Falcons Capture FAU Thanksgiving Tournament Title with 66-55 Win over Host Owls

Saturday, November 25

Boca Raton, FL

2:30 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

5-1

FAU

2-3

Bowling Green

FAU

Carly Santoro - November 2017 - Larry Clapper photo

Carly Santoro was named MVP of the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament (photo by Larry Clapper)

Photo by: Larry Clapper

Falcons Capture FAU Thanksgiving Tournament Title with 66-55 Win over Host Owls

November 25, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Santoro has monster game en route to tourney MVP honors

By: BOCA RATON, Fla. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

For the second consecutive day, the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team built a first-half lead, then weathered a third-quarter surge by the opponent. And, for the second-straight afternoon, the Falcons answered the opponent's run with a run of their own.

On Saturday (Nov. 25), that run propelled the Orange and Brown to a 66-55 win over Florida Atlantic University and the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament championship at FAU Arena.

The Falcons are now 5-1 on the season.

Junior Carly Santoro had a double-double for the second-straight day and the fifth time in six games this season. Santoro had 16 points and 17 rebounds on Saturday afternoon, and was named the Tournament MVP.

Senior Haley Puk joined Santoro on the all-tournament team.

LINKS
BGSU-FAU STATISTICS: PDF
POSTGAME AUDIO: Coach Roos
BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...: Schedule | Giveaways / Promotions | Spark Page
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TURNING POINT

For the second day in a row, the Falcons led at the half. But, for the second consecutive afternoon, the opponent would rally in the second half. On Saturday, FAU cut BGSU's 11-point halftime lead to just two points by the end of the third quarter, and Sasha Cedeno's bucket tied the score in the opening minute of the fourth period.
But, Falcon freshman Madisen Parker responded with a driving and-one layup, and her free throw with 8:53 remaining gave the Brown and Orange a three-point lead.
FAU's Ra'Kyra Gabriel hit back-to-back layups, but sophomore Andrea Cecil converted a three-point play of her own with 7:33 on the clock. Cecil's bucket began an 11-0 run for the Falcons, and by the time the hosts scored again, BG had a double-digit lead with just over four minutes remaining.

FIRST-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

The game was tied twice in the early going. Ra'Kyra Gabriel scored on each of FAU's first two possessions, but the Falcons answered. Sophomore Jane Uecker's putback tied the score at 2-2, and Uecker then found classmate Andrea Cecil for a jumper and a 4-4 game. After the BG defense got a stop, Uecker took a pass from senior Haley Puk and knocked down a three-point try from the left wing.
Midway through the period, Uecker grabbed another offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to junior Carly Santoro for a triple and a 10-8 BG lead. Just over a minute later, Santoro flipped a pass to Cecil as she was knocked to the ground, and Cecil's driving layup made it a 12-10 game.
Uecker's third offensive rebound of the quarter resulted in a putback for the sophomore, and a 14-10 lead.
Santoro had five rebounds before the game's first media timeout, and finished the opening quarter with seven boards. Uecker had seven points, four rebounds and two assists in that first period, with three of her rebounds coming at the offensive end of the court.

SECOND-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Puk hit a three-pointer on the opening possession of the quarter, and after DaChe Williams hit a layup for the hosts, Puk knocked down a long two-point shot, and Caterrion Thompson fed Sierra Thompson underneath for a bucket and a 21-12 lead.
Cecil converted a shot off glass after a smooth baseline drive, and the sophomore then drove and kicked the ball to Sierra Thompson for a short-corner jumper and a 25-14 advantage.
Sierra Thompson scored on a nice driving layup in traffic, giving BG a 29-18 lead, and Santoro found freshman Madisen Parker for a jumper and a 31-18 advantage with 2:05 left in the half. Junior Sydney Lambert hit a bucket, and Santoro got out ahead of the pack, took a long pass, was fouled under the hoop and hit both charity tosses. BG led, 35-21, with 1:24 on the clock.
Malia Kency's three-point play with just 2.0 seconds left cut the Falcons' lead to 11 points at the intermission.
The Falcons shot 60 percent from the field in the quarter, going 9-of-15, while holding the hosts to just a 25% success rate (4-for-16).

