Saturday, December 2
Iowa City, Iowa
1:30 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
at
Iowa
Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Face #4/4 Iowa to Begin December Slate
November 30, 2023 | Women's Basketball
BGSU meets three nationally-ranked opponents in the next four games
BGSU at #4/4 IOWA
Saturday, December 2, 2023 • 1:30 p.m. ET
Carver-Hawkeye Arena • Iowa City, Iowa
TV/Video: FS1 • Audio: Falcon Media Sports Network
Live Stats: HawkeyeSports.com • Twitter: @BGSUwbb
THE OPENING TIP
• The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team begins an uber-challenging December schedule with a road game against a top-five opponent this weekend. The Falcons, under the direction of first-year head coach Fred Chmiel, face the fourth-ranked University of Iowa on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 2). Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) at a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• There are multiple ways to keep up with the Falcons in 2023-24...
• TV/VIDEO: Saturday's Iowa game will be televised nationally on FS1, with Sloane Martin and Kim Adams on the call.
• RADIO/AUDIO: All of BGSU's 2023-24 games are scheduled to have an audio stream thanks to the Falcon Media Sports Network.
• LIVE STATS: Again this year, live stats for all games can be found on the interwebs.
• TWITTER (X): In-game updates, along with key graphics and information, can be found on the BGSU women's basketball Twitter/X account, @BGSUWBB.
• For all of the pertinent links to any and all ways to follow the Falcons, go to BGSUFalcons.com and navigate your way to the "women's basketball schedule" page on game day.
THE FALCONS VS. THE TOP 25
• The Falcons enter the Iowa game with an all-time record of 5-36 against teams ranked in the top 25 in the Associated Press and/or USA Today polls. BGSU is 3-4 at home (1-1 at the Stroh Center), 1-22 on the road and 1-10 in neutral-site games.
• BGSU is 2-13 against teams ranked in the top 10 of at least one poll. The wins came at home vs. #10/10 Purdue in 1991, and against #7/8 Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Championships in East Lansing, Mich.
• Heading into the Iowa game, the Falcons are 0-7 all-time against teams ranked in the top five.
• Of BGSU's five total victories over nationally-ranked teams, three have come over Vanderbilt, with BGSU downing Purdue and Dayton once each.
• Vanderbilt is the highest-ranked team the Falcons have ever defeated, as BGSU topped the #7/8 Commodores in the aforementioned 2007 game.
• In addition to the win over Purdue in '91, the Falcons' other home victory over a nationally-ranked team was a 65-40 triumph against #15/14 Dayton at the Stroh Center on Dec. 30, 2012. That UD game is the Falcons' last overall win over a top-25 team, and is also BG's largest margin of victory against a nationally-ranked club.
• In addition to #4/4 Iowa, BGSU's December schedule includes a home game vs. South Carolina (Dec. 19) and a contest at Indiana (Dec. 22). The Gamecocks are currently ranked #1 in the nation in both polls, with IU sitting at #17.
• A list of the highest-ranked opponents' the Falcons have ever faced follows. The complete list of BGSU's games vs. nationally-ranked foes can be found on page 22 of these very notes.
THE HIGHEST-RANKED OPPONENTS BGSU HAS FACED...
