Broncos Pull Away for 82-52 Win in Kalamazoo

Wednesday, January 21

Kalamazoo, MI

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

8-9, 1-5MAC

Western Michigan

11-6, 4-2MAC

Bowling Green

Western Michigan

Rachel Myers v NIU - Jan 14 2015 - Bianca Garza photo

Rachel Myers scored a career-high 21 points at WMU

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

January 21, 2015 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Rachel Myers has a career night, with 21 points vs. WMU

By: KALAMAZOO, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Western Michigan University shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the second half, breaking open a close game and pulling away for an 82-52 win over the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team Wednesday night (Jan. 21). The Mid-American Conference game was held at University Arena.

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POSTGAME AUDIO: Coach Roos

Freshman Rachel Myers had a stellar shooting night for the Falcons (8-9, 1-5 MAC), scoring a game- and career-high 21 points. Myers hit 8-of-11 shots from the field, knocking down four three-point field goals in five attempts.

The Broncos, however, shot 59.4% from the field in the second half and 54.8% for the game. Western Michigan (11-6, 4-2 MAC) led by six points at the half, largely on the strength of points in the paint, and the home team heated up from three-point range in the second period. Western went 6-of-14 from long distance in the second half.

Both teams made eight three-pointers in the game, with the Falcons taking 19 shots and the Broncos 22 from beyond the arc.

Miracle Woods paced four WMU double-digit scorers with 19 points and a game-best 12 rebounds, helping the Broncos to a decisive 44-19 rebounding advantage. A.J. Johnson added 15 points, Jessica Jessing 11 and Marquisha Harris 10 for Western.

Senior Deborah Hoekstra, junior Miriam Justinger and redshirt freshman Kennedy Kirkpatrick scored seven points apiece for the Falcons.

"We just ran into a buzzsaw tonight," said BGSU coach Jennifer Roos. "We were able to execute a lot of things, but they had some success inside, and a once a few of their kids got going from outside, I felt like the floodgates started to open for them.

"We got double-digit minutes from nearly everybody, nearly everybody who played scored, and we held onto the ball much better than we did at Eastern Michigan. But, credit Western Michigan, as they stepped up and made shots after being challenged by their coach after their last game."

Woods scored on the game's opening possession, then got an offensive rebound and laid the ball up and in for a 4-0 WMU lead. But, Hoekstra drove and kicked the ball to Myers for the first of her four three-pointers. The Broncos responded with a triple, but sophomore Rachel Konieczki fed Myers for a pull-up jumper, then drove around and under Woods to hit a nifty reverse layup, tying the score at 7-7.

Johnson hit a pair of free throws, then grabbed an errant BG pass – one of just 10 Falcon turnovers on the night – and headed in for a layup, as part of an 8-0 run for the Broncos. Kirkpatrick snapped that run with a nice driving layup, then Justinger stole the ball and laid it off to Hoekstra for a trailing three, cutting the home team's lead to 15-12.

WMU scored four-straight points, but Justinger responded with four points of her own, curling around a screen for a foul-line jumper, then taking the ball to the bucket and hitting a shot over Harris. Moments later, Kirkpatrick drove the baseline and whipped a pass to freshman Haley Puk in the far corner. Puk's triple cut the lead to two points, 21-19.

When Konieczki found Kirkpatrick for another BG three-pointer, Western's lead was a single point, 23-22. Kirkpatrick's shot marked the Falcons' fourth successful trey in six tries to start the game.

The Broncos went inside, scoring on a layup, then a putback. but Myers countered by slicing into the paint for a rebound and quick layup in traffic, cutting Western's lead to 27-24.

Johnson, however, hit a corner three, and Alex Morton spotted a cutting Woods for a layup and a three-point play. Woods' successful free throw gave the hosts a 35-26 lead with 1:36 left in the half.

Myers scored again, though, taking a Justinger pass and hitting a three-pointer from the left wing. And, some inspired team defense on the Broncos' final possession of the opening half resulted in a BG steal just before the buzzer sounded. The Broncos led, 35-29, at the break.

Myers scored 10 points in that first half, hitting 4-of-5 shots and going 2-for-3 from three-point range. She would score 11 points in the second period, knocking down both of her three-point shots after halftime.

Western, however, dominated the boards in the second half, and began scoring from outside as well as inside. A steal led to a transition hoop by Johnson with a minute elapsed in the second half, and Jessing's three-pointer out top gave WMU a 40-29 lead.

Justinger answered with a triple of her own, but Woods grabbed a teammate's airball and laid the ball in for a 42-32 lead. That began a 6-0 Bronco run before Myers hit a driving layup to cut the Falcons' deficit to 12.

But, the hosts scored inside on back-to-back possessions, with Johnson throwing a shot off glass and through the hoop for a 50-34 lead. BG got a Myers triple moments later, and the freshman then hit a nifty pull-up jumper despite being fouled. Her free throw made it a 55-41 game with just over 11 minutes to go.

But, Johnson hit a pair of three-pointers, and Western's lead suddenly reached 20 points, 61-41. Jessing hit a layup, and after a pair of Konieczki free throws at the 8:38 mark, the Broncos scored the next nine points, capped by a Meredith Shipman triple, to take a 72-43 lead with just over six minutes on the clock.

Another Myers triple broke BG's scoring drought, but the Falcons could not cut into the Broncos' lead any further.

The Falcons return home to face Miami University on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 24). Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center. The first 500 fans through the gates will receive a free T-shirt, and the Falcons will be signing autographs after the game.