THIRD-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

BG began to get into foul trouble. Cecil was whistled for her third foul with 9:28 left in the quarter, while Puk picked up her third less than two minutes later. Two free throws after Puk's foul cut BG's lead to nine points, but Santoro rebounded her own miss and hit an and-one layup, making the ensuing charity toss for a 38-26 lead.
But, Uecker was assessed her third foul at the 6:25 mark, and several minutes later, Kency lobbed the ball inside to Raven Doyle for a layup that cut BG's lead to 39-33.
Cecil answered with a turnaround step-back jumper, but Sasha Cedeno answered with a three-pointer. Puk hit a right-side jumper with exactly three minutes to go, giving BG a 43-36 lead.
But, the hosts scored five-straight points to end the period. Cedeno hit a corner three, then made a layup after a BG miss, cutting the Falcons' advantage to just two points after 30 minutes.

FOURTH-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Cedeno's layup with 9:13 to go tied the score for the first time since late in the opening quarter, but Parker answered with a driving layup and free throw. The three-point play made it a 46-43 BG lead.
But, Cecil picked up her fourth foul with 8:14 to go, and Gabriel's second-straight layup gave the hosts a 47-46 lead. Cecil, however, grabbed a defensive rebound, went the length of the floor and laid the ball up and in as she was fouled. Her charity toss gave BG the lead for good with 7:33 to go.
That three-point play began an 11-0 run. Santoro kicked the ball out to Lambert for a right-wing three, and Lambert returned the favor, finding an open Santoro beyond the arc. When Sierra Thompson sliced through a pair of defenders and hit a layup, the Falcons had a 57-47 lead with 4:38 to go.
Melinda Myers stopped BG's run with a bucket at the 4:12 mark, but Sierra Thompson went coast-to-coast for a sweet layup and a 59-49 lead with 2:25 remaining.
Beginning with that play, Sierra Thompson pulled down a defensive board on three consecutive FAU possessions.
With exactly one minute to go, Santoro's three-point play gave the Brown and Orange a 62-49 advantage. The hosts hit a pair of shots in the final 30 seconds, but BG hit four free throws at the other end in the last minute to stay comfortably in front.

NOTES

Junior Carly Santoro had her fifth double-double in six games this season, matching her total for all of last season. Santoro now has 10 career double-doubles as a Falcon.
Santoro's total of 17 rebounds was a career best, and it also was BGSU's highest in nearly four years, since Jill Stein pulled down 18 boards in a win at Ohio on Jan. 30, 2014.
Freshman Sierra Thompson had the first double-digit scoring game of her young BG career, with 11 points. She was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and also recorded her first blocked shot as a Falcon.
Another freshman, Madisen Parker, had five points, her highest total this season to date. She was 2-for-2 from the floor and 1-of-1 from the line.
Still another first-year Falcon, Terri Battle, had five rebounds and two steals in eight minutes of action. Battle set career bests in both categories.

FAU THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT RESULTS & SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 24

FAU 80, St. Francis Brooklyn 60
BGSU 59, Norfolk State 50

Saturday, Nov. 25

Consolation – Norfolk State 52, St. Francis Brooklyn 51
Championship – BGSU 66, FAU, 55

UP NEXT

The Falcons return home for the next two games, beginning with Tuesday night's (Nov. 28) Valparaiso game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center, and it will be Fan Appreciation Night. Tickets purchased prior to 5:00 p.m. on game day will be just $1, and hot dogs, popcorn and soda will be available for just $1 from 6-8 p.m.
$1 tickets for Tuesday's game can be purchased BY CLICKING HERE.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS

For more information on all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUwbb), Instagram (@bgsuwbasketball) and Snapchat (BGSU Falcons) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.