Tibbs Guides Falcons to 65-55 Win at Kent State

Saturday, February 20

Kent, Ohio

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

9-14, 5-9MAC

Kent State

5-19, 2-12MAC

Bowling Green

Kent State

Lauren Tibbs v Evansville - Dec 2 2015 - Amanda Cutcher photo

Lauren Tibbs had a season-high 24 points, along with 8 rebounds & 4 blocked shots at KSU

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

February 20, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Falcon senior has a season-high 24 points in BGSU's road win

By: KENT, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Senior Lauren Tibbs had a game- and season-high 24 points to lead the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team to a 65-55 road win over Kent State University Saturday evening (Feb. 20) in Mid-American Conference action at KSU's Memorial Athletics & Convocation Center.

Tibbs was 11-of-15 from the field, including a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point land, and added eight rebounds and four blocked shots to lead all players in both categories. Senior Miriam Justinger was 3-for-3 from long distance en route to 12 points, and she added six boards as the Falcons (9-13, 5-9 MAC) held a 34-28 advantage on the glass.

BGSU made eight treys in the win and shot 48 percent from the field overall. The Falcons had 18 assists on 25 baskets, with sophomore Haley Puk and freshman Sydney Lambert each dishing out five helpers, Justinger three and Tibbs and freshman Carly Santoro two apiece.

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Tyra James led the Golden Flashes (5-19, 2-12 MAC) with 19 points off the bench, while Jordan Korinek scored 14.

Sophomore Rachel Myers scored nine points for the Falcons, including a big three-pointer with two minutes left in the game. Freshman Maddie Cole had a career-high seven points in six minutes of work, and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.

For the second-straight game, the Falcons played without junior Ashley Tunstall, who did not suit up for Saturday's contest due to injury.

Lambert assisted on the first three BGSU baskets of the game, with all three shots coming from beyond the arc. She fed Justinger for a corner three to begin the scoring. KSU responded with six-straight points, as Larissa Lurken converted a three-point play, and McKenna Stephens connected from long distance.

Tibbs hit a triple, however, and after a Justinger steal, Lambert found Myers for another BG trey and a 9-6 lead.

Tibbs scored again, hitting a foul-line jumper, and Lambert's pull-up J gave the Brown and Orange a 13-8 lead. Moments later, Puk lobbed the ball inside to Tibbs, who turned and hit a one-hander over several defenders. But, KSU scored the last five points of the quarter to tie the score at 15-all after 10 minutes.

Korinek scored the first three points of the second period, giving the home team an 18-15 lead. But, Puk fed a cutting Tibbs for a layup, beginning a 10-0 BG run that gave the Falcons the lead for good.

Santoro stole a KSU inbounds pass, went coast to coast and was fouled. She made the first free throw before missing the second, but the Flashes fouled on the rebound, and BG maintained possession. Cole hit a short corner jumper from a Tibbs pass, and after a defensive stop, Santoro put back a teammate's miss for a four-point lead.

Then, Santoro spotted Tibbs for a three-pointer from the top of the arc, and when that shot went cleanly through the net, the Falcons' lead was 25-18 as the Flashes used a timeout.

Kent State broke a scoring drought of nearly four minutes when Naddiyah Cross came up with a long defensive rebound and fired the ball to Alexa Golden, who was ahead of the pack. But, Tibbs' nifty bounce pass found Cole for a layup and a 27-20 lead.

The teams continued to trade points, with Lambert feeding Tibbs for a banker, and Tibbs then scoring on a one-hander, but the Flashes answered each time, and when Chelsi Watson and Lurken each hit jumpers in the final minute of the half, BG's lead was down to three points, 31-28, at the intermission.

A slow start to the third quarter saw over 90 seconds pass before either team scored, but a Stephens jumper cut BG's lead to a single points. But, the Falcons then scored 10-straight points to begin a larger 17-3 run.

The run began when Justinger found Tibbs for a quick turnaround jumper, and Puk then spotted Justinger in the left corner for a three-pointer and a six-point lead.

Myers hit a left-side jumper, and the Flashes attempted to counter with a long pass downcourt. The pass was thrown too hard, however, and Lurken saved it from going out of bounds, but threw the ball directly to Tibbs. BG headed downcourt, and Puk again found Justinger for a three-ball, this time from the top of the arc. The shot made it a 41-30 BG lead as the Flashes used a timeout.

James knocked down a triple try out of that timeout, but Justinger sliced through traffic for a layup, Puk spotted Tibbs for a short jumper, and Lambert's pass found Cole for a corner three, the first trey of her young career. BGSU's lead was 15 points, 48-33, with 2:52 left in the third quarter.

But, the hosts would rally once again. KSU scored the last eight points of the quarter, with a steal and layup by Korinek cutting BG's lead to 48-41 in the final minute of the period.

Tibbs opened the fourth quarter by grabbing a rebound in traffic and quickly putting the ball off glass and in, but four-straight KSU points made it a five-point game.

Lambert hit a driving shot, and after KSU answered, Santoro's floater made it a 54-47 game. James answered with a layup, but Tibbs threw in a one-handed shot with just under five minutes to go.

Korinek scored on a turnaround jumper, and the teams then traded turnovers, with the Falcons called for a shot-clock violation but Lurken whistled for a travel. BG turned the ball over again, though, and a James layup made it a three-point game. But, the Falcons would respond.

On the next possession, Myers took a Justinger pass and knocked down a three-point try from the left wing, giving her team a 59-53 lead with exactly two minutes to go. Then, Justinger took a charge, as Lurken was called for an offensive foul. Lambert was fouled and hit two free throws, putting her team ahead by eight with 1:29 remaining.

Beginning with those Lambert tosses, the Falcons made six free throws over the final 90 seconds of the game, extending the lead back out to double digits. Slowly but surely, BG would score nine-straight points before a pair of Keziah Lewis charity tosses in the final seconds closed the game's scoring.

KSU missed six consecutive field-goal tries over the final few minutes of the game, and the Flashes shot 41.2% from the floor on the day, to BG's 48.1%. The Falcons, as mentioned, hit eight three-pointers on the day, while KSU made four in 14 attempts.

BG had advantages of 21-14 in points off turnovers and 13-6 in second-chance points.

The Falcons now prepare for a Wednesday (Feb. 24) game at Buffalo, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at UB's Alumni Arena. Then, BG returns home to face Miami in a 'Senior Day' contest next Saturday (Feb. 27).