Falcons Rally for 89-86 Win over CSU in Season-Opening Thriller

Tuesday, November 7

Bowling Green, Ohio

6 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

1-0,0-0MAC

Cleveland State

0-1,0-0Horizon

Cleveland St.

Bowling Green

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

November 07, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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BGSU Picks Up First Victory of Chmiel Era in Surreal Fashion

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team rallied from multiple deficits to post an improbable win over Cleveland State University on Tuesday night (Nov. 7). The Falcons picked up an 89-86 win over the Vikings in the season opener for both teams at the Stroh Center.

(Attendance: 1,813 || Ziggyville Population: 237)

In a battle of two 30-win teams from a season ago, the Falcons trailed by as many as 17 points early in the second quarter, but battled back to tie the contest on a Paige Kohler three-pointer early in the third period. Kohler tied for BG scoring honors with 20 points in her collegiate debut.

The Vikings did not lead again until under four minutes remained in the contest, but the lead changed hands six times in that final frenetic stretch.

Amy Velasco's floater with 1:04 remaining gave the Falcons an 82-81 advantage, but Destiny Leo answered with a three-pointer with 46.2 seconds to go. Leo led all players with 33 points.

A BGSU three-point try was off the mark, and CSU's Colbi Maples rebounded the ball and dribbled several seconds away before the Falcons were able to foul her with 14.7 seconds remaining. Maples, who had 27 points on the night, made both free throws to give the visitors an 86-82 lead.

After a timeout, Velasco inbounded the ball near the BG bench, took a return pass and banked a three-point try off glass and in with 11.7 seconds to go. CSU inbounded the ball to Maples, who was fouled with 9.1 seconds remaining.

Maples, however, missed both free-throw tries, and the Vikings committed a foul on the rebound after the second miss. CSU, still under the foul limit in the fourth quarter, purposely fouled again with 7.6 seconds to go, giving the visitors four fouls in the period.

BGSU inbounded the ball and Kohler took it the length of the court and was fouled with 1.9 seconds remaining. Kohler made her first free throw to tie the game, but the second shot bounded off of the rim.

Leo grabbed the rebound and the Vikings called timeout, but CSU was out of timeouts and a technical foul was assessed. Lexi Fleming made both of the ensuing free throws with 1.0 seconds to go. The Falcons then inbounded the ball to Velasco, who was fouled and sank a free-throw try with 0.3 seconds left to cap the scoring.

Erika Porter, like Kohler, scored 20 points in her BGSU debut, while Fleming had 19. Velasco scored 16 points and dished out a game-high eight assists.

Leo and Maples, as mentioned, combined for 60 of the Vikes' 86 points. Carmen Villalobos added 11 points on the night.

For the Falcons, Kohler (17) and Porter (16) combined for 33 points in the second half alone.

BGSU shot 55.9 percent from the field in the win, including 66.7% (20-for-30) after halftime. The Falcons went 12-for-21 (57.1%) from the arc in Tuesday's win, making 7-of-11 long-distance shots (63.6%) in the second half.

FIRST QUARTER
• The Falcons led on several occasions in the early going, after a Lexi Fleming transition layup, an Amy Velasco three-pointer from Jasmine Clerkley's feed and a Clerkley second-chance layup.
• Trailing by a 7-5 score, however, the Vikings then surged ahead. Layups by Destiny Leo and Carmen Villalobos put the visitors on top, and Leo's three-point play gave CSU a 12-8 lead.
• The Vikings went ahead by seven points on a Colbi Maples three-pointer, and after Paige Kohler's steal and layup, a Faith Burch step-back jumper began a 7-0 run for the visitors.
• CSU shot over 70 percent (12-of-17) from the field in the first quarter to take a 28-15 lead after 10 minutes.

SECOND QUARTER
• That lead grew to 17 points on another three-point play from Leo. Trailing by a 33-16 count, the Falcons battled back as Fleming hit a corner three and Olivia Hill scored inside.
• Leo responded with a hoop, but a Fleming steal and 'and-one' layup was followed by a Hill transition bucket to cut the CSU lead to nine points, 35-26.
• Velasco took a pass from Emily Siesel and knocked down a triple try of her own to shrink the Falcons' deficit to seven. And, several minutes later, Taya Ellis kicked the ball out to Velasco for another long-range make, and the margin was five points at the half.

Gallery: (11-7-2023) 110723 wbk v Cleveland State - Grau

THIRD QUARTER
• Kohler opened the second-half scoring with a three-pointer, and after the teams traded layups, Erika Porter's acrobatic layup was followed by another Kohler triple, tying the game at 46-all.
• CSU used a timeout, but BG forced a miss, and a Kohler runout gave the hosts the lead. That lead reached five points when Kohler connected from the arc, and moments later, Porter's three-point play made it a six-point game, 58-52.
• But, Leo's layup began a 7-0 run that gave CSU the lead. BG went back ahead on hoops by Porter and Sophie Dziekan, but a Leo three-pointer tied the score at 62-62 after 30 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER
• BGSU did not trail for the first six-plus minutes of the fourth period. Hill opened the fourth-quarter scoring, and Kohler found Fleming for a corner three and a 67-64 lead.
• A Porter deflection gave the ball back to BG, and Kohler again spotted Fleming for a long-distance bucket and a 71-68 lead. Maples hit a layup, but a Porter putback and a Dziekan hoop put BG back on top by five.
• Leo scored four-straight points, but Kohler grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup and a 77-74 lead with 4:22 to go. Layups by Maples and Grace Ellis gave the visitors a one-point advantage, but Kohler hit a long three-point try from the right win to put the Falcons up, 80-78.
• Ellis answered with a three-pointer of her own to put the Vikings back on top, and after neither team scored for nearly two minutes, Velasco's floater with 1:04 to go gave BG a one-point lead and set the stage for the frenzied final minute.

UP NEXT
• 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 all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on Facebook (@BGWBB), Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUWBB) and Instagram (@bgsuwbb), as well as right here at BGSUFalcons.com.