Bowling Green State University Athletics
Thursday, March 16
Bowling Green, Ohio
6:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
28-6,14-4MAC
87
vs
80
Liberty
24-9,16-2ASUN
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2
3
4
F
Liberty
10
20
24
26
80
Bowling Green
30
15
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22
87
Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Douse the Flames, 87-80, in WNIT First Round
March 16, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Brett ties career high with 27 points; BGSU heads to Green Bay for tourney's second round
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team got out to a lightning-quick start on Thursday evening (March 16), and the Falcons downed Liberty University, 87-80. The game, a WNIT first-round contest, was held at the Stroh Center.
With the victory, the Falcons (28-6) advance to the second round. BGSU will head to Wisconsin for a Monday (March 20) meeting with Green Bay.
Elissa Brett tied her career high with 27 points, as all five Falcon starters reached double digits in the scoring column.
Jocelyn Tate had 15 points and a game-high five steals, while Allison Day scored 13 points, Lexi Fleming 12 and Nyla Hampton 11.
Hampton was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, while Brett went 8-of-10 at the stripe.
BGSU had two double-digit runs in the first quarter alone, as the Falcons burst out to a 30-10 lead after 10 minutes.
The Flames (24-9) cut the lead to nine points on two occasions in the third quarter, then got as close as five points in the latter stages of the fourth. But, the Falcons got several key defensive stops down the stretch, and BGSU made seven free throws in the game's final minute to seal the victory.
BGSU was +16 in the turnover department, committing just nine turnovers while forcing the Flames into 25, and the Falcons had a 27-8 lead in points off turnovers in the win.
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Nyla Hampton had four steals on Thursday night, increasing her BGSU single-season record total to 99 steals in 2022-23.
• Hampton has moved into a tie for second place on the BGSU career steals list. She now has 241 steals in 90 career games as a Falcon, tying her with Lori Albers (241 steals in 110 games from 1989-94). Hampton is just three steals shy of tying Lindsay Austin's school record. Austin had 244 career steals from 2000-04.
FIRST QUARTER
• The Falcons, as mentioned, got off to a lightning-quick start on Thursday night. BGSU spotted the Flames the game's first two points, then reeled off 14-straight points to take a double-digit lead.
• Allison Day got the scoring started with a layup, and Jocelyn Tate immediately stole the ensuing inbounds pass and laid the ball in for a 4-2 lead. Another Tate layup followed, and the Falcons then forced Liberty to turn the ball over on no fewer than six consecutive possessions.
• Elissa Brett knocked down a three-point try, and Nyla Hampton came up with a steal and was fouled, with her free throws giving BGSU an 11-2 lead. Then, Tate found Brett for her second three-pointer in under a minute.
• Mya Berkman's second bucket of the game stopped BGSU's 14-point run, but Lexi Fleming drove the baseline and scored. After Berkman answered with her third hoop of the night, BGSU went on another double-digit run.
• Olivia Hill hit a pair of free throws out of the game's first media timeout, and Day's putback gave BG a 22-6 lead. Day drew a charge at the other end of the court, then hit another layup, and after a pair of Hampton charity tosses and a Tate layup, the Orange and Brown had a 12-0 run and a 28-6 lead. Tate hit another layup in the final seconds of the quarter, before a Jordan Bailey bucket cut BG's lead to 30-10 after 10 minutes.
• The Falcons had a 14-0 lead in points off turnovers in the first quarter alone. BGSU forced nine turnovers by the Flames in the opening 10 minutes.
SECOND QUARTER
• The teams traded points over the first few minutes, with Tate and Brett each making a pair of free throws before Day's three-point play at the 7:26 mark. The Falcons had a 27-16 lead, but Bella Smuda scored the game's next five points for the visitors.
• Fleming hit a pair of free throws after Kennedi Williams picked up her third foul of the game midway through the period, but Emma Hess knocked down a long two-pointer, and a Dee Brown triple cut the BG lead to 13 points, 39-26.
• Brett and Tate each hit shots, and another Tate layup in the final minute put BG ahead by 17 before two Berkman free throws made it a 45-30 game at the intermission.
