Saturday, February 4
Bowling Green, Ohio
2:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
67
vs
56
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Western Michigan
Curt Miller returned to the Stroh Center sidelines on Saturday (photo by Dave Kielmeyer, BGSU Marketing & Communications)
Rogers Leads Falcons Past WMU, 67-56, for BG's 20th Win
February 04, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Slagle, Steffen also score in double figures in Miller's return to the sidelines
The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, paced by a double-double from redshirt sophomore Alexis Rogers, picked up win number 20 on the season with a 67-56 victory over Western Michigan University Saturday afternoon (Feb. 4). The Mid-American Conference game was held at the Stroh Center.
FINAL STATS: HTML | PDF
PHOTO GALLERY - Dave Kielmeyer, BGSU Marketing & Comm.
POSTGAME AUDIO: Alexis Rogers | Curt Miller
With the win, the Falcons improve to 20-3 overall and 10-0 in MAC play. The Broncos are now 6-17 and 3-7, respectively.
The Falcons have reached the 20-win plateau for the ninth consecutive season, extending the school and MAC records. BG has won 20 or more games 17 times in program history, also the most among MAC institutions.
Rogers led the Falcons with 22 points, and had a game-high 13 rebounds in Saturday's win. She also had three assists to tie for game honors, and led the hosts with four steals.
Senior Jessica Slagle scored 15 points, while junior Chrissy Steffen added 13 for the Falcons.
Saturday's game marked the return of BGSU head coach Curt Miller to the sidelines after a two-game absence. Miller missed the Central Michigan (Jan. 28) and Northern Illinois (Feb. 1) games after it was determined by doctors on Jan. 26 that he had suffered a mild stroke during the team's Jan. 22 game vs. Eastern Michigan. BGSU associate head coach Jennifer Roos served as acting head coach during Miller's absence, guiding the Falcons to wins over CMU and NIU.
Aurielle Anderson led the Broncos on Saturday, shattering her previous career best with a game-high total of 29 points vs. the Falcons.
For the Falcons, Saturday's win increased several impressive streaks. BGSU has now won 13 consecutive games, including all 10 MAC games this season to date. Additionally, the Falcons have won 12 games in a row at the Stroh Center.
And, BGSU has won 18 consecutive MAC regular-season games and 21-straight games overall against conference foes. The Falcons' last loss to a MAC school came over a year ago (Jan. 29, 2011), a 66-55 setback vs. WMU in Kalamazoo.
Saturday's game featured four ties, but just one lead change. The contest was deadlocked at 2-2, 4-4, 7-7 and 9-9, before the Brown and Orange went on a 14-0 run to wrest control of the game.
The Falcons' lead got as high as 19 points on several occasions. Western rallied back, getting within single digits in the final minute of the game, but could draw no closer than nine.
BG spotted Western a quick 2-0 lead on a layup by Anderson, and the Falcons failed to score on the first two possessions of the day. But, Roger went to the floor near midcourt, as her diving effort resulted in a steal, and the soph threw a pass ahead to Steffen for a layup to tie the game.
After the Broncos retook the lead, Steffen found redshirt junior Danielle Havel inside for a layup, then took a pass from Slagle and hit a three-point try for a 7-4 BGSU lead.
Anderson's three-point play tied the contest, and after a Rogers layup, Anderson hit another layup to tie the game at 9-9 heading into the day's first media timeout. Anderson had seven of her team's first nine points.
But, out of that timeout, Rogers kicked the ball out to a wide-open Slagle, who knocked down a triple try from dead center for a 12-9 lead. That began the Falcons' 14-0 run, and BG did not trail again after Slagle's shot.
After that shot, Rogers (six) and Steffen (five) combined to score the game's next 11 points. Steffen had a steal and layup, then had a nifty assist. As the junior went up for a shot, she saw her path blocked by a WMU defender. While in midair, Steffen eschewed the shot and instead flipped a pass to an open Rogers underneath the hoop for an easy layup and a 16-9 lead.
That lead ballooned to 21-9 after another Rogers layup and a Steffen three-ball off of a Jasmine Matthews feed, and Rogers' third layup in that run gave the Brown and Orange a 14-point lead with 10:40 left in the half.
A layup by A.J. Johnson snapped the Broncos' scoreless streak at just over six minutes, but Slagle responded with a driving layup, and the senior then found Matthews for a transition three and a 28-11 lead.
After a Western hoop, Slagle responded again, converting a layup after a Steffen steal, then getting a nifty reverse layup try to drop. The latter shot gave the hosts a 32-13 advantage with just over six minutes left before halftime.
The Broncos scored the game's next five points, but BG answered with layups by Slagle and Rogers, before Anderson's hoop with 24 seconds left cut the home team's lead to 36-20 at the half.
