BGSU Meets Akron to Close Regular-Season Schedule

Saturday, March 5

Akron, Ohio

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Akron

Tickets

Sydney Lambert v Toledo - Feb 17 2016 - Scott Grau photo

March 04, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Falcons face Zips, then prepare for Monday's MAC Tournament opener

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team concludes the regular season with a weekend trip to Northeast Ohio. The Falcons of head coach Jennifer Roos face the University of Akron on Saturday (March 5), with tipoff set for 2:00 p.m. at UA's James A. Rhodes Arena. Then, the Brown and Orange will prepare for a Mid-American Conference Tournament first-round game just two days later, on the road against an opponent to be determined.

LINKS
GAME NOTES: BGSU | Akron
2015-16 Women's Basketball Media Central
BGSU's 2015-16 Notes for All Games
Season Statistics | Career Stats for Current Falcons
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#TBT on a Friday: Falcons race past Zips at the Q | Stats

THE FALCONS AND THE MAC TOURNAMENT
• With just one game left in the regular season, the Falcons sit ninth in the overall MAC standings. The top-four teams in the final standings will earn first-round byes, with the fifth- through eighth-seeded teams hosting seeds nine through 12 in the opening round on Monday (March 7).

• In fact, BGSU is locked into that number-nine seed for the MAC Tournament, and will face either Buffalo or Western Michigan on the road on Monday.

• If the regular season ended today, BGSU would travel to Western New York to face UB in the first round.

• BGSU currently trails both Buffalo and Western Michigan by a game, but the Falcons would lose tiebreakers with both the Bulls and the Broncos. Both teams swept the Brown and Orange during the regular season.

• WMU would win a tiebreaker with Buffalo, so if the Broncos win at Northern Illinois on Saturday, Western earns the seventh seed no matter the outcome of the day's other games, and BGSU would face UB on Monday.

• If Buffalo wins Saturday's home game vs. Kent State and WMU loses at NIU, the Bulls would earn the seventh seed, and the Falcons would head to Kalamazoo for Monday's first-round action.

• If UB and WMU both win (or both lose) on Saturday, BG faces Buffalo Monday.

MAC OVERALL STANDINGS & REMAINING SCHEDULE
Team (Overall) MAC   Saturday's Game
1. Ohio (23-5)   15-2  @Miami
2. Central Mich. (19-9) 13-4  v EMU
3. Ball State (20-8)   12-5  @Toledo
4. Toledo (17-11) 12-5  v Ball State

5. Akron (16-12)   10-7  v BGSU
6. Eastern Mich. (19-9) 10-7  @CMU
7. Western Mich. (15-14)   7-10  @NIU
8. Buffalo (15-13)   7-10  v Kent State

9.  Bowling Green (10-16)   6-11  @Akron
10. Northern Ill. (11-17)   4-13  v WMU
11. Miami (9-19) 3-14  v Ohio
12. Kent State (6-21)   3-14  @Buffalo

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
If you can't make it to Akron for Saturday's game, fear not – you can still follow the Falcons via your radio- or computer-like devices. The BGSU-UA 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 free live video stream of the game will be available via GoZips.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.

LAST TIME OUT: MAC-LEADING OHIO PULLS AWAY LATE
• BGSU gave the conference champions all they wanted and more on Wednesday night (March 2), but host Ohio was able to pull away late. The Bobcats downed the Falcons by the very misleading score of 75-58 in Mid-American Conference action at the Convocation Center.

• The 'Cats, who clinched the MAC regular-season title with the win, led by just six points with under five minutes to play before pulling away late.

• Kiyanna Black led the Bobcats (23-5, 15-2 MAC) with 29 points, including 22 in the second half. She was 10-of-21 from the field, including 7-of-14 from three-point range. Quiera Lampkins and Jasmine Weatherspoon joined Black in double digits with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

• For the Falcons (10-16, 6-11 MAC), sophomore Haley Puk had 12 points to lead the way, while redshirt sophomore Kennedy Kirkpatrick had 10 points off of the bench on perfect 4-for-4 shooting.

• Three Falcons scored eight points, including seniors Miriam Justinger and Lauren Tibbs and sophomore Rachel Myers. Puk, Tibbs and freshman Sydney Lambert each pulled down seven rebounds as BGSU had a 42-33 advantage on the boards.

• All nine BGSU players who saw action scored at least two points on the night. Led by Kirkpatrick, BG had a 17-4 advantage in bench scoring.

• The game featured nine ties and 13 lead changes.

