points from 2003-07).

* BGSU has now won 20 games for the eighth consecutive season, setting a new MAC record ... Kent State had seven-straight 20-win campaigns from 1995-96 through 2001-02 ... the Falcons, after going a combined 21-35 in head coach Curt Miller's first two seasons, went 21-10 in 2003-04, 23-8 in '04-05 and won at least 26 games in each of the next five years ... the Falcons are now 20-4 in 2010-11, with at least six games remaining.

* The Falcons have won at least 20 games for the 16th time in school history, which is also a MAC record ... Toledo has 14 seasons of 20 wins or more (with 18 victories this year), while KSU has 12 (with 16 wins in '10-11).

* Prochaska's double-double at EMU was her third of the season and the 12th of her career ... in her 126 career games, she has scored in double digits 112 times, with 46 games of 20 points or more and six games of at least 30 points.

* Prochaska's total of six 30-point games in her career ties the school record, originally set by Jackie Motycka.

* Prochaska has three games of at least 30 points this season ... the single-season record for that category is four, set by Michelle Shade (1994-95) and matched by Jacki Raterman (1998-99) ... Prochaska had three 30-point games in her sophomore campaign of 2008-09.

* Prochaska hit five three-point field goals on Saturday, just one shy of matching her career best ... she now has made 298 career triples, the top total in BGSU history and the second-highest total on the MAC list ... Prochaska is 25 treys away from matching the conference record, set by former Ball State standout Audrey McDonald (323 three-pointers made from 2006-10).

* Sophomore Simone Eli did not suit up for Saturday's game, after suffering an injury in practice on Wednesday ... she is likely to be back in uniform for Wednesday's Ohio contest.

* The 2010-11 season is the sixth utilizing the current MAC scheduling format, in which teams play five games against their own division, then six against the other division followed by five more intra-divisional games ... BGSU went 4-2 against West Division foes this season, and the Falcons have gone 30-6 vs. the West since the MAC went to the current format.