BGSU, KSU Meet in Northeast Ohio Saturday Evening

Saturday, February 20

Kent, Ohio

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

Tickets

Maddie Cole vs Toledo - Feb 17 2016 - Larry Clapper photo

Maddie Cole & the Falcons end the regular season with 5-straight games vs. MAC East Division foes

Photo by: Larry Clapper

February 19, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Falcons, Flashes face off at 5:00 p.m. at the M.A.C. Center

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team will conclude the regular season with a five-game swing against the other members of the Mid-American Conference's East Division. The Falcons of head coach Jennifer Roos will play four of those five contests on the road, beginning Saturday (Feb. 20) when BGSU faces Kent State University. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. at KSU's Memorial Athletic & Convocation (M.A.C.) Center.

LINKS
GAME NOTES: BGSU | Kent State
2015-16 Women's Basketball Media Central
BGSU's 2015-16 Notes for All Games
Season Statistics | Career Stats for Current Falcons
Buy Tickets | Join the Falcon Club Today!

#TBT on a Friday: BGSU Explodes for 55 1st-half points en route to win at KSU | Stats

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to Kent on Saturday, fear not – you can still follow the Falcons via your radio- or computer-like devices. The BGSU-KSU game, like 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, a live stream of Saturday's game will be available via KSU's athletics web site, KentStateSports.com. Live stats will be available as well, 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.

JUSTINGER EYES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Senior Miriam Justinger enters the KSU game with a career total of 966 points at BGSU, good for a tie for 27th in school history. Justinger moved up three spots in the CMU game, passing Kim Griech (931 points), Jen Uhl (932) and former teammate Jillian Halfhill (932). During Wednesday's Toledo game, she tied 27th-place Rhonda Moore, who had 966 career points from 1982-86. Justinger's next target on the BGSU career scoring list is Lindsay Austin, who had exactly 1,000 career points from 2000-04.

LAMBERT IS LIGHTS-OUT FROM LONG DISTANCE
Freshman Sydney Lambert has had a tremendous debut season in many areas, and one of those areas is three-point shooting. The Cincinnati native has made 44.7 percent of her long-distance attempts to date, going 51-of-114 from beyond the arc. Lambert is very close to a school-record pace, as the BG single-season mark if 45.3% (43-of-95) by Francine Miller in the 1999-2000 campaign.

LAST TIME OUT: ROCKETS SURVIVE FURIOUS FALCON COMEBACK
• Host BGSU battled all the way back from a 19-point deficit to tie the score in the fourth quarter Wednesday night (Feb. 17). But, Toledo was able to answer the Falcons' rally, and the Rockets hit their free throws down the stretch en route to a 68-60 victory at the Stroh Center.

• Janice Monakana scored a game-high 28 points for the Rockets (14-10, 9-4 MAC), while Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott added 19. For the Falcons (8-14, 4-9 MAC), senior Lauren Tibbs had a season-high 22 points, while freshman Sydney Lambert scored 17 second-half points after being held scoreless in the first 20 minutes.

• Lambert and Tibbs combined for 33 of BGSU's 44 points in the second half.

• The Rockets led by six points after one quarter, then outscored BGSU by a 19-6 count in the second period. UT ended the half on a 9-2 run to take a 35-16 lead at the intermission.

• The Falcons came roaring back, however, with 27 points in the third quarter to narrow the visitors' lead to five points heading into the fourth. Then, after Monakana hit a three-pointer to begin the fourth-quarter scoring, the Brown and Orange scored eight-straight points to come all the way back, with Lambert's corner three tying the game at 51-all with 6:15 left.

• But, Halee Printz made back-to-back jumpers to give the Rockets the lead once again, and the Falcons could not draw any closer than three points the rest of the way. The visitors went 10-of-12 at the free-throw line over the final two minutes to slowly pull away.

• Two BGSU starters, senior Miriam Justinger and sophomore Haley Puk, fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, and the Falcons played without junior Ashley Tunstall due to injury. Puk made her first start of the season in Tunstall's place on Wednesday night.

• On the night, the Falcons were whistled for 27 fouls, compared to 12 for the visitors in Gold and Midnight Blue.

• The Falcons shot just 15.4 percent in the second quarter as Toledo's lead surged from six to 19 points. BG went just 2-of-13 from the field that period, but the Brown and Orange then hit 9-of-13 field-goal tries (69.2%) in the third quarter. Toledo made just seven field goals during the entire second half, but the Rockets were 13-of-16 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• Bowling Green enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 8-14, and the Falcons are 4-9 in MAC play. BGSU is looking to snap a five-game losing streak, including a 68-60 setback vs. Toledo at the Stroh Center on Wednesday (Feb. 17).