• The Falcons led by seven points, 17-10, in the first quarter, before Ohio scored 10 of the last 12 points to take the lead after 10 minutes. BG responded by taking a five-point lead late in the second period, and the Brown and Orange led, 34-31, at the half.

• Black took over as the third quarter began, scoring the first 12 points, but again BG battled back. Puk's three-pointer from the right wing tied the score at 45-all with 3:25 left in the third period, and Puk's free throws put the Falcons ahead before Black's buzzer-beating trey gave the hosts a 51-49 lead after three periods.

• The 'Cats scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, but a Kirkpatrick trey cut Ohio's lead to four. Justinger's right-side layup got BG within 64-58 with 4:48 on the clock. But, those would prove to be BG's final points of the night. Hannah Boesinger's free throws with 3:23 remaining began a game-ending 11-0 run for the Bobcats.

• The Falcons shot 36.4 percent from the field for the game, and BGSU went 8-of-18 (44.4%) from three-point land, with six different players hitting at least one long-distance try. BG was also 10-of-11 at the charity stripe.

• Ohio shot 38.7% from the floor, and the 'Cats went 10-of-32 (31.3%) from beyond the arc. Black, as mentioned, hit seven triples, while Weatherspoon was 3-for-4 from long range.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• Bowling Green enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 10-16, and the Falcons are 6-11 in MAC play. BGSU closed the home portion of the regular-season schedule with a 76-56 victory over Miami on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27), before losing a 75-58 decision at league-leading Ohio Wednesday (March 2), in a game that was much closer than the score indicated.

• The Falcons had snapped a five-game losing streak with a 65-55 win on the road against Kent State (Feb. 20), but the Falcons fell just short four days later (Feb. 24) at Buffalo, losing by a 55-52 count.

• After winning three-straight games in late January, the Falcons dropped the first 'Battle of I-75' of the season, falling to Toledo 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, UB and UT before heading to Kent and picking up a 10-point victory.

• The Falcons' three-game winning streak in January included a 67-63 triumph 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 KSU 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 6-7 at home, 3-8 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site games this season. The Falcons went 3-6 at the Stroh in MAC play, and BG is 3-5 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 rank one-two on the team in scoring. Fifth-year senior Lauren Tibbs has 12.6 points per game, while freshman Sydney Lambert is scoring 9.9 ppg. Tibbs, in her first season at BGSU after transferring from Marquette, also leads the Falcons with 7.0 rebounds (ranking her seventh in the MAC) and 1.0 blocked shots per contest. She was named MAC Player of the Week last Monday.

• On the year, Tibbs is shooting 55.8 percent from the field to lead the team – and rank second in the MAC – in that category.

• Lambert leads the Falcons in minutes played (31.2), assists (2.2 apg) and steals (1.2 spg). She also paces the team in three-point field goals made, with 56. Lambert leads the entire MAC in three-point percentage, having made 43.1% of her long-distance attempts to rank among the national leaders as well.

• Senior Miriam Justinger and sophomore Rachel Myers have 8.7 and 7.7 ppg, respectively. Justinger is second on the team in both assists and steals. She has 57 assists to Lambert's 58, and 29 steals to Lambert's 30. Justinger has made 31 long-distance shots and pulled down 4.0 rpg, ranking third on the Falcons on both lists, and she is shooting 35.2% from three-point land.

• Myers has hit 48 three-pointers this winter to date, including seven triples – just one shy of the school record – at Central Michigan. She ranks sixth in the MAC with a three-point field-goal percentage of 36.9%.

• Freshman Carly Santoro and junior Ashley Tunstall have 4.2 and 4.1 ppg, respectively, while redshirt sophomore Kennedy Kirkpatrick has 4.0 ppg. Tunstall is second on the team in rebounds per game (4.1 rpg) while Kirkpatrick is third in assists (1.3 apg). Tunstall has missed the last five-plus games due to injury. Kirkpatrick had 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting at Ohio.

• Sophomore Haley Puk has 3.8 ppg, while juniors Abby Siefker and Rachel Konieczki are averaging 1.7 and 1.4 ppg, respectively. Puk has averaged 2.5 assists per game – second on the Falcons behind Lambert – over the last eight contests. She led BGSU in scoring at Ohio, with 12 points, and tied for team honors with a season-high seven rebounds. Puk has started the last five games. 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 26 games, while Konieczki and Puk both have played in 24 and Tunstall 19. Sophomore Sarah Baer and freshman Maddie Cole have come off the bench in 14 and 11 games, respectively.