THIRD QUARTER
• Liberty scored four points on the opening possession of the second half, as a BGSU foul away from the ball was called as Hess was hitting a three-pointer. The Flames retained possession, and a free throw moments later cut the BG lead to 11.
• Hampton found Fleming for a layup, then hit a three-pointer moments later, giving the Orange and Brown a 50-36 lead. Hampton's two shots from the line gave the Falcons a 16-point advantage.
• But, Pien Steenbergen hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions for the visitors, and after Brett answered with a layup, a Jordan Hodges triple cut the Falcons' lead to nine points, at 54-45.
• The single-digit margin lasted for only nine seconds, however, as Brett's pass found Fleming for a three-pointer. That shot began a 9-0 run, as a Tate free throw was followed by a Brett triple that gave the hosts a 63-45 lead.
• The Flames answered with a nine-point run of their own. Smuda scored six of those points, with back-to-back layups cutting BG's lead to 63-54 in the final minute of the period. But, Amy Velasco drove and banked a shot off glass and through the hoop in the final seconds of the quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
• Berkman's layup was followed by a Steenbergen corner three, and with just over one minute gone in the final period, BGSU's lead was down to six points. Brett, however, made back-to-back shots for a 10-point advantage, and Fleming's layup at the 6:20 mark gave BG a 71-59 lead.
• Hess answered with a quick bucket, and after the Falcons split a pair of free throws, Hess knocked down a long-range shot. Velasco hit a tough shot with the shot clock winding down, increasing the Falcons' lead to 10, and Day answered two Berkman tosses with an open layup off of a Hampton pass with 4:03 to go.
• But, Brown drove and made a layup, and a Hess jumper cut BG's lead to 76-70. The Flames blocked a BG layup try, but the Falcons forced a miss, and Hampton was fouled as she grabbed the rebound. Her free throws at the 2:44 mark gave the hosts an eight-point lead.
• Hodges hit a three-pointer, but Day converted a tough driving layup. BGSU got three-straight stops, but the Falcons could not increase the lead, and Steenbergen's free throws with 43.4 seconds remaining cut the Flames' deficit to five points.
• Brett was fouled before the Falcons could inbound the ball, splitting a pair of shots. BG then came up with a steal, and Velasco's free throw with 32.6 seconds left gave the hosts an 82-75 lead. Tate then blocked a three-point try, with Day grabbing the rebound, and the Flames were forced to foul Brett.
• Over the final 23.4 seconds, Brett went 5-for-6 at the line, with her fifth make during that span giving BG a double-digit lead. Hess capped the game's scoring with a late three-pointer.
• Both Brett (BGSU) and Hess (LU) scored 10 points in the fourth quarter alone.
ÂGallery: (3-16-2023) 031623 wbk v Liberty - Holscher
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The Falcons shot 44.4 percent from the field, going 28-for-63 from the floor. Liberty shot an even 50%, making 29-of-58 shots.
• The Flames went 12-of-27 (44.4%) from three-point range, while BG was 5-of-10 from the arc. BGSU made 26 free trows, compared to 10 for the visitors.
• Liberty had a 40-31 rebounding advantage. But, as mentioned, the Falcons committed just nine turnovers while forcing the Flames into 25. BGSU had advantages of 27-8 in points off turnovers and 44-30 in points in the paint.
Brett, as mentioned, tied her career-high scoring total with 27 points on Thursday night. She had 17 of those points in the second half.
• BGSU's five starters all scored in double digits, while Velasco had seven points off the bench. She went 3-for-4 from the field.
• Berkman had 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Flames, with Hess scoring 15 points, Steenbergen 14 and Smuda 11. The 6-foor-6 Smuda also blocked three shots, as did the 6-1 Steenbergen.
UP NEXT
• With Thursday's win, the Falcons advance to the second round, and BGSU will face Green Bay on Monday night (March 20). That game will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Kress Center.
• BGSU and Green Bay entered the WNIT tied for the most wins among the 64 teams that made the tournament. Both the Falcons and Phoenix enter Monday's game with 28 wins on the year.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on...