Date Opponent Site Result
Nov. 26, 1983 #3 Georgia * N (Detroit, Mich.) L 50-99
Dec. 10, 1992 #3/2 Vanderbilt A L 66-69
Nov. 15, 2009 #3/3 Ohio State A L 72-91
Dec. 19, 2006 #4/4 Duke N (Cancun, Mexico) L 46-55
Dec. 2, 2023 #4/4 Iowa A 1:30 p.m. ET
March 18, 1989 #5/4 Maryland A L 65-78
Dec. 21, 1990 #5/5 Purdue A L 56-100
Nov. 19, 2016 #5/6 Louisville A L 42-69
Dec. 8, 1995 #6/8 Penn State N (College Park, Md.) L 75-88
March 20, 2007 #7/8 Vanderbilt N (East Lansing, Mich.) W 59-56
Dec. 21, 1992 #8/7 Purdue A L 78-81
Dec. 11, 1993 #10/9 Vanderbilt A L 70-92
Nov. 12, 2004 #10/9 Ohio State A L 41-89
March 24, 2007 #10/9 Arizona State N (Greensboro, N.C.) L 49-67
Nov. 23, 1991 #10/10 PURDUE H W 75-72
Nov. 17, 2022 #12/9 Indiana A L 61-96
rankings are Associated Press/USA Today
* AP ranking only
B!G CROWD EXPECTED
• Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena is sold out for the 2023-24 season, and attendance at each of the Hawkeyes' first three games this season has been exactly 14,998. Assuming the attendance is at or near that same figure on Saturday, it would be the largest crowd ever to see a BGSU game.
B!G GAMES, B!G CROWDS; LARGEST ATTENDANCE FIGURES IN BGSU HISTORY...
Attend. Date Opponent
10,048 Dec. 8, 2015 at Virginia
9,656 Dec. 11, 2004 vs. Utah State (Albuquerque, N.M.)
9,212 Dec. 10, 2004 at New Mexico
8,194 Nov. 19, 2016 at Louisville
8,056 March 20, 2007 vs. Vanderbilt (East Lansing, Mich.)
LAST TIME OUT: VELASCO'S BUZZER-BEATER LIFTS BG PAST DUQUESNE
• Amy Velasco hit a runner at the buzzer, lifting the Falcons to a 68-66 victory over Duquesne Monday night (Nov. 27) in another thriller at the Stroh Center.
• Velasco's heroics gave the Falcons (5-1) a second nail-biting win in as many home games this season, and capped a frantic final few minutes.
• Velasco, who scored 15 points in the win, made a pair of free throws with 1:45 to go, giving the Falcons a 63-62 lead. But, Amaya Hamilton, who had a career-high 28 points for the Dukes (3-2), hit a baby hook to give her team the lead once again.
• The Falcons missed a shot, but BG forced a miss before Lexi Fleming hit a three-pointer with 20.1 seconds to go. Fleming led the home team with 19 points.
• After a DU timeout, Hamilton made a layup to tie the score with 8.6 seconds remaining, and Fleming was called for an offensive foul with 3.8 seconds left. Duquesne called another timeout, but the Dukes were whistled for a five-second violation as they attempted to inbound the ball, giving possession to the Falcons.
• Freshman Paige Kohler inbounded the ball to Velasco in the backcourt, and the junior took the ball over midcourt as the final seconds ticked away. She reached the foul line and tossed up a right-handed shot that found nothing but net as the final buzzer sounded.
• In her first home game since January, Morgan Sharps had 11 points for the Falcons, with Kohler scoring 10.
• Jasmine Clerkley had nine points, a team-high 10 rebounds and a game-best plus/minus rating of +16 in the win.
STROH-MENDOUS!
• After downing Duquesne on Monday, BGSU is now 2-0 at home this season. The Falcons have won both games after trailing in the final minute. BG downed Cleveland State, 89-86, in the home opener (Nov. 7) after trailing with as few as 1.9 seconds to go.
• On Monday, BG trailed with just over 20 seconds remaining, before Lexi Fleming's three-pointer.
• Both games were tied with 1.0 or fewer seconds left before BGSU wound up winning in regulation. Against CSU, Fleming hit a pair of free throws with exactly one second to go. And, Amy Velasco's winning shot on Monday evening came as the final buzzer sounded.
SHARPS-SHOOTING FALCON: MO'S BACK!
• The Falcons' win over Lehigh on Thanksgiving Day marked the return of Morgan Sharps to the court. Sharps, a transfer from Xavier, played in each of BGSU's first 50 games after coming to BG, but was injured in the Falcons' win over Toledo in January of 2023.
