Falcons Face Virginia Sunday Afternoon at the Stroh

Sunday, December 4

Bowling Green, OH

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Virginia

Tickets

Rachel Myers shoots vs D&E - Nov 30 2016

Photo by: Craig Bell, BGSU Marketing and Communications

December 03, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Three of BGSU's next four opponents are receiving votes in national polls

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team continues a three-game homestand with a Sunday (Dec. 4) matinee against the University of Virginia. Head coach Jennifer Roos and the Falcons face the Cavaliers in a 2:00 p.m. start at the Stroh Center.

Following Sunday's game, the Brown and Orange will host Ohio Valley University on Wednesday night (Dec. 7), with tipoff at 7:00 p.m. at the Stroh.

BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL LINKS
GAME NOTES: BGSU | Virginia
BGSU's 2016-17 Notes for All Games
Siefker's Double-Double Lifts Falcons Past D&E
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!

EVENTS / PROMOTIONS
Sunday's game is Military Appreciation Day. All active service members and Veterans receive a free ticket and may purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate.

The Virginia contest is also Marching Band Day, and the entire 200-plus-member Falcon Marching Band will be in attendance.

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, Sunday's contest will be aired on ESPN3.com. 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 TO BE SHOWN ON ESPN3
It's now official – all of BGSU's regular-season home games will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app in 2016-17.

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 home games against Ohio Valley and Malone recently were picked up by BCSN, and will be available on ESPN3 as well.

Numerous other road games will 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 five in just seven games this year. Senior Abby Siefker has had three double-doubles and sophomore Carly Santoro two this season to date.

Santoro had 20 points and 12 rebounds in the season opener at Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 11), and Siefker scored 14 points and pulled down 16 boards vs. Cincinnati (Nov. 15) four days later. For each player, the double-double was her first as a Falcon.

Then, Siefker had her second double-double in less than a week, with 11 points and 11 rebounds in BG's win over Lafayette (Nov. 21). Siefker compiled those numbers in just 20 minutes of action vs. the Leopards. Last Sunday (Nov. 27), Santoro exploded for 28 points and 12 boards in the Falcons' win vs. Saint Peter's.

On Wednesday night (Nov. 30), Siefker had a career-high 17 points along with 13 rebounds in BG's win over Davis & Elkins. Siefker has had two double-doubles in as many home games this season to date, and is averaging 15.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game at the Stroh Center.

LAST TIME OUT: SIEFKER HAS DOUBLE-DOUBLE; BG WINS THIRD IN A ROW
Senior Abby Siefker recorded her third double-double of the young season, lifting the Falcons to a 73-46 win over Davis & Elkins Wednesday night (Nov. 30) at the Stroh Center.

All 12 Falcons on the active roster scored at least two points in the win, and 11 of the 12 had at least one rebound as well.

Siefker led all players in both scoring and rebounding, with a career-high 17 points and 13 rebounds. Eight of her boards came at the offensive end of the floor, as she single-handedly topped the Senators' team total in that category. Siefker also had three assists in the win.

BGSU held a 50-35 rebounding advantage on the night, and the Falcons had 21 offensive boards to D&E's five.

Sophomore Carly Santoro joined Siefker in double figures, with 11 points on the night, and Santoro pulled down seven boards, including four offensive rebounds.

Senior Rachel Konieczki scored nine points, while sophomore Sydney Lambert added eight and junior Rachel Myers seven. Lambert added a game-high four assists.

BGSU had advantages of 34-12 in points in the paint, 26-4 in points off turnovers and 13-2 in second-chance points on the night. The Falcons forced the visitors into 20 turnovers.

After holding a three-point lead after the first quarter, the Falcons opened up a 40-26 lead at halftime. BG scored the first four points of the third quarter, and the lead never dropped below 16 points again.

Siefker went 8-for-12 from the floor in the game, setting career bests in both field goals made and attempted. With 66 points this season (9.4 per game), she has topped her total for all of last year.

PASSING THEIR BOARDS
The Falcons have won the rebounding battle in all seven games this season to date. BGSU has had at least seven more rebounds vs. five of the seven opponents, including three 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 then-#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 has happened four times in seven games to start 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. Then, Santoro had another 12-rebound performance in the win over Saint Peter's, and Siefker grabbed 13 rebounds against Davis & Elkins.

