Falcons Head to Springfield to Conclude Hall of Fame Challenge

Sunday, November 27

Springfield, MA

10:30 AM

Bowling Green State University

Saint Peter's

Bench celeb v Cincinnati Bianca Garza photo Nov 15 2016

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

November 25, 2016 | Women's Basketball

BGSU meets Saint Peter's Sunday morning in Massachusetts

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team concludes a four-game road swing with a trip to Massachusetts this weekend. Head coach Jennifer Roos and the Falcons play their fourth and final game in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge on Sunday morning (Nov. 27), taking on Saint Peter's University. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. The BGSU-SPU game is the first of four at the MassMutual Center on Sunday.

Following the Saint Peter's contest, the Falcons will play three-straight games at the Stroh Center, beginning with a Wednesday (Nov. 30) matchup against Davis & Elkins.

LINKS
GAME NOTES: BGSU | Saint Peter's
BGSU's 2016-17 Notes for All Games
Falcons Ride Explosive Start to Win over Lafayette
Roos, Falcons Sign Five to National Letters of Intent
BGSU Statistics | Career Stats for Current Falcons
Falcons in Cuba! -- Day One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven
BGSU Women's Basketball on...: YouTube | Twitter
Buy Tickets | Join the Falcon Club Today!

SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE IN SPRINGFIELD...
(all games at MassMutual Center -- start times are ET)
Sunday, Nov. 27
Bowling Green vs. Saint Peter's, 10:30 a.m.
Louisville v South Carolina, 1:00 p.m.
Hampton vs. Lafayette, 3:30 p.m.
Maine vs. Chattanooga, 6:00 p.m.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to the arena on game day, fear not – you can still follow the Falcons via your radio- or computer-like devices. All of BG's games will be broadcast by WBGU-FM 88.1, the flagship home of Falcon women's basketball, and will be available over the air or on the web. Additionally, live stats will be available, and in-game updates can be found at @BGSUwbb on your twitter machine. To follow the Falcons, simply log on to BGSUFalcons.com and click the 'calendar' link on the day of the game, or navigate your way to the women's basketball page.

BGSU HOOPS ON ESPN3
All but two BGSU home regular-season games will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app in 2016-17. All nine of the Falcons' MAC games at the Stroh Center, as well as the non-league matchups with Cincinnati, Davis & Elkins, Virginia and Cleveland State, will be aired.

The Falcons' home game vs. Western Michigan, as well as the games at Eastern Michigan and Toledo, will be aired by BCSN/Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, and the game at Ball State will be broadcast by the American Sports Network. All games that are picked up by ASN and BCSN/TWCS will also be aired on ESPN3.

BGSU's two remaining home games – Ohio Valley and Malone – also will be aired by BCSN, and there are tentative plans for those games to be on ESPN3 as well.

Numerous other road and neutral-site games will likely have live-streaming availability as well. For the latest information and links, access the women's basketball schedule page at BGSUFalcons.com.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
The Falcons had a total of three double-doubles during all of last season, but BGSU has had three through just five games this year. Sophomore Carly Santoro had 20 points and 12 rebounds at Eastern Kentucky, and senior Abby Siefker scored 14 points and pulled down 16 boards vs. Cincinnati.

For both Santoro and Siefker, the double-double was the first as a Falcon. Lauren Tibbs had all three of the team's double-doubles last winter.

Then, on Monday (Nov. 21), Siefker had her second double-double in less than a week, with 11 points and 11 rebounds in BG's win over Lafayette. Siefker compiled those numbers in just 20 minutes of action vs. the Leopards.

LAST TIME OUT: FALCONS RIDE EXPLOSIVE START TO WIN OVER LEOPARDS
The Falcons exploded out of the gate Monday (Nov. 21), scoring the first 10 points of the game en route to a 69-42 win over Lafayette. The game, part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge, was held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Sophomore Sydney Lambert led the way with 16 points, including a pair of three-pointers during that game-opening 10-0 run. Senior Abby Siefker had her second double-double of the young season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and she added three assists, two steals and two blocked shots in just 20 minutes.

BG led, 18-3, midway through the first period, and the Falcons were up by a 28-8 score after one quarter. In those opening 10 minutes, the Leopards went just 2-of-13 from the floor and committed nine turnovers.

The Falcons shot 37.7% from the floor for the game on Monday, while holding Lafayette to just a 24.1% success rate. LC committed 28 turnovers, including 20 in the first half as the Falcons led by a 39-19 score at the break.

BGSU made nine three-point field goals for the third consecutive game. Lambert went 4-of-6 from long distance, while freshman Caterrion Thompson hit a pair of shots from beyond the arc.

Senior Rachel Konieczki scored eight points, while Thompson had six and three Falcons – senior Ashley Tunstall, sophomore Carly Santoro and freshman Andrea Cecil – five apiece. Santoro had seven rebounds and Tunstall and Cecil five each.

The Falcons began the third quarter by scoring the first eight points, removing any lingering doubt about the game's outcome. BG led by a 56-28 count after three quarters en route to the victory.