• Sharps, who started the first 17 games last season, made her presence felt immediately in the win over the Mountain Hawks. In less than 20 minutes of action, she had 15 points, three rebounds and three steals. Then, on Monday, she had 11 points in the win over Duquesne.
Sharps knocked down four three-point field-goal attempts vs. Lehigh, and made three more against Duquesne. She now has hit 120 long-range shots at BG.
BIG LEX A B!G PART OF BG'S B!G SUCCESS
• Lexi Fleming has been a B!G part of the Falcons' success since arriving at BGSU. The MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020-21, Fleming missed the entire '21-22 season due to injury, but returned to the court last season and saw action in 36 games.
• Entering the Iowa game, Fleming has played in 69 games as a Falcon. BGSU has a record of 54-15 in those 69 games, including a 27-8 ledger in MAC regular-season play, a 31-10 mark in all games (regular season and tournament) against conference foes and a 25-5 record at the Stroh Center.
FLEMING ON FIRE DURING BG'S WIN STREAK
• Lexi Fleming has helped the Falcons in multiple ways this season, as she leads BG in both scoring and steals, while ranking second in rebounding and tying for second in assists. Fleming has kicked it up a notch during BG's current four-game win streak.
• In those four games – wins vs. Xavier, Mercer, Lehigh and Duquesne – Fleming has averaged 19.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.8 steals. She had 21 points against Xavier, including 13 in the third quarter alone, and scored 22 points vs. Lehigh. And, the 5-5 guard had a team-leading seven rebounds in each of those wins.
• On Monday vs. Duquesne, Fleming had 19 points and seven rebounds, and tied her career best with four three-point field goals made.
THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons enter the Iowa game with a 5-1 record on the young season. BGSU is 2-0 at home, 1-1 on the road and 2-0 in neutral-site games.
• The Falcons rallied to beat Cleveland State, 89-86, in the season opener at the Stroh Center (Nov. 7), before falling at Texas State by a 74-48 score (Nov. 11). The Falcons have bounced back by winning the last four games. BG picked up the first road win of the season, with a 73-64 victory at Xavier on Nov. 18, before going to Savannah, Ga., and posting a pair of neutral-site victories in the Savannah Hoops Invitational.
• The Falcons topped Mercer by a 59-38 final (Nov. 22), and BGSU returned to the court on Thanksgiving Day and defeated Lehigh, 85-73. On Monday night (Nov. 27), BGSU picked up a 68-66 win over Duquesne at the Stroh.
• A total of 13 Falcons have seen action so far this season, with nine of those 13 averaging over 11 minutes per contest. Amy Velasco leads the team with 36.1 minutes per game, followed by Lexi Fleming (33.9 mpg) and Paige Kohler (30.5).
• Fleming leads the Falcons in scoring, with 16.8 points per game, with Velasco and Kohler at 14.2 and 13.0 ppg, respectively. Erika Porter has 8.7 points per outing to date.
• Taya Ellis leads the Falcons in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and blocks (1.0 bpg), with the 5-5 Fleming second in boards (4.8 rpg). Kohler paces BG with 4.7 assists per game, while Fleming has a team-high 3.0 steals per contest.
• Last year, the Falcons went 31-7 overall, and BGSU was 14-4 in MAC play. The Falcons tied Ball State for second in the conference, and BG earned the number-two seed for the MAC Tournament and advanced to the championship game.
• Then, the Orange and Brown won four games in the WNIT to advance all the way to the semifinal round of that tourney.
• A total of nine student-athletes return from that team in 2023-24. Morgan Sharps averaged 10.4 ppg, making 41 triples in 17 games while shooting 39.8% from the arc, but she missed the final 21 games due to an injury suffered early in the Falcons' double-digit win over Toledo on Jan. 18.
• Sharps returned for the Lehigh game, and scored 15 points in her first game action in over 10 months.