• Facebook | @BGWBB
• Twitter | @BGAthletics and @BGSUwbb
• Instagram | @bgsuwbasketball
• Snapchat | BGSU Falcons
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With the victory, the Falcons (28-6) advance to the second round. BGSU will head to Wisconsin for a Monday (March 20) meeting with Green Bay.
Elissa Brett tied her career high with 27 points, as all five Falcon starters reached double digits in the scoring column.
Jocelyn Tate had 15 points and a game-high five steals, while Allison Day scored 13 points, Lexi Fleming 12 and Nyla Hampton 11.
Hampton was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, while Brett went 8-of-10 at the stripe.
BGSU had two double-digit runs in the first quarter alone, as the Falcons burst out to a 30-10 lead after 10 minutes.
The Flames (24-9) cut the lead to nine points on two occasions in the third quarter, then got as close as five points in the latter stages of the fourth. But, the Falcons got several key defensive stops down the stretch, and BGSU made seven free throws in the game's final minute to seal the victory.
BGSU was +16 in the turnover department, committing just nine turnovers while forcing the Flames into 25, and the Falcons had a 27-8 lead in points off turnovers in the win.
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Nyla Hampton had four steals on Thursday night, increasing her BGSU single-season record total to 99 steals in 2022-23.
• Hampton has moved into a tie for second place on the BGSU career steals list. She now has 241 steals in 90 career games as a Falcon, tying her with Lori Albers (241 steals in 110 games from 1989-94). Hampton is just three steals shy of tying Lindsay Austin's school record. Austin had 244 career steals from 2000-04.
FIRST QUARTER
• The Falcons, as mentioned, got off to a lightning-quick start on Thursday night. BGSU spotted the Flames the game's first two points, then reeled off 14-straight points to take a double-digit lead.
• Allison Day got the scoring started with a layup, and Jocelyn Tate immediately stole the ensuing inbounds pass and laid the ball in for a 4-2 lead. Another Tate layup followed, and the Falcons then forced Liberty to turn the ball over on no fewer than six consecutive possessions.
• Elissa Brett knocked down a three-point try, and Nyla Hampton came up with a steal and was fouled, with her free throws giving BGSU an 11-2 lead. Then, Tate found Brett for her second three-pointer in under a minute.
• Mya Berkman's second bucket of the game stopped BGSU's 14-point run, but Lexi Fleming drove the baseline and scored. After Berkman answered with her third hoop of the night, BGSU went on another double-digit run.
• Olivia Hill hit a pair of free throws out of the game's first media timeout, and Day's putback gave BG a 22-6 lead. Day drew a charge at the other end of the court, then hit another layup, and after a pair of Hampton charity tosses and a Tate layup, the Orange and Brown had a 12-0 run and a 28-6 lead. Tate hit another layup in the final seconds of the quarter, before a Jordan Bailey bucket cut BG's lead to 30-10 after 10 minutes.
• The Falcons had a 14-0 lead in points off turnovers in the first quarter alone. BGSU forced nine turnovers by the Flames in the opening 10 minutes.
SECOND QUARTER
• The teams traded points over the first few minutes, with Tate and Brett each making a pair of free throws before Day's three-point play at the 7:26 mark. The Falcons had a 27-16 lead, but Bella Smuda scored the game's next five points for the visitors.
• Fleming hit a pair of free throws after Kennedi Williams picked up her third foul of the game midway through the period, but Emma Hess knocked down a long two-pointer, and a Dee Brown triple cut the BG lead to 13 points, 39-26.
• Brett and Tate each hit shots, and another Tate layup in the final minute put BG ahead by 17 before two Berkman free throws made it a 45-30 game at the intermission.
THIRD QUARTER
• Liberty scored four points on the opening possession of the second half, as a BGSU foul away from the ball was called as Hess was hitting a three-pointer. The Flames retained possession, and a free throw moments later cut the BG lead to 11.
