Saturday, March 13
Cleveland, Ohio
11:00 AM
Bowling Green State University
20-6,14-4MAC
72
vs
77
Central Michigan (Championship)
18-8,13-6MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Central Mich.
11
23
27
16
77
Bowling Green
16
18
26
12
72
Photo by: Isaiah Vazquez/BGSU Athletics
Chippewas Get Past Falcons, 77-72, in Championship Game
March 13, 2021 | Women's Basketball
BGSU now awaits postseason tournament fate
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team came up just short in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game, falling to Central Michigan University 77-72, on Saturday (March 13) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With the win, the Chippewas (18-8) earn the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The Falcons (20-6) await their postseason fate.
The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday at 7:00 p.m., with the 32-team WNIT field to be announced later Monday night.
Sophomore Elissa Brett and junior Kadie Hempfling each were named to the MAC All-Tournament Team. Brett led the Falcons with 18 points on Saturday, while freshman Lexi Fleming had 13 and Hempfling and freshman Nyla Hampton 11 apiece.
Micaela Kelly scored 29 points and Molly Davis added 23 for the Chippewas.
In the Falcons' first MAC Tournament championship appearance in 10 years, the teams traded runs in the middle of the game. BGSU scored nine-straight points to take a 27-15 lead in the second quarter, then saw CMU answer with an 11-0 run that began a 38-14 surge.
That run put the Chippewas up by 12 midway through the third quarter, but the Falcons then exploded for 10-straight points in a span of less than two minutes. After senior Angela Perry and Hampton scored buckets, Fleming and Brett hit three-pointers on BG's next two trips down the floor.Â
Moments later, Hampton's layup gave the Falcons a 56-55 lead and capped a 12-0 BG run. The game was tied on three occasions after that, but after a Brett layup with 6:07 to go, a Davis three-pointer gave the Chippewas the lead for good exactly midway through the final quarter.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
FIRST QUARTER
• Kyra Bussell opened the game's scoring with a foul-line jumper, but the Falcons then scored the next seven points. With the shot clock nearing zero, Lexi Fleming took a pass from Kadie Hempfling and drilled a long straightaway three-pointer. Elissa Brett drove for a layup, and Nyla Hampton did the same.
• CMU's Maddy Watters hit a three-pointer, but Hempfling whipped a pass to a cutting Kenzie Lewis for a layup and a 9-5 Falcon lead, and Clare Glowniak found Madisen Parker for BG's second shot-clock buzzer-beating three of the day.
• The Falcons led, 12-5, but Micaela Kelly's run-out layup capped a quick four-point run to bring the Chippewas back within three. Glowniak answered with a banker, and after Molly Davis hit a floater, Brett saw a lane and converted a layup in the final minute of the quarter for a 16-11 BGSU lead.
SECOND QUARTER
• Davis scored off of a BG turnover, but Hempfling answered with a layup of her own. Fleming blocked a CMU three-point try, but Jahari Smith rebounded the miss and put it back up and in.
• Hampton took a handoff from a teammate and scored, and Lewis found Hempfling for a three-point try that rattled in, giving BG a 23-15 advantage. Olivia Trice grabbed an offensive rebound and got the ball to Brett, who split two defenders for a layup and a 10-point lead as Central used a timeout. But, after a turnover gave the ball back to the Falcons, Hempfling powered her way inside for a layup, a 9-0 run and a 27-15 lead.
• But, Watters knocked down a three-point try from the right side, and Davis hit a triple from the left wing. Davis would score eight-straight points, with a pair of layups including an and-one bucket. Her free throw cut BG's lead to a single point at the 3:54 mark.
• Angela Perry drew a foul on Bussell and converted a pair of free-throw tries, and Hempfling grabbed a defensive rebound and fired an outlet pass to Brett for a transition layup and a 31-26 lead.
• Moments later, after a Kelly layup, Hempfling answered by flipping a shot up over Kelly and in. But, the Chippewas would end the half on a 6-0 run, as Watters connected from the top of the arc, and Davis converted a three-point play with just 2.3 seconds left in the half, tying the game at 34-all.