• After winning three-straight games in late January, the Falcons dropped the first 'Battle of I-75' of the season, falling to UT by a 75-61 count to end the month (Jan. 30). BGSU then gave MAC West Division-leading Central Michigan a scare, before the Chippewas got a buzzer-beating bucket for a 76-75 win in Mount Pleasant (Feb. 6). BG returned home and fell to Western Michigan and Buffalo before facing Toledo for a second time.

• The Falcons' three-game winning streak included a 67-63 victory over Eastern Michigan, picked to win the MAC's West Division in the preseason coaches poll, on Jan. 27. The EMU game came on the heels of wins over Northern Illinois on the road (58-43; Jan. 20) and Kent State at home (71-49; Jan. 23).

• BG opened conference action with a 64-58 win at Miami (Jan. 2), but the Brown and Orange then suffered a road loss to WMU before falling at home to defending MAC champion Ohio, Akron and Ball State.

• BGSU is 5-7 at home, 2-6 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site games this season. The Falcons are 2-6 at the Stroh in MAC play, and BG is 2-3 on the road in league action after going 0-10 against conference opponents away from Bowling Green last year (0-9 in the regular season, 0-1 in the MAC Tournament).

• BG began the season with a pair of double-digit wins at the Stroh, then left Northwest Ohio and played three games that were decided by a total of 10 points. After beating Illinois State and Bradley to begin the season, the Falcons also posted non-conference wins over Jacksonville and Evansville.

• A pair of BGSU newcomers have posted double-digit scoring averages to date. Fifth-year senior Lauren Tibbs has 12.0 points per game, while freshman Sydney Lambert is scoring 10.3 ppg. Tibbs, in her first season at BGSU after transferring from Marquette, also leads the Falcons with 7.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocked shots per contest. Tibbs, who made 9-of-15 shots from the field en route to a season-high 22 points vs. Toledo, is shooting 56.7 percent from the field to lead the team and rank second in the MAC in that category.

• Lambert leads the Falcons in minutes played (30.5) and is tied for the BG steals lead (1.1 spg). Lambert is in a virtual tie for the team's assists lead, with 2.0 helpers per game. She paces the team in three-point field goals made, with 51, and leads the entire MAC in three-point percentage, having made 44.7% of her long-distance attempts to rank among the national leaders as well.

• Senior Miriam Justinger and sophomore Rachel Myers have 8.4 and 7.5 ppg, respectively. Justinger has 2.0 apg, with 44 helpers to Lambert's 43, and both players have 25 steals. Justinger has made 25 long-distance shots and pulled down 3.9 rpg, ranking third on the Falcons on both lists. Justinger was a perfect 4-for-4 from long range in the CMU contest.

• Myers has hit 41 three-pointers this winter to date, including seven triples – just one shy of the school record – at Central. She ranks seventh in the MAC with a three-point field-goal percentage of 36.3%.

• Freshman Carly Santoro and junior Ashley Tunstall have 4.2 and 4.1 ppg, respectively, while redshirt sophomore Kennedy Kirkpatrick has 3.9 ppg. Tunstall is second on the team in rebounding (4.1 rpg), Kirkpatrick is third in assists (1.4 apg) and Santoro is fifth on the Falcons in three-pointers made (11).

• Sophomore Haley Puk has 3.2 ppg, while juniors Abby Siefker and Rachel Konieczki are averaging 1.8 and 1.5 ppg, respectively. Puk scored a career-high 13 points at Central Michigan, adding three assists in 26 minutes, and she made her first start of the season on Wednesday vs. Toledo. Siefker is second on the team in blocked shots.

• Seven players – Justinger, Kirkpatrick, Lambert, Myers, Santoro, Siefker and Tibbs – each have seen action in all 22 games, while Konieczki and Puk have played in 20 and Tunstall 19. Sophomore Sarah Baer and freshman Maddie Cole have come off the bench in 13 and eight games, respectively. Justinger, Lambert, Myers and Tibbs each have started all 22 games for the Brown and Orange this season, while Tunstall has started 11, Siefker four and Puk one.

• Last Saturday's Buffalo game marked the 100th start of Justinger's BGSU career.

• The Falcons are shooting 38.9% from the field, 33.6% from three-point land (good for fourth in the MAC) and 69.2% from the free-throw line. The opponents are shooting 39.8% from the floor, 33.3% from the arc and 68.2% from the stripe.

• In MAC games only, Tibbs is averaging 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds and is shooting 55.1% from the floor, while Lambert has 11.2 ppg and has hit a team-leading 36 triples. Myers and Justinger have 8.5 and 8.2 ppg, respectively.

• Lambert (46.8%) and Myers (37.8%) rank first and ninth, respectively, in three-point field-goal percentage in MAC games. The Falcons are second in the MAC in long-range accuracy (34.5%) and third in treys per game (8.2) in league contests.