• Fleming averaged 9.0 ppg on the year, and was second on the team with 51 successful long-distance shots. She started 20 of the 21 games after Sharps was injured, and was fourth on the club in assists (2.61 apg) and third in steals (1.86 spg).
• Velasco and Sophie Dziekan had 6.4 and 4.6 ppg, respectively, last winter. Dzieken shot 56.2% on the year, going 77-for-137 on the season. Velasco led the Falcons during the WNIT run, with a career-high 11 assists at Green Bay, a season-high 18 points against Florida and a 19-point game against Columbia. Velasco was second on the club with 2.97 apg and had an assist/turnover ratio of 2.17, good for second on the team behind Sharps (2.55).
• The Falcons lost four starters from a year ago, as Allison Day completed her eligibility and Elissa Brett, Nyla Hampton and Jocelyn Tate all entered the transfer portal. Additionally, Kadie Hempfling, the only player in school history with over 1,200 points, 800 rebounds and 400 assists, completed her eligibility.
• Fleming, as mentioned, made 20 starts a year ago, with Sharps starting 17 contests and Velasco five.
• The group of returnees also includes Jasmine Clerkley, Jasmine Fearne, Olivia Hill, Emily Siesel and Jaci Tubergen.
• Five newcomers have joined head coach Fred Chmiel's 2023-24 club. That quintet includes Baylor transfer Porter as well as freshmen Ellis, Kohler, Keiryn McGuff and Abbie Riddle.
• Chmiel's staff is comprised of assistant coaches Maggie Lucas, Nick DiPillo and Lexxus Graham-Blincoe, video coordinator Audra Clark, director of operations Tim Kjar and director of player personnel Zhaque Gray.
• BGSU picked up an 82-43 win over Purdue Northwest in the team's lone exhibition game (Nov. 2). All nine of the players who saw action scored at least two points, with eight scoring five points or more.
THREE-LIGHTFUL
• A pair of Falcons have moved into the top 20 on the BGSU career list for three-point field goals made. Lexi Fleming now has 125 career triples, ranking her 16th on the school list. Morgan Sharps has hit 120 long-distance shots in her Falcon career, lifting her into 19th on the BG chart.
• More impressively, both players currently rank among the top-five Falcons in school history in three-pointers made per game. Sharps currently is first in that category with 2.31 triples per game, just ahead of the legendary Lauren Prochaska (2.30 three-pointers per game from 2007-11). Fleming currently ranks fifth on that list, having made 1.81 treys per contest.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE HAWKEYES
• Iowa is 7-1 heading into Saturday's game, and the Hawkeyes are ranked fourth in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls. Iowa has won four-straight games, including wins over Purdue Fort Wayne, FGCU and #14 Kansas State at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.
• Individually, Caitlin Clark leads the team in scoring, with 29.6 ppg, and she also has 6.4 rpg and a team-leading 7.5 apg. Clark, the consensus national player of the year last season, has scored 20 or more points in 93 of her 108 career games.
• Head coach Lisa Bluder's Hawkeyes were picked to win the Big Ten Conference in both the league's media and coaches preseason polls. Iowa returned three starters along with the league's sixth player of the year from a 2022-23 team that went 31-7 overall and 15-3 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced all the way to the national championship game.
THE SERIES
• The Falcons and Iowa are meeting for the first time in women's basketball. BGSU has a record of 19-54 against current members of the Big Ten Conference.
DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the Iowa game, the Falcons will return to the road to face Wright State on Tuesday, Dec. 12. That game will begin at 11:00 a.m.
• Then, BGSU returns home to face South Carolina on Dec. 19. The Gamecocks are currently the number-one team in the nation. Three days later (Dec. 22), the Falcons will take on #17 Indiana in Bloomington.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
For more information on BGSU women's hoops, be sure to follow the Falcons on Facebook (@BGWBB), Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUWBB) and Instagram (@bgsuwbb), as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
Saturday, December 2, 2023 • 1:30 p.m. ET
Carver-Hawkeye Arena • Iowa City, Iowa
TV/Video: FS1 • Audio: Falcon Media Sports Network
Live Stats: HawkeyeSports.com • Twitter: @BGSUwbb
THE OPENING TIP
• The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team begins an uber-challenging December schedule with a road game against a top-five opponent this weekend. The Falcons, under the direction of first-year head coach Fred Chmiel, face the fourth-ranked University of Iowa on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 2). Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) at a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• There are multiple ways to keep up with the Falcons in 2023-24...
