Falcons Host Cleveland State in Tuesday's Season Opener

Tuesday, November 7

Bowling Green, Ohio

6 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Cleveland State

Tickets

Fred Chmiel, Abbie Riddle - Nov. 2, 2023, vs. Purdue Northwest

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

November 06, 2023 | Women's Basketball

BGSU Notes (PDF)CSU Notes (PDF)BGSU-CSU Rosters Support BGSU Women's Basketball

Chmiel Era Begins with a Matchup of 30-Win Teams From 2022-23

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BGSU vs. CLEVELAND STATE
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 • 6:00 p.m.
Stroh Center • Bowling Green, Ohio
TV/Video: ESPN+ • Audio: BG Falcon Media
Live Stats: BGSUFalcons.com • Twitter: @BGSUwbb

THE OPENING TIP
• A total of 10 NCAA Division-I programs won 30 or more games last season. Two of those 10 teams meet on Tuesday night (Nov. 7) at the Stroh Center. The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, under the direction of first-year head coach Fred Chmiel, begins the 2023-24 season by hosting Cleveland State University, with tipoff at 6:00 p.m. at the Stroh.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• There are multiple ways to keep up with the Falcons in 2023-24...

• TV/VIDEO: Tuesday's Cleveland State game will be streamed via ESPN+.
• RADIO/AUDIO: All of BGSU's remaining 2023-24 games are slated to have an audio stream thanks to BG Falcon Media.
• 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.

THAT'S A LOT OF WINS!
• BGSU's total of 31 wins tied the Falcons for fourth in all of NCAA Division-I women's basketball in 2022-23. Only South Carolina, national champion LSU and Florida Gulf Coast had more wins in the '22-23 campaign.

• As mentioned, Cleveland State – BGSU's 2023-24 season-opening opponent – is on that list as well. The complete list...

MOST WINS, NCAA DIVISION I, 2022-23
36       South Carolina
34       LSU
33       Florida Gulf Coast
31       Bowling Green, Connecticut, Iowa, UNLV, Virginia Tech
30       Cleveland State, Villanova

2022-23 BGSU POINTS OF PRIDE
• Bowling Green's total of 31 wins last season tied the school record, and also tied the Mid-American Conference single-season mark.

• The Falcons advanced to the championship game of the MAC Tournament for the second time in three seasons.

• Then, the Falcons won four games in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, advancing to the semifinal round of that 64-team tourney for the first time in program history.

• BGSU's victims in the WNIT included Liberty, Green Bay, Memphis and Florida. The Falcons' season came to an end at the hands of Columbia in the WNIT's Fab 4.

• On the day of the Columbia game – Wednesday, March 29 – BGSU was one of just eight NCAA Division-I women's basketball teams in the nation still playing.

• BG's total of 31 wins, as mentioned, was tied for fourth in the nation in 2022-23.

• The Falcons went 14-3 at the Stroh Center, and BG also posted a 14-3 record in true road games, setting a new school single-season record for road wins.

• BGSU shattered the team single-season records for points, rebounds, steals, field goals made and attempted and three-point field goals attempted.

• The Falcons finished second in the entire nation in turnover margin, and BG ranked seventh in the country in turnovers forced and ninth in both assist/turnover ratio and steals per game.

• BGSU was 22nd or better in no fewer than nine NCAA statistical categories.

TOUGH CROWD!
• The Falcons have put together arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in program history in 2023-24. Head coach Fred Chmiel's club will face a trio of top-10 teams in Iowa, South Carolina and Indiana, along with a Cleveland State squad that won 30 games last season.

• South Carolina (first), Indiana (second) and Iowa (third) finished 1-2-3 in the nation in the final Associated Press poll of the 2022-23 season, which was announced just before the NCAA Tournament began.

• Iowa, led by consensus national player of the year Caitlin Clark, won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced all the way to the national championship game.

• South Carolina has advanced to the Final Four in each of the last three seasons, going 36-1 and advancing to the natoinal semifinals in 2023.

• Indiana went 28-4 and won the Big Ten regular-season crown last season.

• In the USA Today Sports preseason top-25 poll, Iowa checked in at No. 3 in the nation, with South Carolina fourth and Indiana ninth.

