Strong Second Quarter Swings Momentum BG's Way for Second-Straight Wednesday

Wednesday, February 7

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

12-9,6-5MAC

Ohio

7-14,4-7MAC

Ohio

Bowling Green

Erika Porter scores 2 of her team-leading 19 points vs. the Bobcats

Photo by: Avery Zuercher, BGSU Athletics

Strong Second Quarter Swings Momentum BG's Way for Second-Straight Wednesday

February 07, 2024 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Support BGSU Women's Basketball Photo Gallery

Falcons top Bobcats, 69-52, at the Stroh

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – For the second-straight home game, the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team played lights-out defense in a momentum-changing second quarter, and the Falcons went on to a 69-52 win over Ohio University Wednesday night (Feb. 7). The Mid-American Conference game took place at the Stroh Center.

Attendance: 2,151 // Ziggyville: 305

Erika Porter had a double-double for the Falcons (12-9, 6-5 MAC), with a team-leading 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Amy Velasco had 14 points and led all players with eight assists, while Morgan Sharps had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Bailey Tabeling had a game-high 22 points for the Bobcats (7-14, 4-7 MAC), with Laylay Fantroy adding 11.

On National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the game was tied after the opening quarter, but the BGSU defense allowed Ohio to make just one field goal in the second quarter. After Tabeling's steal and layup late in the first period, the Falcons proceeded to go on a 20-0 run.

Olivia Hill and Paige Kohler each hit three-pointers to cap the first-quarter scoring, and BGSU then scored the first 14 points of the second period. Porter had seven of those 14 points, with Hill (four) and Velasco (three) chipping in as well.

Ohio went nearly nine minutes – 8:51, to be exact – without a point, before a Kennedi Watkins free throw snapped the Falcons' epic run with 2:35 left in the half. The Bobcats' lone field goal of the quarter came with just 51 seconds left before the intermission, as Jaya McClure's layup ended her team's stretch without a bucket at 10:35.

BGSU took a 38-24 lead into the locker room, and that lead never fell below 10 points in the second half.

The Falcons shot 55.3 percent from the field in the win, while holding Ohio to just a 32.3% success rate. Led by Porter's 7-of-8 performance at the free-throw line, the Falcons shot 90% (9-for-10) from the stripe. And, again led by Porter, BGSU had a 37-27 rebounding advantage in the win.

BGSU had 23 assists on 26 baskets.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• The Falcons, as mentioned, allowed just one second-quarter field goal in Wednesday night's win, as the Bobcats went just 1-for-13 from the field in the period. BGSU outscored Ohio, 18-4, in the quarter.
• Last Wednesday (Jan. 31), BGSU also used a lock-down defensive effort in the second period to pick up a win. The Falcons outscored Northern Illinois by a 22-2 count in the second period, beginning that quarter on an 18-0 run and allowing the Huskies just one successful second-quarter field goal. Just as in the Ohio game, BGSU led by 14 at the half (40-26 vs. NIU), and the Falcons' lead never fell below 10 points in the second half.

FIRST QUARTER
• The Bobcats opened the game's scoring before the Falcons went on a quick 5-0 run. Olivia Hill found Morgan Sharps for a three-pointer, and Amy Velasco threw the ball inside to Erika Porter for a layup and a 5-3 lead. But, Bailey Tabeling's second triple of the game gave the visitors the lead once again, and she should hit her third trey of the night with just over four minutes gone. Porter scored inside, but Laylay Fantroy's layup gave the 'Cats a 12-7 lead at the media timeout.
• BG battled back, as Sophie Dziekan's pass found a wide-open Hill for a layup, and another Sharps triple tied the contest at 12-12. Kate Dennis and Kennedi Watkins each knocked down long-distance shots over the next few minutes, however, and when Tabeling stole a BG pass and raced in all alone for a layup, Ohio had a 20-14 lead with 1:26 left in the quarter.
• But, Hill knocked down a corner three to cut the deficit in half, and Paige Kohler's long-range bucket with 19 seconds on the clock tied the game, 20-20, after 10 minutes.

