Falcons Host #1/1 South Carolina Tuesday Night

Tuesday, December 19

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

South Carolina

Tickets

Purdue Northwest at BGSU (look at the bench reaction) (Velasco & Sharps and also Kohler) November 2, 2023Stroh CenterBowling Green, Ohio

Sophie Dziekan & the Falcons host #1/1 South Carolina Tuesday night

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

December 17, 2023 | Women's Basketball

BGSU Notes (PDF)South Carolina Notes (PDF)BGSU-USC Rosters Support BGSU Women's Basketball

BGSU faces the top-ranked team in the country at the Stroh

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BGSU vs. #1/1 SOUTH CAROLINA
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 • 7:00 p.m.
Stroh Center • Bowling Green, Ohio
TV/Video: ESPN+ • Audio: Falcon Media Sports Network
Live Stats: BGSUFalcons.com • Twitter: @BGSUwbb

JUMP BALL
• For the first time in program history, the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team will face the top-ranked team in the nation. And, that matchup will take place at the Stroh Center.

• The Falcons, under the direction of first-year head coach Fred Chmiel, face the University of South Carolina in Tuesday (Dec. 19) action at the Stroh, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m.

• Chmiel is in his first year at the BGSU helm after spending the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at South Carolina.

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

• TV/VIDEO: Tuesday's South Carolina game will be streamed on 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 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.

Have you heard? We host the number-one team in the country on Tuesday night!#AyZiggy x #onemore pic.twitter.com/NOUIkB8iTD
— BGSU Women's Basketball (@BGSUWBB) December 15, 2023

THE FALCONS VS. THE TOP 25
• Entering the South Carolina game, the Falcons have an all-time record of 5-37 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), 1-23 on the road and 1-10 in neutral-site games vs. ranked opponents.

• BGSU is 2-14 against teams ranked in the top 10 of at least one poll. The wins came at home (Anderson Arena) vs. #10/10 Purdue in 1991, and against #7/8 Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Championships in East Lansing, Mich.

• 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' most recent win over a top-25 team, and is also BG's largest margin of victory against a nationally-ranked club.

• The game vs. the Gamecocks is part of a four-game December schedule that includes three contests vs. ranked foes. BG opened the month at #4/4 Iowa (Dec. 2), and the Falcons face #15/15 Indiana in Bloomington on Friday (Dec. 22).

• 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 24 of the PDF notes.
THE HIGHEST-RANKED OPPONENTS BGSU HAS FACED...
Date Opponent Site    Result
Dec. 19, 2023 #1/1 SOUTH CAROLINA H 7:00 p.m.
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 L 65-99
rankings are Associated Press/USA Today
* AP ranking only

LAST TIME OUT: FALCONS TEACH RAIDERS A FEW LESSONS ON EDUCATION DAY
• Morgan Sharps exploded for 16 of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter alone, helping the Falcons to a 69-48 victory at Wright State on Tuesday (Dec. 12).

• The game was played in front of a crowd of 7,574 at WSU's Nutter Center.

• Sharps was one of four double-digit scorers for the Falcons. Lexi Fleming had 14 points in the win, with Sophie Dziekan scoring 12 and Amy Velasco 11.

• Dziekan also had a game- and career-high 10 rebounds, recording the first double-double of her collegiate career.

• On Education Day at the Nutter Center, the Raiders got double-figure scoring games from a pair of Mid-American Conference transfers. Layne Ferrell (Akron) had 16 points to pace the hosts, while Rachel Loobie (Central Michigan) added 14.

• The BGSU defense held Alexis Hutchison, WSU's leading scorer, to just two points on 1-of-10 shooting. Hutchison, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week, had scored 32 points in the Raiders' previous game.

• The Falcons allowed WSU to go just 6-of-33 from the field in the first half, as BGSU opened up a 26-14 lead at the intermission. Both teams heated up from the field in the third quarter, with Sharps scoring 16 points in the period. She had BG's last 13 points of the quarter (on five-straight Falcon possessions in a span of less than three minutes), including a three-pointer in the final seconds that gave the Falcons a 54-40 lead, and that lead never dropped below 12 points in the fourth quater.

VELASCO A CONSISTENT OFFENSIVE THREAT FOR THE FALCONS
• Junior Amy Velasco has given the Falcons a consistent offensive threat this season to date. Velasco has scored in double digits in each of the BGSU's first eight games of the season.