THIRD QUARTER
• Kelly, held to four points in the first half, would score 20 in the third quarter alone. But, after Central controlled the first part of the third quarter, the Falcons came roaring back in the later stages of the period.
• Kelly hit a floater on CMU's first possession of the period, but after Hempfling's 'extra pass' resulted in a Hampton three-pointer, Lewis drove and hit Hempfling for a reverse layup and a 39-36 BG lead.
• But, after a Bussell bucket, Kelly then proceeded to score the game's next 10 points. She made a pair of free throws, converted an three-point play, made two more shots from the stripe, then knocked down a three after Hampton just missed coming up with a steal. That triple made it a 48-39 ball game less than three minutes into the quarter.
• Glowniak scored inside, but another Kelly triple was followed by a Jahari Smith layup. Central led by 12, 53-41, and the Falcons used a timeout. Out of the break, Hempfling found Parker for a three-pointer, but Anika Weekes made a pair of charity tosses to put the margin at 11 points.
• But, Perry made a baby hook, and Fleming went to the floor to get a defensive rebound and fire a pass to Hampton for a layup. BG forced a CMU miss, and Brett laid the ball off to Hempfling for a trailing three. After another Chippewa miss, Perry kicked the ball out to Brett for a triple. It was suddenly a one-point game as Central used a timeout.
• And, out of the timeout, Kelly threw the ball away, and Hampton drove for a bucket. The Falcons had a 12-0 run and a 56-55 lead. Kelly snapped that run with a three-point play, before Brett hit a pair of free throws. Kelly scored yet again, but after a Davis free throw with 8.8 seconds to go, Fleming weaved her way through several defenders and found Brett for a buzzer-beating layup. Central's lead was a single point, 61-60, after 30 minutes.
• CMU outscored BGSU, 27-26, in that third quarter, with Kelly scoring 20 of the Chippewas' points. Seven different Falcons made at least one field goal in the period.
FOURTH QUARTER
• Bussell found Kelly for a back-door layup, but Lewis knocked down a three-pointer – just her second triple of the season – to tie the game at 63-all. Lewis immediately came up with a steal, and Fleming was fouled and made both shots for a two-point BG lead.
• Smith scored to tie the game, but Hempfling spotted Brett for a layup and a 67-65 lead with 6:07 to go. But, a Davis catch-and-shoot three-pointer with exactly five minutes left gave the Chippewas the lead for good.
• A BG three-point try would not drop, and after a tie-up on the rebound, the possession arrow was pointing CMU's way, and Smith hit a layup out of the media timeout. The teams traded misses, and after a BG turnover, Kelly threw in a shot that made it a 72-67 game with 2:36 to go.
• But, with the shot clock winding down and the game clock ticking under a minute to go, Davis fired a three-pointer that found nothing but net, giving the Chippewas a 75-67 lead with 55.8 seconds remaining. Fleming answered with a quick three pointer, but the Falcons could get no closer.
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The teams had identical field-goal numbers, as both the Falcons and Chippewas went 28-of-60 (46.7%) from the field on the day. Central, however, shot 50% or better in each of the last three quarters.
• The Falcons shot 50% from the floor in both the first (7-for-14) and third (10-of-20) quarters.
• CMU went just 8-for-31 (25.8%) from three-point range, while the Falcons were 9-of-20 (45%).
• Central had a narrow 34-32 rebounding advantage, and the numbers in many other categories were even or close to even, including assists (CMU 15, BGSU 14), turnovers (CMU 10, BGSU 11), points in the paint (36-36) and second-chance points (BGSU 10, CMU 8).
• The Falcons had an 18-7 advantage in fast-break points and a 14-2 lead in bench scoring, but the Chippewas had a 21-12 lead in points off turnovers.
UP NEXT
• As mentioned earlier, the Falcons now await their postseason fate. The NCAA Women's Tournament Selection Show is Monday (March 15) at 7:00 p.m., and the WNIT field will be announced several hours later on Monday night.
• Check BGSUFalcons.com for all of the latest news and updates re: the 2020-21 Falcons.
ÂGallery: (3-13-2021) W.Basketball v CMU - March 13 2021
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on...