SECOND QUARTER
• BGSU had ended the opening quarter on a 6-0 run, and the Falcons would continue adding to that run for most of the second period. Hill's cross-court pass found an open Velasco for a three-pointer in the opening minute of the quarter, giving the Falcons a lead that the home team would not relinquish.
• Hill came up with a steal, and Porter's layup made it a 25-20 game. Another Porter hoop moments later was followed by a Hill bucket, and another Hill hoop gave the Falcons a 12-point lead.
• Porter was fouled and hit two free throws, and BG was up by a 34-20 count. Finally, Ohio stopped the BGSU run as Watkins split a pair of free throws with just 2:35 to go in the half. After Emily Siesel hit Sharps for a jumper, the 'Cats hit another charity toss, and with 51 seconds to go, Jaya McClure made Ohio's first – and only – field goal of the quarter. The next possession saw Siesel find Taya Ellis for a jumper with the shot clock winding down, and Kohler drew a charge as Ohio's final possession of the period came up empty. BGSU took a 38-24 lead into the half.

Last Wednesday...
🔸 BG allowed just 1 2nd-quarter FGM vs. NIU
🔸 BG led by 14 at the half
🔸 The lead never dropped below 10 in the 2nd half

Tonight...
🔸 BG allowed just 1 2nd-quarter FGM vs. Ohio
🔸 BG led by 14 at the half
🔸 The lead never dropped below 10 in the 2nd half pic.twitter.com/O9gRAXHUdE
— BGSU Women's Basketball (@BGSUWBB) February 8, 2024

THIRD QUARTER
• Kohler knocked down a right-side triple early in the quarter, but Ohio whittled the lead down to 11 before Kohler fed Velasco for a layup. That play began a personal 7-0 run for Velasco, who hit a jumper, then knocked down a three-point try after a nifty baseline drive and kick from Kohler. The Falcons had a 48-30 lead as the Bobcats used a timeout.
• Ohio would get back-to-back Tabeling triples to cut the BG lead to 12 points, at 50-38, and Fantroy's hoop with 1:22 left in the quarter made it a 10-point game. But, Siesel spotted Sharps for a short-corner jumper and a 52-40 Falcon edge after 30 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER
• Sharps hit a floater on the opening possession of the period, and Porter made a layup, then two free throws, with under seven minutes to go. Still another Tabeling trey cut the BGSU lead to 10 points with just over five minutes to go, but the next possession saw Jaci Tubergen knock down a three-point try to restore the home team's 13-point advantage.
• Layups by Velasco and Ellis made it a 65-48 game with just under two minutes to go, and Velasco assisted Porter for a layup, then scored herself on a driving layup that gave the Orange and Brown a 19-point lead, the largest of the night. McClure's late hoop capped the scoring.

NOTES AND NUMBERS
• Five different Falcons made at least one three-point try on the night, as BGSU was 8-of-21 from the arc. Velasco went 2-for-3, with Sharps and Kohler also hitting two triples apiece.
• In addition to the Falcons' three double-digit scorers, BG got nine points from Hill and eight from Kohler.
• No fewer than five BGSU players had at least three assists in the win.
• The four Falcons to see action off the bench -- Dziekan, Ellis, Siesel and Tubergen -- combined to score seven points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting, while also teaming up for four assists (three by Siesel) and no turnovers.

Gallery: (2-7-2024) 020724 WBK v Ohio - Avery Zuercher

UP NEXT
• BGSU continues a season-long three-game homestand this weekend, stepping outside of conference play to face Troy on Saturday (Feb. 10). That game, part of the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge, will begin at 12:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center, and it will be the Falcons' Play4Kay/Pink game.

• BGSU then meets arch-rival Toledo the following Saturday (Feb. 17), with that 'Battle of I-75' set for a 6:00 p.m. start at the Stroh.

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.