Falcons Begin Fralick Era Tuesday Night at MSU

Tuesday, November 6

East Lansing, MI

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Michigan State

BGSU Women's Basketball - 2018-19 Team Photo

Photo by: BGSU Marketing and Communications

November 05, 2018 | Women's Basketball

BGSU Game Notes MSU Game Notes

BGSU's first-year coach is a native of nearby Okemos

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

BGSU at MICHIGAN STATE
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 • 7:00 p.m.
Breslin Center • East Lansing, Mich.

TELEVISION / VIDEO: BTN Plus ($$$$)
LIVE STATS: www.MSUSpartans.com
TWITTER: @BGSUwbb
NOTES: BGSU | MSU
all audio, stats & video links can be found at BGSUFalcons.com on game day

UP NEXT FOR THE FALCONS...
The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team hits the road to open the 2018-19 season. Head coach Robyn Fralick and the Falcons travel to East Lansing for a Tuesday (Nov. 6) matchup with Michigan State University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Breslin Center.

Then, the Brown and Orange will begin a three-game homestand the following Tuesday (Nov. 13), taking on Marshall University in a 7:00 p.m. game at the Stroh Center. Robert Morris and Loyola (Ill.) also will come to town during that three-game home swing.

THE FRALICK ERA BEGINS ...
For the BGSU women's basketball program, Tuesday night's game marks the opening contest of the Robyn Fralick Era. Fralick enters her first season with the Falcons after a wildly-successful 10-year stint at Ashland. She spent the first seven of those years on the staff of coaching legend Sue Ramsey, then assumed the head-coaching job.

During her three years as head coach, Fralick compiled an eye-popping record of 104-3. The Eagles won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2017 and returned to the national championship game in '17-18 before falling. That loss snapped a 73-game winning streak, the fifth-longest streak in men's or women's college basketball history, at any level.

Fralick was named BGSU head coach on April 3, 2018, and her introductory press conference was held the following afternoon.

... IN HER HOMETOWN!
Robyn Fralick begins her BGSU tenure with a game in – well, very near – her hometown. A native of Okemos, Mich., the former Robyn Flewelling had a decorated career at Okemos High School. She earned second team all-state honors on the hardwood as a junior, and was named to the All-Michigan Fifth Team as a senior.

A three-time all-league selection, she was voted one of the top 100 players in Michigan her final two season, and also was named all-league in soccer as well as honorable mention all-league in softball.

Fralick was inducted into the OHS Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2017.

EARLY BIRDS
The Michigan State game – on Nov. 6 – marks the earliest regular-season opener in BGSU women's basketball history. Prior to 2018-19, the earliest the Falcons had ever kicked off the regular-season schedule was five years ago, when BG also left home to face a Big Ten Conference opponent.

In that game – on Nov. 8, 2013 – the Falcons headed to New Rochelle, N.Y., and came away with a 63-52 win over Michigan in the opening game of a tournament hosted by Iona. BG went on to top the host school the next day, successfully beginning a 2013-14 campaign that would see the Falcons win a total of 30 games.

BG AT THE BRESLIN
The Falcons were one of the first teams to play at MSU's Breslin Student Events Center. BGSU defeated the Spartans, 63-61, on Dec. 21, 1989. It was Michigan State's fourth-ever game, and second-ever loss, in the building.

BGSU has a 1-3 record against MSU in the Breslin Center, but the Falcons have an overall mark of 3-3 at the venue. Two of the biggest victories in program history came in March of 2007 at Breslin.

On March 18 of that year, the Falcons rallied from a double-digit deficit to post a 70-66 win over Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Championships. Two days later, #20/19 BGSU defeated #7/8 Vanderbilt – the No. 2 seed in the Greensboro Regional – by a 59-56 count to become the first-ever Mid-American Conference women's basketball program to advance to the Round of 16.

That 2006-07 team won a total of 31 games – still a school and MAC record – and was the only program in conference history to advance to the "Sweet Sixteen" until last March, when both Buffalo and Central Michigan turned the trick.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to the arena on game day, there are multiple ways to follow the Falcons. Tuesday's Michigan State game will be streamed via BTN (Big Ten Network) Plus, and fans can also follow along with live stats and Twitter updates. All links will be available via BGSUFalcons.com.

