Falcons-Chippewas Set For Stroh Center Clash Tonight That Could Determine MAC Title

The following is a post written for BGSUFalcons.com by Jason Knavel, BGSU's Associate AD for Strategic Communications and Brand Advancement.

It's safe to say that tonight's Bowling Green vs. Central Michigan game is the most important women's basketball game in the Stroh Center in seven years. The contest will be televised live on ESPN+ beginning at 7:00 pm with Brad Woznicki and Brandon Loe on the call. With no public attendance, this game will have a different feel, but one we've all gotten used to as the women's team has compiled an 8-1 home record this year.

And what a measuring stick this game will be for the Falcons. After going 8-46 in MAC play over the previous three years, NOBODY thought we'd be here, playing games in the final few weeks of the regular season that could vault the team to MAC Champions. BGSU enters in first place at 11-3, Central Michigan sits just one-half game behind at 11-4.

Since Bowling Green's dominant run through the MAC ended seven years ago, CMU has been the standard by which MAC teams are judged. The Chippewas are the defending MAC champions and the defending MAC Player of the Year Micaela Kelly will be looking to dash the hopes of the upstart Falcons. Kelly averages 23.7 points per game and can score from anywhere on the floor. She will be a handful for Bowling Green's young guards to defend.

In the MAC preseason poll, CMU was almost the unanimous choice to win the league, getting 10 of the 12 first-place votes. Bowling Green was picked 11th. The Chippewas had three selections on the preseason All-MAC teams, while the Falcons had none. Nobody knows what will happen tonight, but isn't it fun to be playing important women's basketball games in late February again?

As we look ahead to tonight's game, here's a few of the stats and keys that pop out to me:

BGSU ranks 12^th nationally in steals per game (11.4 per game) and 17^th in turnovers forced. The Falcons have excelled on points off of turnovers, but still found a way to win at Kent State in their last game with just seven steals. If Bowling Green can get back to generating turnovers at their normal rate, that takes a load off of the offense.
Bowling Green is among the top 40 teams in the country in getting to the free-throw line and in free-throw percentage. BGSU needs to keep finding a way to get to the charity stripe and then take advantage of those free opportunities to add to the scoring column. CMU also has one of the best free-throw percentages in the country but the Chippewas don't get to the line as often as BGSU.
CMU is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, making an average of 10.0 per game, fifth nationally. The Chippewas have attempted the seventh-most in the country and make them at a 36.2 percent clip. Bowling Green has defended the three-point line well this year and the Falcons must continue that tonight.
Micaela Kelly is eighth in the country in scoring and CMU is 26^th as a team. If Kelly, or teammate Molly Davis, get cooking, it will be a long night. Kelly's scored 37 and 35 points in the last two contests and has five 30-point games this year. Davis scored 32 her last time out and has a pair of 30-point games this year. She's made at least five three-pointers in five of the past seven games.

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