• TV/VIDEO: Saturday's Iowa game will be televised nationally on FS1, with Sloane Martin and Kim Adams on the call.
• RADIO/AUDIO: All of BGSU's 2023-24 games are scheduled to have an audio stream thanks to the Falcon Media Sports Network.
• LIVE STATS: Again this year, live stats for all games can be found on the interwebs.
• TWITTER (X): In-game updates, along with key graphics and information, can be found on the BGSU women's basketball Twitter/X account, @BGSUWBB.
• For all of the pertinent links to any and all ways to follow the Falcons, go to BGSUFalcons.com and navigate your way to the "women's basketball schedule" page on game day.
THE FALCONS VS. THE TOP 25
• The Falcons enter the Iowa game with an all-time record of 5-36 against teams ranked in the top 25 in the Associated Press and/or USA Today polls. BGSU is 3-4 at home (1-1 at the Stroh Center), 1-22 on the road and 1-10 in neutral-site games.
• BGSU is 2-13 against teams ranked in the top 10 of at least one poll. The wins came at home vs. #10/10 Purdue in 1991, and against #7/8 Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Championships in East Lansing, Mich.
• Heading into the Iowa game, the Falcons are 0-7 all-time against teams ranked in the top five.
• Of BGSU's five total victories over nationally-ranked teams, three have come over Vanderbilt, with BGSU downing Purdue and Dayton once each.
• Vanderbilt is the highest-ranked team the Falcons have ever defeated, as BGSU topped the #7/8 Commodores in the aforementioned 2007 game.
• In addition to the win over Purdue in '91, the Falcons' other home victory over a nationally-ranked team was a 65-40 triumph against #15/14 Dayton at the Stroh Center on Dec. 30, 2012. That UD game is the Falcons' last overall win over a top-25 team, and is also BG's largest margin of victory against a nationally-ranked club.
• In addition to #4/4 Iowa, BGSU's December schedule includes a home game vs. South Carolina (Dec. 19) and a contest at Indiana (Dec. 22). The Gamecocks are currently ranked #1 in the nation in both polls, with IU sitting at #17.
• A list of the highest-ranked opponents' the Falcons have ever faced follows. The complete list of BGSU's games vs. nationally-ranked foes can be found on page 22 of these very notes.
THE HIGHEST-RANKED OPPONENTS BGSU HAS FACED...
Date Opponent Site Result
Nov. 26, 1983 #3 Georgia * N (Detroit, Mich.) L 50-99
Dec. 10, 1992 #3/2 Vanderbilt A L 66-69
Nov. 15, 2009 #3/3 Ohio State A L 72-91
Dec. 19, 2006 #4/4 Duke N (Cancun, Mexico) L 46-55
Dec. 2, 2023 #4/4 Iowa A 1:30 p.m. ET
March 18, 1989 #5/4 Maryland A L 65-78
Dec. 21, 1990 #5/5 Purdue A L 56-100
Nov. 19, 2016 #5/6 Louisville A L 42-69
Dec. 8, 1995 #6/8 Penn State N (College Park, Md.) L 75-88
March 20, 2007 #7/8 Vanderbilt N (East Lansing, Mich.) W 59-56
Dec. 21, 1992 #8/7 Purdue A L 78-81
Dec. 11, 1993 #10/9 Vanderbilt A L 70-92
Nov. 12, 2004 #10/9 Ohio State A L 41-89
March 24, 2007 #10/9 Arizona State N (Greensboro, N.C.) L 49-67
Nov. 23, 1991 #10/10 PURDUE H W 75-72
Nov. 17, 2022 #12/9 Indiana A L 61-96
rankings are Associated Press/USA Today
* AP ranking only
B!G CROWD EXPECTED
• Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena is sold out for the 2023-24 season, and attendance at each of the Hawkeyes' first three games this season has been exactly 14,998. Assuming the attendance is at or near that same figure on Saturday, it would be the largest crowd ever to see a BGSU game.