A FEW MORE NOTES FROM THE LAFAYETTE GAME
All 12 players on the active roster played between 12 and 21 minutes, with 11 of the 12 scoring at least three points and all 12 pulling down at least one rebound.

The Falcons shot a blistering 67 percent from the field in the opening quarter. BGSU led, 18-3 midway through the period before taking a 28-8 lead after 10 minutes. BG's point total was the team's highest in a quarter since the NCAA instituted the four-quarter format prior to the start of last season.

BG hit 10 field goals in that first quarter alone, while the Leopards made 14 shots from the field in the entire contest.

Lafayette's 42 points are the fewest allowed by BGSU since the Falcons held Ohio to just 39 on March 2, 2014. That 2013-14 team limited opponents to fewer than 40 points on three occasions.

PASSING THEIR BOARDS
The Falcons have won the rebounding battle in all five games this season to date. BGSU has had at least seven more rebounds vs. four of the five opponents, including two games with a double-digit rebounding advantage.

The closest rebounding margin so far this season came on the road against a top-five team in the nation. And, BG still held the advantage, pulling down 40 boards compared to 39 for #5/6 Louisville.

A BG player had as many as 12 rebounds in a game only one time during all of last season (Lauren Tibbs). But, it happened twice in as many games at the start of 2016-17. Sophomore Carly Santoro doubled her previous career high with 12 boards at EKU, while senior Abby Siefker pulled down a career-high 16 caroms vs. Cincinnati.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
The Falcons are 1-4 on the young season, heading into Sunday's Saint Peter's game. BGSU is 0-1 at home, 0-2 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site contests.

Sophomore Carly Santoro leads the team in scoring, with 11.6 points per game. She also has 6.2 rebounds per contest to rank second on the Falcons in that category. Santoro has a pair of double-digit scoring games, including a BG season-high 20 points in the opener at Eastern Kentucky.

Another sophomore guard, Sydney Lambert, is second on the team in scoring, with 8.2 ppg. She has hit nine three-point field goals to tie Santoro for the team lead in that category. Lambert leads the Falcons in both assists (2.8 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).

Senior center Abby Siefker has 8.0 ppg and a team-leading 8.8 rpg. Siefker is shooting a BG-best 53.8 percent from the field this year. She leads the team in blocked shots (1.4 bpg) and is second in assists (2.2 apg) and third in steals (1.0 spg).

Lambert, Santoro, Siefker and junior guard Rachel Myers (5.6 ppg) each have started all five games this fall, while senior Ashley Tunstall (4.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) has started four and freshman Clare Glowniak (4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg) one.

The Falcons are shooting .365 from the field, .339 from beyond the arc and .679 from the free-throw line. The opponents are shooting .374, .284 and .560, respectively. BG has a +7.8 rebounding margin, and the Falcons have outboarded the opponent in each of this year's five games to date. BGSU has hit 7.6 three-pointers per game, including nine in each of the last three contests.

Head coach Jennifer Roos and her staff – which is comprised of assistant coaches Jacey Brooks, Nick Moore and Jessie Ivey, director of operations Monique Rosati and video coordinator Heidi Schlegel – welcome back a total of eight returning letterwinners from a year ago. That group includes a trio of seniors in Siefker, Tunstall and Rachel Konieczki. The junior class includes Myers and Haley Puk, while sophomores Lambert, Santoro and Maddie Cole complete the list of returnees.

The eight active returnees have been joined by four newcomers in Glowniak and fellow freshmen Andrea Cecil, Caterrion Thompson and Jane Uecker. The entire team – including the incoming frosh – got a jump-start on the 2016-17 season with a trip to Cuba in mid-August, as the Falcons were able to practice prior to the trip, then play three games while on the foreign tour.

RUNNING WITH THE FALCONS
BGSU had two 10-0 scoring runs and two 8-0 streaks in Monday's win over Lafayette. On the season, BGSU has a total of 11 runs of at least eight points, while the opponents have had nine. Both the Falcons and the foes have had four double-digit scoring streaks.

THREE-MARKABLE
No fewer than 12 different players made at least one three-point field goal for the Falcons last season. Through five games, nine different Falcons have hit at least one triple this season.

THREE-MENDOUS
The Falcons hit 10 or more three-point field goals on seven occasions last season, including five times in MAC play. While BG has yet to hit double digits in that category this year to date, the Falcons have made nine long-range shots in each of the last three games.

THREE-LIGHTFUL
The Falcons made at least five three-point field goals in 24 of last season's 28 games, and BG hit at least four triples in all 28 contests. The Brown and Orange have continued that streak, connecting at least five times in each of this year's five games.

THREE-GION OF BOOM
In fact, BG has hit four or more treys in 65 of the last 66 games, dating to late in the 2013-14 season. The lone exception during that stretch was a 2015 MAC Tournament first-round game, when BG made three treys at Western Michigan.