• Facebook | @BGWBB
• Twitter | @BGAthletics and @BGSUwbb
• Instagram | @bgsuwbasketball
• Snapchat | BGSU Falcons
HASHTAG
#AyZiggy
Â
With the win, the Chippewas (18-8) earn the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The Falcons (20-6) await their postseason fate.
The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday at 7:00 p.m., with the 32-team WNIT field to be announced later Monday night.
Sophomore Elissa Brett and junior Kadie Hempfling each were named to the MAC All-Tournament Team. Brett led the Falcons with 18 points on Saturday, while freshman Lexi Fleming had 13 and Hempfling and freshman Nyla Hampton 11 apiece.
Micaela Kelly scored 29 points and Molly Davis added 23 for the Chippewas.
In the Falcons' first MAC Tournament championship appearance in 10 years, the teams traded runs in the middle of the game. BGSU scored nine-straight points to take a 27-15 lead in the second quarter, then saw CMU answer with an 11-0 run that began a 38-14 surge.
That run put the Chippewas up by 12 midway through the third quarter, but the Falcons then exploded for 10-straight points in a span of less than two minutes. After senior Angela Perry and Hampton scored buckets, Fleming and Brett hit three-pointers on BG's next two trips down the floor.Â
Moments later, Hampton's layup gave the Falcons a 56-55 lead and capped a 12-0 BG run. The game was tied on three occasions after that, but after a Brett layup with 6:07 to go, a Davis three-pointer gave the Chippewas the lead for good exactly midway through the final quarter.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
FIRST QUARTER
• Kyra Bussell opened the game's scoring with a foul-line jumper, but the Falcons then scored the next seven points. With the shot clock nearing zero, Lexi Fleming took a pass from Kadie Hempfling and drilled a long straightaway three-pointer. Elissa Brett drove for a layup, and Nyla Hampton did the same.
• CMU's Maddy Watters hit a three-pointer, but Hempfling whipped a pass to a cutting Kenzie Lewis for a layup and a 9-5 Falcon lead, and Clare Glowniak found Madisen Parker for BG's second shot-clock buzzer-beating three of the day.
• The Falcons led, 12-5, but Micaela Kelly's run-out layup capped a quick four-point run to bring the Chippewas back within three. Glowniak answered with a banker, and after Molly Davis hit a floater, Brett saw a lane and converted a layup in the final minute of the quarter for a 16-11 BGSU lead.
SECOND QUARTER
• Davis scored off of a BG turnover, but Hempfling answered with a layup of her own. Fleming blocked a CMU three-point try, but Jahari Smith rebounded the miss and put it back up and in.
• Hampton took a handoff from a teammate and scored, and Lewis found Hempfling for a three-point try that rattled in, giving BG a 23-15 advantage. Olivia Trice grabbed an offensive rebound and got the ball to Brett, who split two defenders for a layup and a 10-point lead as Central used a timeout. But, after a turnover gave the ball back to the Falcons, Hempfling powered her way inside for a layup, a 9-0 run and a 27-15 lead.
• But, Watters knocked down a three-point try from the right side, and Davis hit a triple from the left wing. Davis would score eight-straight points, with a pair of layups including an and-one bucket. Her free throw cut BG's lead to a single point at the 3:54 mark.
• Angela Perry drew a foul on Bussell and converted a pair of free-throw tries, and Hempfling grabbed a defensive rebound and fired an outlet pass to Brett for a transition layup and a 31-26 lead.
• Moments later, after a Kelly layup, Hempfling answered by flipping a shot up over Kelly and in. But, the Chippewas would end the half on a 6-0 run, as Watters connected from the top of the arc, and Davis converted a three-point play with just 2.3 seconds left in the half, tying the game at 34-all.
THIRD QUARTER
• Kelly, held to four points in the first half, would score 20 in the third quarter alone. But, after Central controlled the first part of the third quarter, the Falcons came roaring back in the later stages of the period.
• Kelly hit a floater on CMU's first possession of the period, but after Hempfling's 'extra pass' resulted in a Hampton three-pointer, Lewis drove and hit Hempfling for a reverse layup and a 39-36 BG lead.