B!G GAMES, B!G CROWDS; LARGEST ATTENDANCE FIGURES IN BGSU HISTORY...
Attend. Date Opponent
10,048 Dec. 8, 2015 at Virginia
9,656 Dec. 11, 2004 vs. Utah State (Albuquerque, N.M.)
9,212 Dec. 10, 2004 at New Mexico
8,194 Nov. 19, 2016 at Louisville
8,056 March 20, 2007 vs. Vanderbilt (East Lansing, Mich.)
LAST TIME OUT: VELASCO'S BUZZER-BEATER LIFTS BG PAST DUQUESNE
• Amy Velasco hit a runner at the buzzer, lifting the Falcons to a 68-66 victory over Duquesne Monday night (Nov. 27) in another thriller at the Stroh Center.
• Velasco's heroics gave the Falcons (5-1) a second nail-biting win in as many home games this season, and capped a frantic final few minutes.
• Velasco, who scored 15 points in the win, made a pair of free throws with 1:45 to go, giving the Falcons a 63-62 lead. But, Amaya Hamilton, who had a career-high 28 points for the Dukes (3-2), hit a baby hook to give her team the lead once again.
• The Falcons missed a shot, but BG forced a miss before Lexi Fleming hit a three-pointer with 20.1 seconds to go. Fleming led the home team with 19 points.
• After a DU timeout, Hamilton made a layup to tie the score with 8.6 seconds remaining, and Fleming was called for an offensive foul with 3.8 seconds left. Duquesne called another timeout, but the Dukes were whistled for a five-second violation as they attempted to inbound the ball, giving possession to the Falcons.
• Freshman Paige Kohler inbounded the ball to Velasco in the backcourt, and the junior took the ball over midcourt as the final seconds ticked away. She reached the foul line and tossed up a right-handed shot that found nothing but net as the final buzzer sounded.
• In her first home game since January, Morgan Sharps had 11 points for the Falcons, with Kohler scoring 10.
• Jasmine Clerkley had nine points, a team-high 10 rebounds and a game-best plus/minus rating of +16 in the win.
STROH-MENDOUS!
• After downing Duquesne on Monday, BGSU is now 2-0 at home this season. The Falcons have won both games after trailing in the final minute. BG downed Cleveland State, 89-86, in the home opener (Nov. 7) after trailing with as few as 1.9 seconds to go.
• On Monday, BG trailed with just over 20 seconds remaining, before Lexi Fleming's three-pointer.
• Both games were tied with 1.0 or fewer seconds left before BGSU wound up winning in regulation. Against CSU, Fleming hit a pair of free throws with exactly one second to go. And, Amy Velasco's winning shot on Monday evening came as the final buzzer sounded.
SHARPS-SHOOTING FALCON: MO'S BACK!
• The Falcons' win over Lehigh on Thanksgiving Day marked the return of Morgan Sharps to the court. Sharps, a transfer from Xavier, played in each of BGSU's first 50 games after coming to BG, but was injured in the Falcons' win over Toledo in January of 2023.
• Sharps, who started the first 17 games last season, made her presence felt immediately in the win over the Mountain Hawks. In less than 20 minutes of action, she had 15 points, three rebounds and three steals. Then, on Monday, she had 11 points in the win over Duquesne.
Sharps knocked down four three-point field-goal attempts vs. Lehigh, and made three more against Duquesne. She now has hit 120 long-range shots at BG.