The Falcons had a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers in that opening half as the team built that 16-point halftime lead. BG forced the Broncos into 14 turnovers in the first period.
The second half started just like the opening period had, as Anderson scored quickly for the visitors. Rogers responded with a hoop, and BG put together a quick 5-0 run moments later, as a Matthews trey was followed by a Rogers layup to put BG ahead by a 43-24 count.
The Broncos cut the lead to 15 points before a layup by junior Allison Papenfuss with 15:14 on the clock. Papenfuss alertly cut to the hoop, and was wide open as Rogers flipped her the ball for an easy bucket.
After a WMU free throw, a corner three by Matthews, off of Steffen's 'extra pass', gave the hosts a 50-31 lead with 13:19 left.
The Broncos had a 4-0 mini-run moments later, but sophomore Noelle Yoder split a pair of free throws, and Matthews fed Rogers for a fast-break layup and a 54-37 advantage.
Western, however, crept slightly closer as the minutes ticked away. Maria Iaquaniello started a 6-2 run with a jumper, and capped that run with two free throws at the 7:48 mark. Her second toss cut BG's lead to 14 points, 57-43.
The Falcons got three points back at the free-throw line, courtesy of Rogers and sophomore Jillian Halfhill. But, moments later, Iaquaniello knocked down a three-point try, then hit two tosses after an Anderson steal. With four-and-a-half minutes remaining, the Falcons' lead was just 12 points.
With BGSU leading by that 12-point margin, neither team could score for the next two-plus minutes. Finally, Slagle's nifty driving layup broke that dry spell with 2:04 remaining. Western, though, scored six of the game's next seven points, cutting the Falcons' lead to single digits. That 6-1 run was capped when Anderson hit a layup with 41.1 seconds left after a steal deep in BG's defensive end of the court.
The Broncos would draw no closer, though, and Steffen hit two free throws to provide the final margin. After WMU missed a shot on the next possession, Steffen came up with the rebound and the Falcons ran out the clock.
For the game, the Falcons had a 21-6 advantage in points off turnovers and a 40-34 margin in points in the paint. BG shot 44.8 percent for the game, including a 16-of-31 effort (51.6%) in the opening half, while the Broncos shot an even 42.0% from the floor.
Iaquaniello, held scoreless in the first period, wound up with 11 points for the Broncos.
Rogers' double-double was her fifth in MAC play and her sixth this season. She went 10-of-15 from the floor in Saturday's win.
BGSU now has a week to prepare for the team's next game. That game comes on Saturday, Feb. 11, as the Brown and Orange make the short trip north to face the University of Toledo. That contest will begin at 12:00 p.m. and will be televised by SportsTime Ohio.
FINAL STATS: HTML | PDF
PHOTO GALLERY - Dave Kielmeyer, BGSU Marketing & Comm.
POSTGAME AUDIO: Alexis Rogers | Curt Miller
With the win, the Falcons improve to 20-3 overall and 10-0 in MAC play. The Broncos are now 6-17 and 3-7, respectively.
The Falcons have reached the 20-win plateau for the ninth consecutive season, extending the school and MAC records. BG has won 20 or more games 17 times in program history, also the most among MAC institutions.
Rogers led the Falcons with 22 points, and had a game-high 13 rebounds in Saturday's win. She also had three assists to tie for game honors, and led the hosts with four steals.
Senior Jessica Slagle scored 15 points, while junior Chrissy Steffen added 13 for the Falcons.
Saturday's game marked the return of BGSU head coach Curt Miller to the sidelines after a two-game absence. Miller missed the Central Michigan (Jan. 28) and Northern Illinois (Feb. 1) games after it was determined by doctors on Jan. 26 that he had suffered a mild stroke during the team's Jan. 22 game vs. Eastern Michigan. BGSU associate head coach Jennifer Roos served as acting head coach during Miller's absence, guiding the Falcons to wins over CMU and NIU.
Aurielle Anderson led the Broncos on Saturday, shattering her previous career best with a game-high total of 29 points vs. the Falcons.
For the Falcons, Saturday's win increased several impressive streaks. BGSU has now won 13 consecutive games, including all 10 MAC games this season to date. Additionally, the Falcons have won 12 games in a row at the Stroh Center.
And, BGSU has won 18 consecutive MAC regular-season games and 21-straight games overall against conference foes. The Falcons' last loss to a MAC school came over a year ago (Jan. 29, 2011), a 66-55 setback vs. WMU in Kalamazoo.
Saturday's game featured four ties, but just one lead change. The contest was deadlocked at 2-2, 4-4, 7-7 and 9-9, before the Brown and Orange went on a 14-0 run to wrest control of the game.