• But, after a Bussell bucket, Kelly then proceeded to score the game's next 10 points. She made a pair of free throws, converted an three-point play, made two more shots from the stripe, then knocked down a three after Hampton just missed coming up with a steal. That triple made it a 48-39 ball game less than three minutes into the quarter.
• Glowniak scored inside, but another Kelly triple was followed by a Jahari Smith layup. Central led by 12, 53-41, and the Falcons used a timeout. Out of the break, Hempfling found Parker for a three-pointer, but Anika Weekes made a pair of charity tosses to put the margin at 11 points.
• But, Perry made a baby hook, and Fleming went to the floor to get a defensive rebound and fire a pass to Hampton for a layup. BG forced a CMU miss, and Brett laid the ball off to Hempfling for a trailing three. After another Chippewa miss, Perry kicked the ball out to Brett for a triple. It was suddenly a one-point game as Central used a timeout.
• And, out of the timeout, Kelly threw the ball away, and Hampton drove for a bucket. The Falcons had a 12-0 run and a 56-55 lead. Kelly snapped that run with a three-point play, before Brett hit a pair of free throws. Kelly scored yet again, but after a Davis free throw with 8.8 seconds to go, Fleming weaved her way through several defenders and found Brett for a buzzer-beating layup. Central's lead was a single point, 61-60, after 30 minutes.
• CMU outscored BGSU, 27-26, in that third quarter, with Kelly scoring 20 of the Chippewas' points. Seven different Falcons made at least one field goal in the period.
FOURTH QUARTER
• Bussell found Kelly for a back-door layup, but Lewis knocked down a three-pointer – just her second triple of the season – to tie the game at 63-all. Lewis immediately came up with a steal, and Fleming was fouled and made both shots for a two-point BG lead.
• Smith scored to tie the game, but Hempfling spotted Brett for a layup and a 67-65 lead with 6:07 to go. But, a Davis catch-and-shoot three-pointer with exactly five minutes left gave the Chippewas the lead for good.
• A BG three-point try would not drop, and after a tie-up on the rebound, the possession arrow was pointing CMU's way, and Smith hit a layup out of the media timeout. The teams traded misses, and after a BG turnover, Kelly threw in a shot that made it a 72-67 game with 2:36 to go.
• But, with the shot clock winding down and the game clock ticking under a minute to go, Davis fired a three-pointer that found nothing but net, giving the Chippewas a 75-67 lead with 55.8 seconds remaining. Fleming answered with a quick three pointer, but the Falcons could get no closer.
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The teams had identical field-goal numbers, as both the Falcons and Chippewas went 28-of-60 (46.7%) from the field on the day. Central, however, shot 50% or better in each of the last three quarters.
• The Falcons shot 50% from the floor in both the first (7-for-14) and third (10-of-20) quarters.
• CMU went just 8-for-31 (25.8%) from three-point range, while the Falcons were 9-of-20 (45%).
• Central had a narrow 34-32 rebounding advantage, and the numbers in many other categories were even or close to even, including assists (CMU 15, BGSU 14), turnovers (CMU 10, BGSU 11), points in the paint (36-36) and second-chance points (BGSU 10, CMU 8).
• The Falcons had an 18-7 advantage in fast-break points and a 14-2 lead in bench scoring, but the Chippewas had a 21-12 lead in points off turnovers.
UP NEXT
• As mentioned earlier, the Falcons now await their postseason fate. The NCAA Women's Tournament Selection Show is Monday (March 15) at 7:00 p.m., and the WNIT field will be announced several hours later on Monday night.
• Check BGSUFalcons.com for all of the latest news and updates re: the 2020-21 Falcons.
Â
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on...
• Facebook | @BGWBB
• Twitter | @BGAthletics and @BGSUwbb
• Instagram | @bgsuwbasketball
• Snapchat | BGSU Falcons
HASHTAG
#AyZiggy
Â
Team Stats
CMU
BGSU
FG%
.467
.467
3FG%
.258
.450
FT%
.813
.875
RB
34
32
TO
10
11
STL
5
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
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