BIG LEX A B!G PART OF BG'S B!G SUCCESS
• Lexi Fleming has been a B!G part of the Falcons' success since arriving at BGSU. The MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020-21, Fleming missed the entire '21-22 season due to injury, but returned to the court last season and saw action in 36 games.
• Entering the Iowa game, Fleming has played in 69 games as a Falcon. BGSU has a record of 54-15 in those 69 games, including a 27-8 ledger in MAC regular-season play, a 31-10 mark in all games (regular season and tournament) against conference foes and a 25-5 record at the Stroh Center.
FLEMING ON FIRE DURING BG'S WIN STREAK
• Lexi Fleming has helped the Falcons in multiple ways this season, as she leads BG in both scoring and steals, while ranking second in rebounding and tying for second in assists. Fleming has kicked it up a notch during BG's current four-game win streak.
• In those four games – wins vs. Xavier, Mercer, Lehigh and Duquesne – Fleming has averaged 19.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.8 steals. She had 21 points against Xavier, including 13 in the third quarter alone, and scored 22 points vs. Lehigh. And, the 5-5 guard had a team-leading seven rebounds in each of those wins.
• On Monday vs. Duquesne, Fleming had 19 points and seven rebounds, and tied her career best with four three-point field goals made.
THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons enter the Iowa game with a 5-1 record on the young season. BGSU is 2-0 at home, 1-1 on the road and 2-0 in neutral-site games.
• The Falcons rallied to beat Cleveland State, 89-86, in the season opener at the Stroh Center (Nov. 7), before falling at Texas State by a 74-48 score (Nov. 11). The Falcons have bounced back by winning the last four games. BG picked up the first road win of the season, with a 73-64 victory at Xavier on Nov. 18, before going to Savannah, Ga., and posting a pair of neutral-site victories in the Savannah Hoops Invitational.
• The Falcons topped Mercer by a 59-38 final (Nov. 22), and BGSU returned to the court on Thanksgiving Day and defeated Lehigh, 85-73. On Monday night (Nov. 27), BGSU picked up a 68-66 win over Duquesne at the Stroh.
• A total of 13 Falcons have seen action so far this season, with nine of those 13 averaging over 11 minutes per contest. Amy Velasco leads the team with 36.1 minutes per game, followed by Lexi Fleming (33.9 mpg) and Paige Kohler (30.5).
• Fleming leads the Falcons in scoring, with 16.8 points per game, with Velasco and Kohler at 14.2 and 13.0 ppg, respectively. Erika Porter has 8.7 points per outing to date.
• Taya Ellis leads the Falcons in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and blocks (1.0 bpg), with the 5-5 Fleming second in boards (4.8 rpg). Kohler paces BG with 4.7 assists per game, while Fleming has a team-high 3.0 steals per contest.
• Last year, the Falcons went 31-7 overall, and BGSU was 14-4 in MAC play. The Falcons tied Ball State for second in the conference, and BG earned the number-two seed for the MAC Tournament and advanced to the championship game.
• Then, the Orange and Brown won four games in the WNIT to advance all the way to the semifinal round of that tourney.
• A total of nine student-athletes return from that team in 2023-24. Morgan Sharps averaged 10.4 ppg, making 41 triples in 17 games while shooting 39.8% from the arc, but she missed the final 21 games due to an injury suffered early in the Falcons' double-digit win over Toledo on Jan. 18.
• Sharps returned for the Lehigh game, and scored 15 points in her first game action in over 10 months.
• Fleming averaged 9.0 ppg on the year, and was second on the team with 51 successful long-distance shots. She started 20 of the 21 games after Sharps was injured, and was fourth on the club in assists (2.61 apg) and third in steals (1.86 spg).
• Velasco and Sophie Dziekan had 6.4 and 4.6 ppg, respectively, last winter. Dzieken shot 56.2% on the year, going 77-for-137 on the season. Velasco led the Falcons during the WNIT run, with a career-high 11 assists at Green Bay, a season-high 18 points against Florida and a 19-point game against Columbia. Velasco was second on the club with 2.97 apg and had an assist/turnover ratio of 2.17, good for second on the team behind Sharps (2.55).