• Hampton found Fleming for a layup, then hit a three-pointer moments later, giving the Orange and Brown a 50-36 lead. Hampton's two shots from the line gave the Falcons a 16-point advantage.
• But, Pien Steenbergen hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions for the visitors, and after Brett answered with a layup, a Jordan Hodges triple cut the Falcons' lead to nine points, at 54-45.
• The single-digit margin lasted for only nine seconds, however, as Brett's pass found Fleming for a three-pointer. That shot began a 9-0 run, as a Tate free throw was followed by a Brett triple that gave the hosts a 63-45 lead.
• The Flames answered with a nine-point run of their own. Smuda scored six of those points, with back-to-back layups cutting BG's lead to 63-54 in the final minute of the period. But, Amy Velasco drove and banked a shot off glass and through the hoop in the final seconds of the quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
• Berkman's layup was followed by a Steenbergen corner three, and with just over one minute gone in the final period, BGSU's lead was down to six points. Brett, however, made back-to-back shots for a 10-point advantage, and Fleming's layup at the 6:20 mark gave BG a 71-59 lead.
• Hess answered with a quick bucket, and after the Falcons split a pair of free throws, Hess knocked down a long-range shot. Velasco hit a tough shot with the shot clock winding down, increasing the Falcons' lead to 10, and Day answered two Berkman tosses with an open layup off of a Hampton pass with 4:03 to go.
• But, Brown drove and made a layup, and a Hess jumper cut BG's lead to 76-70. The Flames blocked a BG layup try, but the Falcons forced a miss, and Hampton was fouled as she grabbed the rebound. Her free throws at the 2:44 mark gave the hosts an eight-point lead.
• Hodges hit a three-pointer, but Day converted a tough driving layup. BGSU got three-straight stops, but the Falcons could not increase the lead, and Steenbergen's free throws with 43.4 seconds remaining cut the Flames' deficit to five points.
• Brett was fouled before the Falcons could inbound the ball, splitting a pair of shots. BG then came up with a steal, and Velasco's free throw with 32.6 seconds left gave the hosts an 82-75 lead. Tate then blocked a three-point try, with Day grabbing the rebound, and the Flames were forced to foul Brett.
• Over the final 23.4 seconds, Brett went 5-for-6 at the line, with her fifth make during that span giving BG a double-digit lead. Hess capped the game's scoring with a late three-pointer.
• Both Brett (BGSU) and Hess (LU) scored 10 points in the fourth quarter alone.
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STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The Falcons shot 44.4 percent from the field, going 28-for-63 from the floor. Liberty shot an even 50%, making 29-of-58 shots.
• The Flames went 12-of-27 (44.4%) from three-point range, while BG was 5-of-10 from the arc. BGSU made 26 free trows, compared to 10 for the visitors.
• Liberty had a 40-31 rebounding advantage. But, as mentioned, the Falcons committed just nine turnovers while forcing the Flames into 25. BGSU had advantages of 27-8 in points off turnovers and 44-30 in points in the paint.
Brett, as mentioned, tied her career-high scoring total with 27 points on Thursday night. She had 17 of those points in the second half.
• BGSU's five starters all scored in double digits, while Velasco had seven points off the bench. She went 3-for-4 from the field.
• Berkman had 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Flames, with Hess scoring 15 points, Steenbergen 14 and Smuda 11. The 6-foor-6 Smuda also blocked three shots, as did the 6-1 Steenbergen.
UP NEXT
• With Thursday's win, the Falcons advance to the second round, and BGSU will face Green Bay on Monday night (March 20). That game will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Kress Center.
• BGSU and Green Bay entered the WNIT tied for the most wins among the 64 teams that made the tournament. Both the Falcons and Phoenix enter Monday's game with 28 wins on the year.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on...
• Facebook | @BGWBB
• Twitter | @BGAthletics and @BGSUwbb
• Instagram | @bgsuwbasketball
• Snapchat | BGSU Falcons
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Team Stats
Lib
BGSU
FG%
.500
.452
3FG%
.444
.556
FT%
.909
.684
RB
39
31
TO
25
9
STL
6
14
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
27
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
8
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
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