Falcons Head to Illinois for the Weekend

Friday, December 19

Normal, IL

8:05 PM

Bowling Green State University

Illinois State

Tickets

Jasmine Matthews - Nov 2014 - Garza photo

Jasmine Matthews is one of four Illinois natives on the BGSU roster

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

December 18, 2014 | Women's Basketball

BGSU faces Illinois State Friday in the first of two games vs. MVC opposition

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, after wrapping up the semester with exams this week, will head to the state of Illinois for a pair of games before the holiday break. The Falcons of head coach Jennifer Roos begin the trip with a Friday (Dec. 19) game at Illinois State University. The Falcons and Redbirds will meet at Redbird Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. locally (8:00 p.m. Eastern).

GAME NOTES
BGSU | ILLINOIS STATE

Then, on Sunday (Dec. 21), the Brown and Orange will face Bradley University. That game is slated to start at 2:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. Eastern) at Renaissance Coliseum. The Falcons are in the midst of a stretch which sees the team play eight of nine games away from home between Nov. 18 and Jan. 3.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make the trip to Illinois this weekend, you can still follow the Falcons via your radio or computer. Both the Illinois State and Bradley games will be broadcast by WBGU-FM 88.1, the flagship home of Falcon women's basketball, and will be available over the air and on the web.

Additionally, live stats as well as a video stream (fee required) will be available for each game. And, in-game twitter updates can be found at @BGSUwbb. Log on to BGSUFalcons.com and click the 'calendar' link on the day or the game, or navigate your way to the women's basketball schedule page and bask in the veritable plethora of links.

HOEKSTRA HOARDS HARDWARE
Speaking of veritable plethora, senior Deborah Hoekstra has earned a veritable plethora of awards this week. On Monday (Dec. 15), the East Lansing, Mich., native was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week by both the conference office and the College Sports Madness web site. Wednesday (Dec. 17), she earned the MAC's Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Week award. Hoekstra has a perfect 4.000 cumulative grade-point average as a health science major.

LAST TIME OUT: HOEKSTRA, FALCONS SHOOT PAST SAINT FRANCIS
• Senior Deborah Hoekstra scored a career-high 22 points, leading the Falcons to a 76-62 victory over Saint Francis University Saturday (Dec. 13) at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pa.

• Hoekstra made 8-of-11 shots from the field, including a 4-for-6 performance from three-point range, in Saturday's win. As a team, the Falcons shot 50 percent from long distance, going 10-for-20 from beyond the arc.

• Redshirt junior Erica Donovan scored 20 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds on her birthday. Donovan was 6-of-10 from the floor and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. Hoekstra had six rebounds and three assists in addition to her game- and career-high point total.

• Sophomore Rachel Konieczki scored 10 points, while junior Miriam Justinger had nine points, seven boards and three assists. The Falcons had a 37-28 rebounding advantage and made 22 free throws to SFU's eight.

• Alexa Hayward scored 21 points and added eight assists for the Red Flash. Hayward entered the day as the nation's leading scorer, averaging 27.7 points per game heading into Saturday's contest.

• SFU broke out to an early 6-1 lead, and after a Donovan layup, Hope Phillips quickly answered with a layup of her own for an 8-3 Red Flash lead. Then, however, the Falcons scored nine-straight points to take the lead.

• That 9-0 run began with Hoekstra's driving 'and-one' layup. The free throw cut the SFU lead to two points, and after a missed shot by the Red Flash, Hoekstra grabbed the rebound. The next possession saw the senior take a pass from Konieczki and hit a straightaway three-pointer.

• The Red Flash battled back, and a layup by Phillips capped a 5-0 run and tied the game at 18-18. But, freshman Haley Puk took a Justinger pass and drained a three-point try from the left side, giving the Falcons the lead for good. BG extended the lead to nine points, 40-31, at the half.

• Hayward scored a pair of baskets in the first minute of the second period, and Falcon coach Jennifer Roos used a timeout. Donovan drove, drew a foul on Phillips and split a pair of free throws. Then, after a BG miss, sophomore Abby Siefker grabbed the rebound under the basket and fired a pass to Hoekstra for a corner three and a 44-35 lead.

• That lead reached 12 points when Justinger found Hoekstra for another trey, this time from the wing. The BG three-for-all continued as Hoekstra returned the favor, finding Justinger for a triple with 15:22 left in the game. The Falcon run was 10-0, and the BG lead was 15, at 50-35. A Donovan jumper made it a 12-0 run before all was said and done.