• Cole had a career-high seven points at Kent State, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, and now is averaging 1.2 ppg this season. Baer has 1.1 ppg, and Baer and Cole are shooting 60.0% and 55.6% from the floor, respectively.

• Justinger, Lambert, Myers and Tibbs each have started all 26 games for the Brown and Orange this season, while Tunstall has started 11, Puk five and Siefker four.

• The Falcons are shooting 39.6% from the field, 34.4% from three-point land (good for second in the MAC) and 69.3% from the free-throw line. The opponents are shooting 39.7% from the floor, 32.6% from the arc and 69.7% from the stripe.

• BGSU is second in the MAC with 7.8 three-pointers made per game.

• In MAC games only, Tibbs is averaging 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds and is shooting 54.2% from the floor, while Lambert has 10.4 ppg and has hit a team-leading 41 triples. Justinger and Myers have 8.7 and 8.6 ppg, respectively.

• Lambert (44.1%) and Myers (38.5%) rank first and fifth, respectively, in three-point field-goal percentage in MAC games. Tibbs is shooting an impressive 41.4% from long distance, having gone 12-of-29 in MAC games, but does not have enough triples made to qualify for the MAC rankings. The Falcons are second in the MAC in both long-range accuracy (35.5%) and 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.

AMONG THE LEADERS
• Freshman Sydney Lambert leads the MAC and is ranked 10th in the entire nation in three-point field goal percentage. Lambert has hit 56 triples in 130 tries, for a success rate of 43.1 percent.

• Senior Lauren Tibbs is shooting 55.8% from the field this season to date. She is second in the MAC, and ranks 24th in the country, in that category.

• As a team, BGSU is ranked 23rd in the nation in three-point field goals made (7.8 per game).

SCOUTING AKRON
Akron enters the weekend with an overall record of 16-12, and the Zips have a 10-7 MAC ledger. UA will finish the season as either the fifth or sixth seed and will host a conference tournament first-round game on Monday night. Akron has won three games in a row, including a 62-49 home win over Buffalo Wednesday night (March 2). The Zips are averaging over 70 points per game this season to date, and UA is 9-4 at home, 7-6 on the road and 0-2 in neutral-site games this winter. In MAC games, Akron is 5-3 at home, and the Zips finished 5-4 at hostile venues. Individually, senior guard Anita Brown leads the team – and the MAC – in scoring, with 21.3 points per game. She also paces the Zips and ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding, with 7.7 boards per game. Junior guard Hannah Plybon and senior forward DiAndra Gibson have 16.6 and 10.4 ppg, respectively. Plybon has hit a team-leading 85 three-point field goals, while Gibson has made 49 triples and is third in the league in three-point field-goal percentage (.392). Sophomore forward Greta Burry has 9.4 ppg, and Gibson and Burry have 6.3 and 6.2 rpg, respectively. Senior guard Megan Barilla leads the conference with 5.2 assists per game. Barilla, Gibson and Plybon each have started all 28 games this season, while Brown and Burry have made 27 starts apiece for head coach Jodi Kest. Last year, Kest and the Zips finished with an overall record of 22-9 and a 12-6 MAC mark, and UA advanced to the WNIT. Kest and her staff welcomed back 12 letterwinners, including three starters, from that club.

THE BGSU-AKRON SERIES
The Falcons lead Akron, 51-6, in the all-time series, but the Zips have won three meetings in a row after winning just three of the first 54 matchups between the teams. The first meeting this year saw UA post a 71-55 win at the Stroh Center (Jan. 13), in the only game this season where BGSU never led. In BG's last trip to Rhodes Arena, the Falcons – with just seven players in uniform – led by five points with under 13 minutes to go, before the Zips went on a run to take the lead en route to a 67-59 win (Jan. 7, 2015). Then, in the return match, Akron escaped the Stroh with a 79-71 victory on 'Senior Day' in Bowling Green (March 7, 2015). BGSU's last win over Akron was a 77-76 decision on the last day of the 2013-14 regular season (March 8, 2014), as Jillian Halfhill's layup with 6.6 seconds remaining gave the Falcons the win and the outright MAC title. BG won the first 26 series meetings with the Zips, saw Akron capture two of the next five games, then won 19 more in a row before a UA win in January of 2013. BGSU is 27-2 in home games, 22-4 in road contests and 2-0 in neutral-site meetings with the Zips over the years. Jennifer Roos is 3-4 against Akron as a collegiate head coach..

UP NEXT
Following the Akron game, the Falcons will remain on the road to begin the MAC Tournament. BGSU will play a first-round game on Monday (March 7) against either Buffalo or Western Michigan.

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