All of BGSU's home games, and many road contests, will have audio broadcasts, courtesy of the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization (BGRSO). And, every BGSU home game this season will have a free live stream, with all but one home contest in 2018-19 aired via ESPN3 or ESPN+. Additionally, all of BG's conference road games are scheduled to be streamed via ESPN3 or ESPN+.

Live stats are also available for all games, and in-game Twitter updates for every BGSU game can be found at @BGSUwbb.

To follow the Falcons, simply log on to BGSUFalcons.com and click the 'calendar' link on the day of the game, or navigate your way to the women's basketball page. Any and all available links to ticket info. and game coverage will be available there.

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FALCONS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN MAC EAST
The Falcons were picked to finish fifth in the MAC's East Division in the 2017-18 season, according to the league's preseason coaches poll. Buffalo and Central Michigan were predicted to win the East and West divisions, respectively.
EAST DIVISION (FPV) WEST DIVISION (FPV)
1 - Buffalo (4) – 62 pts. 1 - Central Michigan (12) – 70
2 - Miami (5) – 61 2 - Toledo – 52
3 - Ohio (3) – 57 3 - Eastern Michigan – 41
4 - Kent State – 28 4 - Northern Illinois – 38
5 - Bowling Green – 27 5 - Ball State – 34
6 - Akron –17 6 - Western Michigan – 15
PREDICTED REG.-SEASON CHAMPION (votes received): CMU 9; Miami 2; Ohio 1.
PREDICTED MAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPION: CMU 8; UB 3; NIU 1.

THE FALCONS: A QUICK OVERVIEW
BGSU returns a total of 10 letterwinners, including three starters, from last year's team that finished with an 11-19 overall record and a 3-15 mark in Mid-American Conference play. BG went 6-8 at the Stroh Center, 4-11 in road games and 1-0 in neutral-site contests a year ago.

Head coach Robyn Fralick begins her first season on the BGSU bench. Her staff includes associate head coach Kim Cameron, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Karmen Graham, assistant coach Joel Whymer, director of operations Monique Rosati and video coordinator Amanda Cutcher.

The 2018-19 roster includes two seniors, three juniors, two redshirt sophomores, four true sophs and four freshmen. Maddie Cole and Sydney Lambert comprise the senior class.

Andrea Cecil, Caterrion Thompson and Jane Uecker each enter their junior season, while Alyssa Dean and Clare Glowniak are the redshirt sophs. Dean, a transfer from Memphis, will be eligible following the conclusion of the fall semester.

The sophomore class includes Terri Battle, Madisen Parker, Angela Perry and Sierra Thompson.

Lambert is the Falcons' top returning scorer, having averaged 9.9 points per game last winter. She also leads the returnees in assists (1.9 apg) and steals (1.5 spg), and ranks second in rebounding (3.6 rpg) among that group. The guard averaged 32.1 minutes per contest and hit a team-leading 60 three-point field goals in 2017-18.

Cecil averaged 8.8 points and 5.0 boards last year, while Caterrion Thompson had 6.3 ppg and knocked down 34 three-pointers. Cecil is the top returning rebounder, while Thompson led the Falcons in three-point accuracy (41.5%) a year ago.

Lambert started all 30 contests last year, while Cecil and Uecker made 24 and 13 starts, respectively. Perry started nine games, Glowniak eight and Caterrion Thompson six.

The freshman class includes Molly Dever, Kadie Hempfling, Morgan McMillen and Sydney Palermo.

SYD-THREE LAMBERT
As last season wound down, Sydney Lambert rapidly moved up the BGSU list for career three-point field goals made. Entering her senior season, Lambert has hit 187 long-distance shots in her career, and is ranked fourth in school history.

Lambert's next target on that list is third-place Liz Honegger (216 from 2003-07). Lambert is on pace to finish her career ranked second all-time in three-pointers made at BGSU.