• Velasco's feat marks only the eighth time in the last three decades – but the third time in as many years – that a Falcon player has started the season with at least eight double-digit scoring performances. That list includes Lexi Fleming, who scored at least 10 points in each of the first 17 games of her BGSU career.
FALCON-FAST STARTS
(Eight or more double-digit scoring games to start the season – since 1993-94)
Player    Season   Cl. Games Notes
Charlotta Jones   1997-98  Sr. 29   Scored in double digits in every game of her senior season
Ali Mann 2006-07  Sr. 24   Hit double figures 33 times in 35 games for Sweet 16 team
Lexi Fleming 2020-21  Fr. 17   Held to 6 points vs. Ohio (Feb. 6)
Caterrion Thompson 2019-20  R-Jr. 16   A BG-best 23 double-digit games
Sara Puthoff 1997-98 Sr. 11   Held to 3 points in game 12, then started a 10-game streak
Sara Puthoff 1995-96 So.   9   Hit double figures in 16 of first 17 games of season
AMY VELASCO   2023-24 Jr.   8   BGSU hosts #1/1 Gamecocks Tuesday night
Elissa.Brett 2022-23 Sr.   8   Held to 9 points at IUPUI (Dec. 15)

MAD FALCON SUPPORT
• For the Falcons, Tuesday's game vs. the Gamecocks likely will be played in front of one of the largest home crowds in program history. The current record of 4,408 fans, who watched the Falcons take on Florida in the 1993 NCAA Championships at venerable Anderson Arena.

• The largest women's crowd in Stroh Center history took place in March of 2023, when 4,155 fans came through the turnstiles for the WNIT Fab Four game vs. Columbia. The list of top home attendance figures follows ...
BGSU RECORD BOOK – HIGHEST SINGLE-GAME HOME ATTENDANCE
1. 4,408 Florida – March 17, 1993 (NCAA Tourn.; Anderson Arena)
2. 4,155  Columbia – March 29, 2023 (WNIT; Stroh Center)
3. 4,144  Loyola Chicago – Nov. 20, 2018 (Stroh Center)
4. 4,130  Xavier – Dec. 6, 2017 (Stroh Center)
5. 4,100  Cincinnati – March 15, 1989 (NCAA Tourn.; Anderson Arena)
6. 4,013  Toledo – Feb. 19, 1992 (Anderson Arena)
7. 3,788  Florida – March 27, 2023 (WNIT; Stroh Center)

B!G CROWDS BECOMING COMMONPLACE FOR BG
• The South Carolina game could be the third consecutive BGSU contest to set some sort of attendance record. BG opened the month against Iowa at a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with 14,998 fans (including basketball legend Sue Bird and actor Jason Sudeikis) on hand. It was by far the largest crowd ever to see a BGSU game.

• Then, the Falcons faced Wright State in front of 7,574 fans, as the Raiders set a new single-game attendance record. It was the 13th-largest throng to see a BGSU game. The list...
B!G GAMES, B!G CROWDS; LARGEST ATTENDANCE FIGURES IN BGSU HISTORY...
Attendance   Date Opponent
1. 14,998   Dec. 2, 2023 at Iowa
2. 10,048   Dec. 8, 2015 at Virginia
3. 9,656    Dec. 11, 2004 vs. Utah State (Albuquerque, N.M.)
4. 9,212   Dec. 10, 2004 at New Mexico
5. 8,194   Nov. 19, 2016 at Louisville
6. 8,056   March 20, 2007 vs. Vanderbilt (East Lansing, Mich.)
...
13. 7,574   Dec. 12, 2023 at Wright State

SHARPS-SHOOTING FALCON (also titled, MO BUCKETS!)
• Morgan Sharps had a game-high 19 points, including 16 in the third quarter alone, in the Falcons' win at Wright State. Sharps scored 13 points in the final three minutes of the period, with buckets on five-straight BGSU possessions to end the quarter.

• 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, and did not play in another game until the Lehigh contest on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23, 2023).

• In the four games since her return, Sharps has averaged 13.5 points per game and has shot over 46 percent from three-point range.
BGSU RECORD BOOK – MOST POINTS IN A QUARTER, INDIVIDUAL
17 -- Carly Santoro vs. Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 10, 2017 – second quarter)
16 -- Angela Perry vs. California Baptist (Nov. 30, 2019 – third quarter)
16 -- Morgan Sharps at Wright State (Dec. 12, 2023 – third quarter)
15 -- Four times (MR: Allison Day vs. Miami [Feb. 4, 2023 – first quarter])
14 -- Five times (MR: Amy Velasco vs. Florida [March 27, 2023 – third quarter])

THE FLEMING FACTOR
• 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 South Carolina game, Fleming has played in 71 contests as a Falcon. BGSU has a record of 55-16 in those 71 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.