• Head coach Jennifer Roos and the Falcons returned a total of eight letterwinners, all of whom had started at least five games in their BGSU careers entering the season. The returnees were joined by five newcomers, including a pair of transfers (Tibbs and Tunstall) who were eligible to play immediately.

• A total of 10 players on the current roster now have started five or more games in their BGSU careers to date.

• The 2014-15 Falcons went 9-21 overall after four players on the 12-woman preseason roster suffered season- or career-ending injuries, and a fifth missed the bulk of the conference schedule due to injury as well. The returning players entered the season with a combined total of 203 starts in the Brown and Orange.

AMONG THE LEADERS
• Freshman Sydney Lambert leads the MAC and is ranked eighth in the entire nation in three-point field goal percentage. Lambert has hit 51 triples in 114 tries, for a success rate of 44.7 percent.

• Senior Lauren Tibbs is shooting 56.7% from the field this season to date. She is currently second in the MAC, and 20th in the nation, in that category.

• As a team, BGSU is ranked 32rd in the nation in three-point field goals made (7.6 per game).

A LOOK AT KENT STATE
Kent State has an overall record of 5-18, and the Golden Flashes are 2-11 in MAC action heading into Saturday evening's game. KSU defeated Ball State, 59-50, at the M.A.C. Center last weekend, before dropping a 78-66 decision at Akron on Wednesday (Feb. 17). The Flashes lost 10-straight games, beginning in early December and culminating in the first BGSU matchup, but after falling to the Falcons, KSU has won two of the last six games. The Golden Flashes are 5-8 at home and 0-10 on the road this season to date. In MAC games, KSU is 2-4 at home and 0-7 at hostile venues. Individually, sophomore forward Jordan Korinek and junior guard Larissa Lurken are averaging 15.5 and 14.7 points per game, respectively. Korinek also paces the team with 6.5 rebounds per contest and is shooting a KSU-best 54.2 percent from the field. Lurken has made 46 three-point field goals, more than three times the amount of any of her teammates and nearly half of the team's total (104). Redshirt freshman guard Tyra James has 9.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg, while sophomore guard Naddiyah Cross has dished out a team-high 3.2 assists per game for head coach Danielle O'Banion's team. Last season, the Flashes finished with records of 5-25 overall and 3-15 in MAC play. O'Banion welcomed back four letterwinners, including three starters, from that 2014-15 club.

THE BGSU-KSU SERIES
The Falcons lead Kent State, 53-30, in the all-time series between the teams, and BGSU won this season's first meeting. The Brown and Orange hit 15 three-pointers en route to a 71-49 win at the Stroh last month (Jan. 20, 2016). Last season, the Golden Flashes won both meetings, snapping a streak which had seen BGSU win eight-straight games and 21-of-22 contests vs. KSU. In last year's meeting at the M.A.C. Center, the hosts shot nearly 62 percent from the field in the second half, holding off a late BGSU charge for a 55-48 win. KSU won 12-straight series matchups, and 17-of-18 meetings, before BG captured 13 in a row. Then, after Kent State won a 44-43 decision five years ago (Jan. 15, 2011), the Falcons won eight consecutive games before last season's two losses. BGSU is 26-11 in home games (including 5-1 in the Stroh), 20-17 on the road and 7-2 at neutral sites vs. KSU over the years. Jennifer Roos is 6-2 against the Flashes as a collegiate head coach..

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
The Falcons continue to own the best record in MAC history. Entering Saturday's KSU game, BGSU has an all-time record of 396-178 (.690) 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 FEW MORE NOTES FROM THE TOLEDO GAME
• Senior Lauren Tibbs had a season-high 22 points against Toledo on Wednesday night. She was 9-for-15 from the field on the evening, and was a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. Tibbs, in her first year with the Falcons, set season bests in points, field goals made and attempted and three-pointers made vs. UT. She also had a game-high nine rebounds and tied for game honors with three blocked shots.

• Freshman Sydney Lambert was held scoreless in the first half of Wednesday's game, but exploded for 17 second-half points, including four three-pointers. Lambert has made two or more triples in 10 of this season's 13 MAC games, and she has connected on three or more treys in five of the last seven contests.

• Another freshman, Maddie Cole, had arguably the best game of her Falcon career on Wednesday night, giving her teammates and the home crowd a lift with her play off the bench. During the Falcons' second-half comeback, Cole lunged to deflect a UT pass, diving to the floor to corral the ball before the Falcons called timeout. She had three rebounds and an assist in addition to that steal, along with a number of other plays that don't show up on the box score.

UP NEXT
Following the KSU game, the Falcons will again Head East (even though there's never been any reason), bussing to Western New York to face the University at Buffalo on Wednesday night (Feb. 24) in a 7:00 p.m. start. BGSU will return home to meet Miami at the Stroh Center on Senior Day (Saturday, Feb. 27), before ending the regular season with road games vs. Ohio (March 2) and Akron (March 5).

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