The Falcons' lead got as high as 19 points on several occasions. Western rallied back, getting within single digits in the final minute of the game, but could draw no closer than nine.
BG spotted Western a quick 2-0 lead on a layup by Anderson, and the Falcons failed to score on the first two possessions of the day. But, Roger went to the floor near midcourt, as her diving effort resulted in a steal, and the soph threw a pass ahead to Steffen for a layup to tie the game.
After the Broncos retook the lead, Steffen found redshirt junior Danielle Havel inside for a layup, then took a pass from Slagle and hit a three-point try for a 7-4 BGSU lead.
Anderson's three-point play tied the contest, and after a Rogers layup, Anderson hit another layup to tie the game at 9-9 heading into the day's first media timeout. Anderson had seven of her team's first nine points.
But, out of that timeout, Rogers kicked the ball out to a wide-open Slagle, who knocked down a triple try from dead center for a 12-9 lead. That began the Falcons' 14-0 run, and BG did not trail again after Slagle's shot.
After that shot, Rogers (six) and Steffen (five) combined to score the game's next 11 points. Steffen had a steal and layup, then had a nifty assist. As the junior went up for a shot, she saw her path blocked by a WMU defender. While in midair, Steffen eschewed the shot and instead flipped a pass to an open Rogers underneath the hoop for an easy layup and a 16-9 lead.
That lead ballooned to 21-9 after another Rogers layup and a Steffen three-ball off of a Jasmine Matthews feed, and Rogers' third layup in that run gave the Brown and Orange a 14-point lead with 10:40 left in the half.
A layup by A.J. Johnson snapped the Broncos' scoreless streak at just over six minutes, but Slagle responded with a driving layup, and the senior then found Matthews for a transition three and a 28-11 lead.
After a Western hoop, Slagle responded again, converting a layup after a Steffen steal, then getting a nifty reverse layup try to drop. The latter shot gave the hosts a 32-13 advantage with just over six minutes left before halftime.
The Broncos scored the game's next five points, but BG answered with layups by Slagle and Rogers, before Anderson's hoop with 24 seconds left cut the home team's lead to 36-20 at the half.
The Falcons had a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers in that opening half as the team built that 16-point halftime lead. BG forced the Broncos into 14 turnovers in the first period.
The second half started just like the opening period had, as Anderson scored quickly for the visitors. Rogers responded with a hoop, and BG put together a quick 5-0 run moments later, as a Matthews trey was followed by a Rogers layup to put BG ahead by a 43-24 count.
The Broncos cut the lead to 15 points before a layup by junior Allison Papenfuss with 15:14 on the clock. Papenfuss alertly cut to the hoop, and was wide open as Rogers flipped her the ball for an easy bucket.
After a WMU free throw, a corner three by Matthews, off of Steffen's 'extra pass', gave the hosts a 50-31 lead with 13:19 left.
The Broncos had a 4-0 mini-run moments later, but sophomore Noelle Yoder split a pair of free throws, and Matthews fed Rogers for a fast-break layup and a 54-37 advantage.
Western, however, crept slightly closer as the minutes ticked away. Maria Iaquaniello started a 6-2 run with a jumper, and capped that run with two free throws at the 7:48 mark. Her second toss cut BG's lead to 14 points, 57-43.
The Falcons got three points back at the free-throw line, courtesy of Rogers and sophomore Jillian Halfhill. But, moments later, Iaquaniello knocked down a three-point try, then hit two tosses after an Anderson steal. With four-and-a-half minutes remaining, the Falcons' lead was just 12 points.
With BGSU leading by that 12-point margin, neither team could score for the next two-plus minutes. Finally, Slagle's nifty driving layup broke that dry spell with 2:04 remaining. Western, though, scored six of the game's next seven points, cutting the Falcons' lead to single digits. That 6-1 run was capped when Anderson hit a layup with 41.1 seconds left after a steal deep in BG's defensive end of the court.
The Broncos would draw no closer, though, and Steffen hit two free throws to provide the final margin. After WMU missed a shot on the next possession, Steffen came up with the rebound and the Falcons ran out the clock.
For the game, the Falcons had a 21-6 advantage in points off turnovers and a 40-34 margin in points in the paint. BG shot 44.8 percent for the game, including a 16-of-31 effort (51.6%) in the opening half, while the Broncos shot an even 42.0% from the floor.
Iaquaniello, held scoreless in the first period, wound up with 11 points for the Broncos.
Rogers' double-double was her fifth in MAC play and her sixth this season. She went 10-of-15 from the floor in Saturday's win.
BGSU now has a week to prepare for the team's next game. That game comes on Saturday, Feb. 11, as the Brown and Orange make the short trip north to face the University of Toledo. That contest will begin at 12:00 p.m. and will be televised by SportsTime Ohio.
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