FIVE FUN FLEMING FACTS
• Lexi Fleming, as mentioned, had 24 points at Iowa, just two away from her career high. It marked her third 20-point game of the season and the 11th of her career.

• Fleming has led BGSU in scoring in five of the last six games, and the 5-5 guard has paced the Falcons in rebounding in three of those six games.

• On the season, she leads the team in scoring (17.4 ppg), rebounding (4.9 rpg) and steals (2.8 spg), and ranks third in assists (3.1 apg).

• At Iowa, Fleming made four three-point field goals in a game for the ninth time in her career. She now has made 133 career triples, and ranks 15th in school history on that list.

• Fleming now has 890 career points in 70 games, an average of 12.5 ppg as a Falcon.

STROH-MENDOUS!
• After downing Duquesne in November's final game (Nov. 27), BGSU is 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. Then, against Duquesne, the Falcons 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 vs. Duquesne came as the final buzzer sounded.

THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons enter the South Carolina game with a 6-2 record on the season. BGSU is 2-0 at home, 2-2 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), and after a loss at Texas State, BG bounced back with four-straight wins. The Falcons recorded a 73-64 victory at Xavier (Nov. 18) before heading to Georgia and posting a pair of neutral-site wins 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. BGSU picked up a 68-66 win over Duquesne at the Stroh on a last-second shot (Nov. 27), before opening the December slate with a 99-65 loss at fourth-ranked Iowa.

• Last Tuesday (Dec. 12), the Orange and Brown captured a 69-48 win at Wright State.

• 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 35.5 minutes per game, followed by Lexi Fleming (34.5 mpg) and Paige Kohler (29.8).

• Fleming leads the Falcons in scoring, with 17.4 points per game, with Morgan Sharps and Velasco at 13.5 and 13.4 ppg, respectively. Kohler has averaged 9.8 points per contest, while Erika Porter has 7.4 ppg to date.

• Fleming – a 5-5 guard – leads the Falcons in rebounding (4.9 rpg) as well as steals (2.8 spg). Kohler paces BG with 3.9 assists per game, followed closely by Velasco (3.8 apg) and Fleming (3.1 apg).

• Sophie Dziekan and Olivia Hill have 4.8 and 4.4 ppg, respectively. Dziekan made her first collegiate start at Wright State and responded with her first career double-double, as she had 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the win.

• Hill has started all eight games this winter. After going 0-for-1 from three-point land in her first 59 games as a Falcon, she made the first – and the second – long-range shot of her career at Xavier. She is now 4-for-9 from the arc this season.

• 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 returned from that team in 2023-24.

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 faces 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 was fourth on both the Associated Press and USA Today polls when the Falcons faced the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. Currently, South Carolina is first in both polls, while Indiana is ranked 15th by both the AP and by USA Today.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE GAMECOCKS
• South Carolina brings a 10-0 record to the Stroh Center, and the Gamecocks are number-one in the country in both polls. South Carolina has been ranked in every AP poll since Dec. 10, 2012, including a top-10 spot every week since the start of the 2019-20 season.

• The Gamecocks have won those 10 games by an average of 42.6 points per contest, and the team has scored 100 or more points five times in those 10 games.

• South Carolina is shooting 52.1% from the field as a team on the year. Kamilla Cardoso leads the team with 14.4 ppg and 10.7 rpg, and she also has 3.5 bpg. MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao have 12.7 and 12.3 ppg, respectively.

• Head coach Dawn Staley welcomed back six letterwinners from a 2022-23 team that went 36-1 overall and 16-0 in the Southeastern Conference en route to the Final Four. The Gamecocks' 11-woman roster includes eight McDonald's All-Americans.

THE SERIES
• The Falcons trail South Carolina, 1-0, in the all-time series. The lone prior meeting came in the first round of the 1990 NCAA Championships, with the host Gamecocks picking up a 93-50 victory (March 14, 1990).

DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the South Carolina game, the Falcons will return to the road to face yet another nationally-ranked team. The Orange and Brown will take on #15/15 Indiana on Friday (Dec. 22). That game will begin at 6:00 p.m. at IU's Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

• Then, after a break for the holidays, the Falcons will begin Mid-American Conference play at Central Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 3. BG will open the home portion of the MAC schedule three days later (Sat., Jan. 6) against Western Michigan.

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.