THREE-MARKABLE
Through the years, BGSU rosters typically have been stocked with players who can score from three-point range. Last year, for the third-straight season, a total of 12 different Falcons hit at least one three-pointer.

THREE-MENDOUS
Three years ago, the Falcons made at least four three-point field goals in all 28 contests. Two seasons ago, BGSU connected at least four times in 27 of the 31 games, and last year, the Falcons made four or more treys in 27 of the 30 games.

THREE-LIGHTFUL
In fact, BG has knocked down four or more three-pointers in 114 of the last 122 games, dating to late in the 2013-14 season.

THREE-POSTEROUS
BGSU will be looking to extend a mucho-impressive streak in the MSU game. The Falcons have hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last 430 games. BG has not been held without a triple in over 13 years – since Feb. 12, 2005, at Akron, when the Falcons won, 61-52, despite going 0-of-13 from long distance.

SYD'S STARTING STREAK
Senior Sydney Lambert has been a constant in the lineup for the Falcons. The guard has started all 89 of BGSU's games since she arrived on campus. She is 12 starts away from moving into the top-10 on the BG career list, and if she starts 26 contests in 2018-19, Lambert will end her career in the top-five on that chart.

Lambert leads all active Falcons in multiple categories, including double-digit scoring games and 20-point contests. She has 44 career games with 10 or more points, including five games with 20 points or more.

Lambert also paces all current Falcons with 879 career points. She is averaging 9.9 points per game since coming to BG.

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
The Falcons own the best record in MAC history. Entering the 2018-19 season, BGSU has an all-time record of 405-210 (.659) in MAC regular-season games, for the most wins and highest winning percentage of all league institutions.

And, BG leads the series with all 11 MAC foes, making the Falcons the only team in the league with a winning series record against every other school. BG also has the most overall victories and highest overall winning pct. of any league institution.

A QUICK LOOK AT MSU
Michigan State defeated Hillsdale, 88-59, in exhibition play on Thursday night (Nov. 1). Jenna Allen had 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Shay Colley (15 points, 10 rebounds) also had a double-double, and freshman Nia Clouden flirted with a triple-double. Clouden had 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

The Spartans finished last season with an overall record of 19-14 and a Big Ten Conference mark of 7-9. MSU advanced to the third round of the 2018 WNIT.

MSU returns four of the top-five scorers from last season, including Colley (12.4 ppg), a redshirt junior; junior Taryn McCutcheon (10.2 ppg), Allen (9.9 ppg), a senior; and sophomore Sidney Cooks (9.5 ppg). McCutcheon also averaged 5.2 assists per game a year ago.

Head coach Suzy Merchant enters her 12th season with the Spartans, after spending nearly a decade in the MAC as the head coach at Eastern Michigan (1998-2007). Spartan assistant coach Maria Fantanarosa also is no stranger to the MAC, as she was head coach at Miami from 1998-2013.

Colley was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by the league's coaches.

THE SERIES
The Falcons trail Michigan State, 8-4, in the all-time series, and MSU has won the last two meetings. Tuesday's matchup marks the teams' first regular-season meeting in 21 years. The last two BGSU-MSU matchups came in national postseason play, as the Spartans posted a 74-66 win in the 2008 WNIT at the Breslin Center and a 72-62 victory two years later (March 20, 2010) in the first round of the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky. The last regular-season meeting was a 91-73 BGSU victory at Anderson Arena on Dec. 6, 1997. The Falcons are 2-3 at home, 2-4 on the road and 0-1 at neutral sites vs. the Spartans through the years.

UP NEXT
Following the MSU matchup, the Falcons will return home for the next three games. BGSU will open the home portion of the schedule on Tuesday, Nov. 13, when Marshall comes to the Stroh Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Then, the Brown and Orange will face Robert Morris (Sat., Nov. 17) and Loyola Chicago (Tue., Nov. 20) to complete a stretch of three home games in eight days. The latter contest is the Falcons' annual School Day game, and will begin at 11:00 a.m.

The Falcons will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Conway, S.C., playing a pair of games in the Coastal Carolina Tournament. BG will meet the host school (Nov. 23) as well as Mercer (Nov. 25) in that tourney.

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