• The Falcons extended the lead to 20 points, as Konieczki connected on a corner three for a 62-42 lead with 8:06 to go. Konieczki's three-pointer would prove to be the Falcons' last successful field goal of the afternoon. But, BGSU made 14 free throws to maintain a comfortable lead the rest of the way. The Red Flash could draw no closer than the final 14-point margin.

• Redshirt freshman Kennedy Kirkpatrick was 7-of-8 from the stripe during that game-ending stretch, while Konieczki hit four free throws, Donovan two and Hoekstra one over the final seven-plus minutes of play.

• The Falcons shot 44.0 percent from the field, including a 15-of-28 effort (53.6%) in the first half. BG, as mentioned, went 10-of-20 from three-point range, and the Brown and Orange hit 22 free throws in 31 attempts.

• Saint Francis shot 43.1% from the floor in the loss. The Red Flash went 10-of-27 from long distance, with Maya Wynn making 4-of-8 triple tries, and SFU was 8-of-13 from the stripe.

SHARP-SHOOTING FALCONS
In the Saint Francis game, BGSU set season highs in three-point field goals made (10) and three-point percentage (50.0%). The Falcons also set 2014-15 bests in free throws made (22) and attempted (31) vs. the Red Flash.

A SEASON LOW THAT SPEAKS TO BG'S SUCCESS
As mentioned above, BGSU posted season-high totals in free throws made and attempted against Saint Francis. Believe it or not, the Falcons' 71.0% free-throw percentage in that game was actually the team's lowest this season. BG is shooting 76.0% on the year, having gone 111-of-146 from the stripe.

MAKE MORE THAN THEY TAKE
So far this season, BG appears to be continuing a program trend of making more free throws than the opponents attempt. This year to date, BGSU has gotten to the line 146 times, making 111 shots. Opponents have gone 54-of-79 (68.4%) from the stripe through the first seven games of the season.

AMONG THE LEADERS
The Falcons are 23rd in the nation in free-throw percentage this season to date. BGSU is ranked near the top of the NCAA statistics in scoring defense as well. BG is 32nd in the country in that category, having allowed opponents to score just 54.9 points per game.

A GAME OF RUNS
The Falcons have had a run of 10 or more consecutive points eight times this season, while the opponents have had three double-digit runs. In the last three games, BGSU has had four runs of 10-0 or better, to the opponents' zero.

EVEN STEVEN
BGSU and the opponents both were an identical 103-for-284 from the floor after the first five games of the season. And, the Cincinnati and Saint Francis games have done very little to separate the Falcons and the foes in terms of field-goal percentage. BGSU is now 145-of 392 from the field (37.0%), while the opponents have taken two more shots and made one more hoop than BG this season. Falcon foes are 146-for-394 (37.1%) on the year.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• The Falcons enter the Illinois State game with a 5-2 record. After opening the season with a 53-52 loss to Bucknell, BGSU bounced back with a convincing 80-59 victory over Iona, then went on the road and picked up a 60-50 triumph over Milwaukee. The Brown and Orange extended the win streak to three games with a 62-54 win over UC Irvine, before suffering a narrow loss, 51-48, to Loyola Marymount. The latter two games came at the DoubleTree LA Westside Thanksgiving Classic, hosted by LMU.

• The Falcons returned home and posted a 66-55 win over Cincinnati, the team's lone home game in a month-and-a-half span, before returning to the road and picking up a 76-62 decision against Saint Francis Saturday (Dec. 13).

• BG's starting lineup was the same in each of the first six games, with senior Jasmine Matthews, redshirt junior Erica Donovan, true junior Miriam Justinger and sophomores Rachel Konieczki and Abby Siefker comprising the starting five. Senior Deborah Hoekstra, one of the top sixth players in the MAC a year ago, was at the scorer's table the first time BGSU has made a substitution in each of those six games.

• Against Saint Francis, however, Hoekstra made the first start of her career, replacing fellow senior Matthews, who sat out the game due to injury.

• Donovan leads the Falcons in scoring, with 14.6 points per game, while Hoekstra is averaging 11.6 ppg. That duo combined to score 42 points against SFU.

• Justinger and Konieczki have scored 10.4 and 7.3 ppg, respectively, with freshman Rachel Myers averaging 5.3 points and Siefker 5.0 points per outing.

• Donovan leads the Falcons in rebounding as well as scoring, with 8.3 boards per game. Siefker and Justinger have 5.9 and 5.6 rpg, respectively, while Matthews has pulled down 3.5 caroms per contest.

