Falcons Surge Past Huskies, 65-48

Saturday, January 10

DeKalb, Ill.

3 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

9-6,2-2MAC

Northern Illinois

3-12,1-3MAC

Bowling Green

NIU

Photo by: Madison Younglove, NIU Athletics

January 10, 2026 | Women's Basketball

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BGSU allows just 32 points over the final 30 minutes in road win over NIU

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

DeKALB, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team went on the road and picked up a double-digit win on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10). The Falcons topped Northern Illinois University, 65-48, in Mid-American Conference action at the Convocation Center.

Senior Kendal Moxey had a game-high 15 points for the Falcons (9-6, 2-2 MAC), going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field to pace five players in double digits. Moxey also led the team and tied for game honors with eight rebounds.

Sophomore Lauren Gerken had 11 points and six boards, while three Falcons – senior Kaia Woods, junior Paige Kohler and sophomore Johnea Donahue – scored 10 points apiece. Woods was a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range.

Kohler and Donahue combined for 10 assists and 12 steals. Each player had four rebounds and five dimes, while Donahue had eight steals, including seven in the second half, and Kohler had four.

The Falcons limited the Huskies (3-12, 1-3 MAC) to just 15 points during the middle two quarters, forcing 13 turnovers during that time. NIU scored just 32 points over the game's final 30 minutes.

NIU led by six points late in the first period before the Falcons battled back. BG used a 9-0 run late in the second quarter to take the lead, then extended a three-point margin to a double-digit lead after three periods.

After the Huskies battled back to within five points early in the fourth quarter, a Kohler three sparked a quick 7-0 run and allowed the Orange and Brown to regain control. BGSU led by as many as 21 points before winning by 17.

NOTE OF THE DAY: MOX!
• Senior Kendal Moxey has led the Falcons in both scoring and rebounding in each of the last two games. She posted BGSU career-best totals of 16 points and 15 rebounds vs. Central Michigan last Saturday (Jan. 3).
• After amassing totals of 21 points and 19 rebounds (1.6 ppg and 1.5 rpg) over BGSU's first 13 games, Moxey has had 31 points and 23 boards (15.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) in the last two contests.

FIRST QUARTER
• The Huskies scored on their first two possessions of the afternoon, with layups by Nevaeh Wingate and Marta Hermoso giving the hosts a 4-0 lead with a minute gone.
• BGSU got on the board when Paige Kohler lobbed the ball inside to Taya Ellis for a layup. A Kaia Woods inbound pass resulted in a Lauren Gerken bucket, but the Huskies scored the next four points to take a 10-4 lead midway through the period.
• Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick scored back-to-back buckets, taking a nifty pass from Jasmine Fearne for a back-door layup, then scoring on a run-out after a Kohler steal.
• Johnea Donahue scored as the shot clock was winding down, but the hosts answered with a quick layup, and a layup by Maria Serracanta put NIU up by six. Woods hit a nifty turnaround jumper to cut BGSU's deficit to four, 16-12, after 10 minutes.

SECOND QUARTER
• Kohler opened the second-period scoring when she came up with a steal, was fouled and hit a pair of free throws. After another NIU turnover, Donahue drove and scored to tie the game, 16-16.
• The Huskies' first basket of the period came on a shot off glass with over three minutes gone, and after a Wingate free throw, Woods knocked down a three-pointer – the first of the game for either team – tying the score at 19-all heading into the media timeout.
• Woods drove and lobbed a pass to Kendal Moxey for an and-one layup to give the Falcons the lead for the first time with 3:01 left before the half. Donahue rebounded an NIU miss, and the sophomore was fouled and knocked down a pair of free-throw tries. Then, Woods was fouled on a drive, and her two tosses gave BG a 25-19 lead with 1:50 on the clock.
• A three-pointer by Hermoso cut the NIU deficit in half and also snapped BG's 9-0 run, and the teams went into the break with the Falcons holding that 25-22 lead.

THIRD QUARTER
• The only point of the first two-plus minutes came on an NIU free throw, but after a Moxey defensive rebound, Kohler beat the Huskies down the floor for an easy layup off of a long pass by Donahue. Then, Donahue's two charity tosses put BG up by six, 29-23.
• The Huskies scored, but Woods laid the ball off to Gerken for a three-pointer. Then, after a Donahue steal, Woods also hit a triple to push the lead into double digits (35-25) and prompt a timeout by the Huskies.
• After a Donahue steal, Moxey put back a teammate's miss and completed a three-point play with a shot at the stripe that gave the Falcons a 38-25 lead. Wingate snapped BG's second 9-0 run of the game with a shot off glass, but Donahue got back to the line and hit a shot for a 12-point BG lead.
• After Gerken fought for a defensive rebound, Kohler went the length of the floor for an and-one layup, completing the three-point play to give the Falcons a 42-28 advantage with 1:34 left in the quarter. NIU went 3-of-4 from the charity stripe to cut the BG advantage to 11 points after 30 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER
• Two free throws by the Huskies cut the margin to single digits, but a lob from Ellis resulted in a Moxey layup in the first minute of the period. NIU, however, hit layups on back-to-back possessions to make it a 44-37 game, and the Falcons used a timeout.
• Northern cut the BG lead to five points on a Teresa Mbemba layup, but Kohler took a cross-court pass from Donahue and knocked down a corner three to stop an 11-2 run by the hosts. Then, Donahue came up with her sixth steal of the day, and the ensuing possession ended in a Moxey putback and a 10-point lead. Then, Donahue grabbed a defensive rebound, went the length of the court and found an open Moxey for another layup. The Falcons had a 7-0 run and a 51-39 lead as the Huskies used a timeout with 5:48 remaining.
• Gerken hit a three midway through the quarter and after NIU split a pair of free throws, the sophomore knocked down another triple try for a 57-42 lead.
• Moxey hit a layup off of a Kohler inbound pass, and another Donahue steal led to a Ky'Aira Miller three and a 63-44 lead with 2:30 left. When Miller drove and found Moxey underneath for a shot off glass, BG's lead surpassed 20 points, 65-44, with 90 seconds to go.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will head back out on the road, venturing to Kalamazoo for a Wednesday (Jan. 14) matchup with Western Michigan. That game will begin at 7:00 p.m. at University Arena.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will return to the Stroh Center to face Miami next Saturday (Jan. 17). That game will begin at 4:00 p.m., and will be BG's annual Alumni Day, with numerous former Falcon greats expected to be in attendance.

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 on the web at BGSUFalcons.com.