THREE- ... UMMM, SOME OTHER PHRASE THAT STARTS WITH 'THREE'
BGSU will be looking to extend an uber-impressive streak in the Saint Peter's game. The Falcons have hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last 374 games. BG has not been held without a triple in over 11 years – since Feb. 12, 2005, at Akron, when the Falcons won, 61-52, despite going 0-of-13 from long distance.

FALCONS IN CUBA
In August, the Falcons made an historic trip, traveling to Cuba for a cultural immersion tour. Bowling Green became only the third NCAA college team, and just the second women's basketball team, to travel to Cuba (Louisville went to Cuba three days before the Falcons' trip began).

The Falcon travel party received a warm welcome from the residents of the island nation, and BGSU players and coaches played three games – including two against the Cuban National Team – and conducted several clinics with local children and a Havana-based university team while on the trip.

For Coach Roos and the Falcons, the off-court lessons were just as important as any practices or games, and each member of the travel party learned a great deal about the people, culture and history of Cuba. The team grew both on and off the court during an eventful nine days in mid-August, and the BGSU coaches and student-athletes were wonderful ambassadors for their nation and the game of basketball.

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
The Falcons continue to own the best record in MAC history. Entering the 2016-17 season, BGSU has an all-time record of 398-181 (.687) in MAC regular-season contests, for the most wins and highest winning percentage of all league institutions. And, BG leads the series with all 11 MAC foes, making the Falcons the only team in the league, obviously, with a winning series record against every other school. BG also has the most overall victories and highest overall winning pct. of any conference institution.

A TRADITION OF SUCCESS
Bowling Green has won 14 MAC regular-season championships and 11 league tournament titles, the highest totals among all conference teams. Prior to the injury-plagued season of 2014-15, the Falcons had won at least 20 games in a MAC-record 11 consecutive seasons. BG won at least 24 games in nine-straight seasons during that span, losing just 18 total games in MAC regular-season play during those nine years.

The Falcons made 10 consecutive national postseason trips from 2005-14, with five NCAA Championships appearances and five trips to the WNIT during that time. The 2006-07 team was the most successful in MAC history, winning a league-record 31 games en route to an NCAA 'Sweet Sixteen' appearance.

Overall, BGSU has won 20 or more games 19 times, the highest total among all Mid-American Conference women's basketball-playing institutions.

SCOUTING SAINT PETER'S
Saint Peter's will enter Sunday's game with a record of 0-4 on the young season. The Peacocks have faced Penn State and South Carolina on the road, and Maine and Hampton in neutral-site action. The last three games all came in Columbia, S.C., as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge. Individually, junior G/F Talah Hughes leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, with 11.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Junior guard Alyssa Velles has 7.0 ppg and has hit a team-leading eight three-pointers. Last year, the Peacocks finished 4-26 overall and 2-81 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action. Head coach Pat Coyle welcomed back seven players from that team.

THE BGSU-SAINT PETER'S SERIES
BGSU will be meeting Saint Peter's in women's basketball for the first time.

FALCONS PICKED TO PLACE FOURTH IN MAC EAST IN 2016-17
The Falcons were picked to finish fourth in the MAC's East Division in the 2016-17 season, according to the league's preseason coaches poll. Ohio and Central Michigan were predicted to win the East and West divisions, respectively, and the Chippewas were the choice to win both the conference overall regular-season and tourney crowns.
EAST DIVISION WEST DIVISION
1 - Ohio (9 first-place votes) – 69 pts.   1 - Central Michigan (12) – 72
2 - Buffalo (3) – 60 T2 - Ball State – 53
3 - Akron – 48 T2 - Toledo – 53
4 - Bowling Green –30 4 - Western Michigan – 34
5 - Miami – 27 5 - Northern Illinois – 25
6 - Kent State –18   6 - Eastern Michigan – 15
PREDICTED REG.-SEASON CHAMPION: Central Mich. 6, Ohio 5, Buffalo 1.
PREDICTED MAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPION: CMU 7; Ohio 4; Buffalo 1.

FALCONS SIGN FIVE
Head coach Jennifer Roos recently announced the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Terri Battle (Chicago, Ill.), Madisen Parker (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Angela Perry (Rochester, Ill.), Sierra Thompson (Mattoon, Ill.) and Kennedy Williams (Marshall, Ill.) will join the Falcon program for the 2017-18 academic year.
Terri Battle 6-2 C   Chicago, Ill. (Simeon)
Madisen Parker   5-9 G   Fort Wayne, Ind. (Homestead)
Angela Perry 6-2   C   Rochester, Ill. (Rochester)
Sierra Thompson 5-11   F   Mattoon, Ill. (Mattoon)
Kennedy Williams 5-6 G   Marshall, Ill. (Marshall)

UP NEXT
Following the Saint Peter's game, the Falcons will return to Northwest Ohio for a three-game homestand. BGSU will face Davis & Elkins on Wednesday night (Nov. 30), before beginning the month of December with matchups against Virginia (Dec. 4) and Ohio Valley (Dec. 7) at the Stroh Center.

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