• Justinger has 2.6 assists per game to pace the Falcons in that category, and she and Donovan are tied for the team lead in steals, with 1.6 per game. Matthews is second on the Falcons with 1.7 apg, with Donovan handing out 1.4 apg. Siefker has a team-leading 0.9 blocked shots per contest.

• BGSU is shooting 37.0 percent from the field, 28.1% from three-point range and 76.0% from the free-throw line through seven games. The Falcons' opponents have shot 37.1% from the floor, 26.8% from the arc and 68.4% from the stripe.

• The Falcons have averaged 6.1 three-pointers made through the first seven contests. Hoekstra has made 12 triples to lead the way, while Konieczki and Justinger have hit seven each and Donovan and Myers six apiece.

• Myers and freshman Haley Puk each have seen action in all seven games off the bench, while redshirt freshman Kennedy Kirkpatrick and true freshman Lauren Webb have appeared in six games apiece and classmate Sarah Baer four.

• The Falcons returned six letterwinners, including two starters, from a 2013-14 team that won 30 overall games and captured a MAC regular-season title with a 17-1 league ledger. BGSU won the East Division title, and the Falcons had the best overall record in MAC play for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons. The division title was the program's ninth in that 10-year span.

750: FALCONS ARE FIRST TO YET ANOTHER MILESTONE
BGSU's win over Cincinnati was the 750th victory in program history. The Falcons are now 751-395, good for a winning percentage of 65.5%, over the years. BG is the first Mid-American Conference program to reach the 750-win plateau.

RECENT SUCCESS
The NCAA has compiled its annual lists of the winningest Division-I teams over the last five years, and Bowling Green ranks in the top 15 on both lists. BGSU has won a total of 133 games over the last five years (from the start of the 2009-10 season through the end of 2013-14), and the Falcons have won more than 79 percent of the time during that span. BGSU's winning percentage is the 11th-highest among all NCAA Division-I programs over the last half decade, while the team's win total is the 13th-best in the nation in that time.

LONG-TERM SUCCESS
The Falcons have enjoyed success not only recently, but over the long term. BGSU ranks 30th in NCAA Division-I history in winning percentage, and the Falcons were 39th among all such schools in total wins entering the 2014-15 season. Heading into the Illinois State game, BGSU has an all-time record of 751-395, good for a winning pct. of 65.5%. No other Mid-American Conference program is listed among the top 50 on either chart.

THE ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS
Illinois State will enter Friday's game with an overall record of 0-8. The Redbirds' schedule to date has included road games against Wisconsin, Colorado State and Miami (Fla.), and ISU has also faced two MAC institutions in Northern Illinois and Buffalo, losing single-digit decisions to both the Huskies and Bulls. On Tuesday (Dec. 16), the Redbirds fell, 89-44, to visiting Arizona State. Individually, junior forward Octavia Crump leads the team in scoring, with 11.1 points per game, and she also has 6.8 rebounds per contest to rank second on the Redbirds in that category. Senior guard Katy Winge has 9.9 ppg and has hit a team-leading nine three-point field goals, while sophomore guard Taylor Stewart and junior guard Stekara Hall have 8.1 and 8.0 ppg, respectively. Stewart leads the team in both assists and steals. Last year, head coach Barb Smith's team finished 10-20 overall and 8-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Smith and the Redbirds welcomed back eight letterwinners, including three starters, from the 2013-14 squad.

A LOOK AHEAD: THE BRADLEY BRAVES
Bradley has an overall record of 1-7, heading into a Thursday home game vs. Chicago State. The Braves opened the season with five-straight road games, including contests against UIC, DePaul and Oklahoma, and BU is now in the midst of an eight-game homestand. Bradley's lone win to date was a 76-64 triumph over visiting Missouri. Prior to the CSU contest, the team's most recent game was a 75-63 setback against Western Illinois on Dec. 9. Individually, senior guard Michelle Young leads the team in scoring, with 17.1 points per game, and she also paces the Braves in field-goal percentage and steals. Freshman guard Anneke Schlueter and redshirt junior guard Fantasia Vine have 8.8 and 8.4 ppg, respectively, while sophomore guard Leti Lerma has 6.5 ppg and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds per outing. Last year, head coach Michael Brooks and the Braves finished 8-22 overall and 5-13 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Brooks welcomed back just three letterwinners, including one starter, from the 2013-14 club.

THE SERIES
The Falcons lead ISU, 4-2, in the all-time series between the teams, but the teams have not met in just under two decades. The last meeting came in Normal on Dec. 21, 1994, with the host Redbirds downing the Falcons, 75-52. The teams met six times in a seven-year span, between 1988 and '94. That 1994 ISU win snapped a three-game BGSU series winning streak. BGSU has outscored Illinois State by a narrow 455-450 count in the six games, as ISU's two wins have been by 22- and 23-point margins, respectively. Each of BG's four series wins was by a margin between eight and 16 points. The Falcons are 3-0 at home and 1-2 on the road vs. Illinois State. Jennifer Roos is 0-0 against the Redbirds as a head coach.

