BGSU Heads to Texas for First Leg of MAC-Sun Belt Challenge

Saturday, November 11

San Marcos, Texas

3 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Texas State

The Falcons celebrate Erika Porter's and-one layup during Tuesday's win over CSU

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

November 09, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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Falcons Face Texas State Saturday Afternoon in San Marcos

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BGSU at TEXAS STATE
Saturday, November 11, 2023 • 3:00 p.m. ET
Strahan Arena • San Marcos, Texas
TV/Video: ESPN+ • Audio: Falcon Media Sports Network
Live Stats: TXST.com/stats • Twitter: @BGSUwbb

THE OPENING TIP
• The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, coming off of a thrilling win in the season opener at the Stroh Center, now hits the road for the first time in 2023-24. The Falcons, under the direction of first-year head coach Fred Chmiel, venture to San Marcos, Texas, for a Saturday (Nov. 11) matchup with Texas State University in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. ET) at Strahan Arena.

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

• TV/VIDEO: Saturday's Texas State game will be streamed via ESPN+.
• 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 here 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.

CSU RECAP: MARCH MADNESS IN NOVEMBER
• The Falcons opened the season by downing Cleveland State, 89-86, in a thriller on Tuesday night (Nov. 7), in a battle of two 30-win teams from a season ago.

• BGSU trailed by four points with 12 seconds remaining, but rallied to win by three.

• The Falcons had trailed by as many as 17 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 – who had 33 points – hit a three-pointer with 46.2 seconds to go. A BGSU three-point try was off the mark, and CSU's Colbi Maples rebounded the ball and was fouled 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. Maples was fouled, but missed both free-throw tries.

• Eventually, BGSU inbounded the ball and Kohler took it the length of the court and was fouled with 1.9 seconds remaining. The freshman 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 to give BG the lead for good, and Velasco hit a charity toss to cap the scoring with 0.3 seconds on the clock.

• 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.

FIRST BG WIN FOR COACH CHMIEL
• The win over Cleveland State marked the first victory of head coach Fred Chmiel's BGSU career. Chmiel was hired in April after enjoying uber-successful assistant-coaching stints at Temple (2006-08), San Diego State (2008-10), Penn State (2010-14), Minnesota (2014-15) and South Carolina (2015-23).

WELCOME! KOHLER, PORTER HAVE 20-20 VISION IN FALCON DEBUTS
• A pair of newcomers, freshman Paige Kohler and transfer Erika Porter, each had 20 points to tie for team honors in the win over Cleveland State.

• Kohler's point total was the highest by a BGSU freshman in her debut in three years, since then-freshman Lexi Fleming had 24 points in a win over Valparaiso in the 2020-21 season opener (Nov. 29, 2020).

• Porter led the Falcons with nine field goals made, and also paced the team with seven rebounds in her BG debut. She scored her 20 points in under 22 minutes.

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

SHOUT OUT TO THE RETURNEES AS WELL!
• Several of BGSU's returnees had stellar games on Tuesday as well, including (but not limited to)...

• Fourth-year Falcon Lexi Fleming, who played all 40 minutes and had 19 points. Fleming was one of three Falcons to hit four three-point field goals vs. CSU.

• Junior Amy Velasco, who had 16 points and a game-high eight assists. Velasco was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range.

• Senior Olivia Hill, who had career-best totals of seven points and two blocked shots in a career-high 24:56 of playing time. Hill led the Falcons with a +10 plus/minus rating.

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.

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 Texas State game, Fleming has played in 64 games as a Falcon. BGSU has a record of 50-14 in those 64 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 24-5 record at the Stroh Center.

THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons are off to a 1-0 start on the young season, after capturing a thriller at the Stroh Center earlier this week. BGSU rallied to beat Cleveland State, 89-86, on Tuesday night (Nov. 7).

• Four Falcons scored at least 16 points in that win, led by a pair of newcomers. Paige Kohler and Erika Porter had 20 points each, and that duo combined for 33 points in the second half. Lexi Fleming scored 19 points, while Amy Velasco added 16 points and a game-high eight assists vs. the Vikings.

• 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 last Jan. 18.

• 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. 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 Porter as well as freshmen Taya 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.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE BOBCATS
• Texas State, like BGSU, is 1-0 entering Saturday's game. The Bobcats posted a 90-48 win over Arlington Baptist in Monday's (Nov. 6) season opener. Texas State has eight newcomers and four returnees on the 2023-24 roster. The newcomers include six transfers and two freshmen.

• The Bobcats were picked to finish seventh in the Sun Belt Conference this season, according to the 2023-24 Preseason Coaches poll. Last year's team went 23-10 overall and 13-5 in conference play, winning the SBC regular-season championship.

• Head coach Zenarae Antoine, the reigning SBC Coach of the Year, enters her 13th season at the helm of the Bobcats. Her coaching experience includes two stints in the MAC at Ohio University, as a graduate assistant (1999-2000) and an assistant coach (2001-03).

THE SERIES
• The Falcons and Texas State are meeting for the first time in women's basketball. BGSU has a 14-4 record against current members of the Sun Belt Conference, with all but three of those games coming vs. Marshall.

DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the Texas State game, the Falcons will continue a four-game road stretch with a game at Xavier next Saturday (Nov. 18). That contest will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Cintas Center.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will head to Savannah, Ga., for a pair of games in the Savannah Hoops Invitational over the Thanksgiving holiday. BG will take on Mercer (Nov. 22) and Lehigh (Nov. 23).

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.