• The Falcons lost four starters from a year ago, as Allison Day completed her eligibility and Elissa Brett, Nyla Hampton and Jocelyn Tate all entered the transfer portal. Additionally, Kadie Hempfling, the only player in school history with over 1,200 points, 800 rebounds and 400 assists, completed her eligibility.
• Fleming, as mentioned, made 20 starts a year ago, with Sharps starting 17 contests and Velasco five.
• The group of returnees also includes Jasmine Clerkley, Jasmine Fearne, Olivia Hill, Emily Siesel and Jaci Tubergen.
• Five newcomers have joined head coach Fred Chmiel's 2023-24 club. That quintet includes Baylor transfer Porter as well as freshmen Ellis, Kohler, Keiryn McGuff and Abbie Riddle.
• Chmiel's staff is comprised of assistant coaches Maggie Lucas, Nick DiPillo and Lexxus Graham-Blincoe, video coordinator Audra Clark, director of operations Tim Kjar and director of player personnel Zhaque Gray.
• BGSU picked up an 82-43 win over Purdue Northwest in the team's lone exhibition game (Nov. 2). All nine of the players who saw action scored at least two points, with eight scoring five points or more.
THREE-LIGHTFUL
• A pair of Falcons have moved into the top 20 on the BGSU career list for three-point field goals made. Lexi Fleming now has 125 career triples, ranking her 16th on the school list. Morgan Sharps has hit 120 long-distance shots in her Falcon career, lifting her into 19th on the BG chart.
• More impressively, both players currently rank among the top-five Falcons in school history in three-pointers made per game. Sharps currently is first in that category with 2.31 triples per game, just ahead of the legendary Lauren Prochaska (2.30 three-pointers per game from 2007-11). Fleming currently ranks fifth on that list, having made 1.81 treys per contest.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE HAWKEYES
• Iowa is 7-1 heading into Saturday's game, and the Hawkeyes are ranked fourth in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls. Iowa has won four-straight games, including wins over Purdue Fort Wayne, FGCU and #14 Kansas State at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.
• Individually, Caitlin Clark leads the team in scoring, with 29.6 ppg, and she also has 6.4 rpg and a team-leading 7.5 apg. Clark, the consensus national player of the year last season, has scored 20 or more points in 93 of her 108 career games.
• Head coach Lisa Bluder's Hawkeyes were picked to win the Big Ten Conference in both the league's media and coaches preseason polls. Iowa returned three starters along with the league's sixth player of the year from a 2022-23 team that went 31-7 overall and 15-3 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced all the way to the national championship game.
THE SERIES
• The Falcons and Iowa are meeting for the first time in women's basketball. BGSU has a record of 19-54 against current members of the Big Ten Conference.
DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the Iowa game, the Falcons will return to the road to face Wright State on Tuesday, Dec. 12. That game will begin at 11:00 a.m.
• Then, BGSU returns home to face South Carolina on Dec. 19. The Gamecocks are currently the number-one team in the nation. Three days later (Dec. 22), the Falcons will take on #17 Indiana in Bloomington.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
For more information on BGSU women's hoops, be sure to follow the Falcons on Facebook (@BGWBB), Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUWBB) and Instagram (@bgsuwbb), as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
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/ Women's BasketballAmy Velasco, Lexi Fleming, & Coach Chmiel Postgame Interview (Mar. 5, 2025)
Thursday, March 06
Paige Kohler, Coach Chmiel, & Amy Velasco Postgame Interview (Feb. 26, 2025)
Thursday, February 27
In the Paint: Lexxus Graham-Blincoe
Wednesday, February 26
Erika Porter, Amy Velasco, & Coach Chmiel Postgame Interview (Feb. 22, 2025)
Sunday, February 23