BGSU and Bradley will be meeting in women's basketball for the first time.

MAC TIES
There will be multiple staff members with Mid-American Conference ties on the opposing bench during BGSU's weekend trip to Illinois. Illinois State assistant coach Lisa Hayden is in her second season with the Redbirds after 12 years on the staff at Miami University. Bradley assistant coach Skyler Young is a graduate of Western Michigan, and spent time on the staffs at both WMU and Ohio. And, BU director of operations Kristin Wiener was a four-year letterwinner at Northern Illinois, and is ranked in the top-15 in NIU history in both career scoring and rebounding.

THE FALCONS ARE/WERE ...
• 5-2 this season, after posting a 30-5 overall record last winter;
• 17-1 in MAC play in 2013-14, winning a division title for the ninth time in a 10-season span;
• 317-110 since Jennifer Roos came to BGSU in the summer of 2001;
• 163-47 in MAC games in that time:
• 296-75 over the last 11-plus years, with 2013-14 marking BG's MAC-record 11th-straight season of at least 20 wins;
• a staggering 275-65 in the past 10-plus years, with no fewer than 23 wins in each of the 10 seasons and eight MAC overall regular-season titles (2004-10, 2012 and again in '14, plus an East Division crown in '11);
• an eye-popping 252-57 overall, and 128-18 in the MAC regular season, in the last nine-plus years, with at least 24 wins in each of those nine seasons;
• a superb 224-54 in the last eight-plus years, including a 112-18 league ledger;
• a/an (insert your own adjective here) 193-50 overall, and 97-17 in MAC regular-season games, in the last seven-plus seasons, since Monique Rosati came to the BGSU program;
• 167-42 overall and 84-14 in MAC action over the last six-plus winters;
• 138-37, including a 69-13 MAC ledger, in the last five-plus seasons;
• 111-30 overall and 55-11 in the MAC in the last four-plus years;
• 83-25 overall, and 42-8 in MAC action, since seniors Deborah Hoekstra and Jasmine Matthews first put on a BGSU uniform;
• 59-18 overall and 28-6 in league play since Jennifer Roos became head coach, junior Miriam Justinger joined the Falcons' roster, and redshirt junior Erica Donovan transferred to BG;
• 35-7 since Donovan and sophomores Rachel Konieczki and Abby Siefker began their BGSU playing careers, and redshirt freshmen Leah Bolton and Kennedy Kirkpatrick came to campus;
• 151-23 in the last 174 games vs. MAC foes (regular-season and tournament);
• A perfect 67-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field since 2001;
• 252-12 when having a better FG percentage than the opposition in that time, including a 124-2 mark in the last six-plus seasons;
• 243-40 when making more free throws than the opponent in the Roos Assistant-Coach/Associate-Head-Coach/Interim-Head-Coach/Head-Coaching Era;
• 205-25 when outrebounding the opponent in that 13-plus-year span;
• 74-7 in MAC home games in the last 10 seasons;
• 61-12 in MAC road games over the last nine years;
• 20-5 in the MAC Tournament in the last 10 years, with five titles (2005, '06, '07, '10 and '11), an additional championship-game appearance (2009), and trips to the semis in 2008, 2012 and 2014;
• 44-19 overall in the MAC Tournament since it was instituted in 1982;
• 21-7 at Gund/Quicken Loans Arena, the site of the MAC Tournament;
• 52-7 in all non-conference home games since the start of the 2003-04 season;
• 10-17 in 17 national postseason appearances (including a 3-11 record in the NCAA Championships and a 7-6 mark in WNIT trips);
• 9-10 in national postseason action since Roos arrived at BG (including a 2-5 mark in the NCAAs and a 7-5 record in the WNIT); and
• 46-9 in the Stroh Center, with seven losses coming by a combined 17 points.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's two games in Illinois, the Falcons will take a brief break for the holidays. Then, BG's non-conference travel odyssey continues with a trip to Miami, Fla., for the FIU Sun & Fun Classic on Dec. 29-30. The Falcons will face Hampton on Monday, Dec. 29, then will play either Auburn or host Florida International on Tuesday, Dec. 30. That will wrap up a nine-game stretch which will have seen BG play eight games away from home, in the states of Wisconsin, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Florida.