• The first Associated Press poll of '23-24 saw Iowa ranked third, South Carolina sixth and Indiana ninth.

FALCONS TABBED FOR FOURTH IN THE MAC IN 2023-24
• The Falcons have been picked to finish fourth in the MAC in 2023-24. The MAC office released the Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll and the Preseason All-MAC Teams – determined via voting by the league's 12 head coaches – on Nov. 2.

FLEMING NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-MAC TEAM, AGAIN
• Lexi Fleming was selected to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team for the second consecutive year. Fleming, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio (Mercy McAuley), played in 36 of the Falcons' 38 games last season, averaging 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists while making 51 three-point field goals. She finished third in the MAC in total steals (67) and eighth in steals per game (1.86) a year ago as the Falcons went 31-7 overall and 14-4 in the MAC.

• Fleming was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020-21 before missing the '21-22 season due to injury. In games in which Fleming takes the court, the Falcons have a record of 49-14 (.778).

THIRTY ONE (31) WINS
• The Falcons won 31 games (as we've mentioned before and will likely mention again) last season, tying the Mid-American Conference record. The only other MAC squad to win as 31 games was the 2006-07 Falcon team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championships.

THAT'S A LOT OF WINS! PART 2
• The Falcons won a lot of games last season – 31, to be exact (told you we'd mention it again!). In mid-March of 2023, BGSU reached the 27-win total for the ninth time in program history. All 11 of the other MAC schools have combined for just 10 such seasons.

• A total of five teams have won 30 or more games in the history of MAC women's basketball. Bowling Green now has done so on three occasions, with the other 11 league schools combining for a total of two.

• And, only two teams in MAC history have won 31 games in a season. That feat has been accomplished by Bowling Green, and Bowling Green. The complete list of winningest teams in MAC history can be found in the attached PDF.

BIG LEX A B!G PART OF BG'S B1G 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 Cleveland State game, Fleming has played in 63 games as a Falcon. BGSU has a record of 49-14 in those 63 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 23-5 record at the Stroh Center.

THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons went 31-7 on the season, 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, of course, 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 last Jan. 18.

• Lexi 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).

• Amy Velasco and Sophie Dziekan had 6.4 and 4.6 ppg, respectively. Dzieken shot 56.2% on the year, going 77-for-137 on the season. Velasco dished out a career-high 11 assists at Green Bay, then exploded for a season-high 18 points – including 14 in the third quarter alone – vs. Florida. She followed that up with a new season best of 19 points 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.

• 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 Erika Porter as well as freshmen Taya Ellis, Paige 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 on Thursday evening (Nov. 2). All nine of the players who saw action scored at least two points, with eight scoring five points or more.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE VIKINGS
• Cleveland State returns six letterwinners from the 2022-23 team that posted a 30-5 record last season. The Vikings went 17-3 in Horizon League regular-season play, then won the conference tournament to advance to the NCAA Championships.

• Destiny Leo was named the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She is a three-time all-league honoree, and the reigning HL Player of the Year after averaging a league-high 17.9 ppg a year ago. Leo was also named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Preseason Watch List.

• CSU was picked to finish second in the Horizon League in the 2023-24 season. Head coach Chris Kielsmeier is one of 20 coaches named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List. The Vikes downed Malone, 101-60, in an exhibition game on Wednesday (Nov. 1).

THE SERIES
• The Falcons lead Cleveland State, 10-5, in the all-time series. BGSU won the most recent meeting, posting an 89-62 win in the 2019-20 season opener (Nov. 6, 2019) to snap a two-game CSU series winning streak. The Falcons are 7-2 at home (including 1-1 at the Stroh) and 3-3 on the road vs. the Vikings over the years.

DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the CSU game, the Falcons will hit the road for the next four contests, beginning Saturday (Nov. 11). BGSU will face Texas State in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge, with tipoff set for 2:00 p.m. locally (3:00 p.m. ET) at Strahan Arena at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will face Xavier the following Saturday (Nov. 18) in the Queen City, before heading to Savannah, Ga., for a pair of games in the Savannah Hoops Invitational over the Thanksgiving holiday.

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.