SANTO-RIFFIC!
Sophomore Carly Santoro has gotten her sophomore season off to a torrid start. She had a then career-high 20 points in the season opener at Eastern Kentucky, adding a career-best 12 rebounds. Santoro has had a BG-best five double-digit scoring games this season to date, including a career-high 28 points (along with 12 rebounds) in the win over Saint Peter's.

On the year, Santoro is averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game, and she is second on the Falcons with 7.1 rebounds per game. With 97 points and 50 rebounds through seven games this season, she is rapidly approaching her totals (119 points, 50 rebounds) for all of last year.

SIEFKER'S SEASON OFF TO SUCCESSFUL START
Senior Abby Siefker has seen her season get off to a successful start as well. She has a team-leading three double-doubles in seven games, including double-doubles in each of BG's two home contests to date. She is second on the team in scoring, with 9.4 points per game, and leads the Falcons with 8.9 rebounds per contest. The center also ranks second on the team in assists (2.4 apg).

Siefker, who missed most of her sophomore season due to injury and played through injuries during nearly all of last season, has already set a new personal best in points, with 66 this season to date. She has 62 rebounds, only 31 boards away from her single-season best in that category. And, Siefker has 17 assists to match her total from a year ago.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
The Falcons are 3-4 on the season, heading into Sunday's Virginia game. BGSU is 1-1 at home, 0-2 on the road and 2-1 in neutral-site contests.

Sophomore Carly Santoro leads the team in scoring, with 13.9 points per game. She has three of the Falcons' four highest-scoring games of the year to date, and also has 7.1 rebounds per contest to rank second on the Falcons in that category. Santoro has a pair of 20-point games, including a BG season-high 28 points vs. Saint Peter's.

Senior center Abby Siefker has 9.4 ppg and a team-leading 8.9 rpg. Siefker is shooting a BG-best 56.8 percent from the field this year. She leads the team in blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and is second in assists (2.4 apg).

Sophomore guard Sydney Lambert is second on the Falcons in scoring, with 9.1 ppg. She has hit a BG-high 15 three-point field goals and also leads the team in both assists (3.0 apg) and steals (1.7 spg).

Junior Haley Puk is fourth on the team with 5.3 ppg off the bench. Puk had a career-high 14 points in the win over Saint Peter's.

Lambert, Santoro, Siefker and junior guard Rachel Myers (5.0 ppg) each have started all seven games this fall, while senior Ashley Tunstall (4.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) has started six and freshman Clare Glowniak (3.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) one.

The Falcons are shooting .366 from the field, .311 from beyond the arc and .669 from the free-throw line. The opponents are shooting .375, .285 and .595, respectively. BG has a +8.4 rebounding margin, and the Falcons have outboarded the opponent in each of this year's seven games to date. BGSU has hit 7.4 three-pointers per game.

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 – welcomed back a total of eight returning letterwinners from a year ago. That group includes a trio of seniors in Siefker, Tunstall and Rachel Konieczki. Myers and Puk comprise the junior class, while sophomores Lambert, Santoro and Maddie Cole complete the list of returnees.

The eight active returnees were 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.

WORKING OVERTIME
Last weekend's Saint Peter's game marked BG's first overtime contest in just under a year, since a 72-69 win over Jacksonville on Nov. 28, 2015, in Wilmington, N.C. The Falcons are now 25-19 in overtime games in program history, including a 5-11 mark at home and a 20-8 record away from home (17-6 away, 3-2 at neutral sites). BG has won five of the program's last six overtime games.

TURNING THEM OVER
Over the last three games, BGSU has forced the opponents to commit a total of 71 turnovers. The Falcons have scored 77 points off of turnovers in those three victories.

THREE-MARKABLE
No fewer than 12 different players made at least one three-point field goal for the Falcons last season. Through seven 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 three of this year's seven 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 seven games.

THREE-GION OF BOOM
In fact, BG has hit four or more treys in 67 of the last 68 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 Virginia game. The Falcons have hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last 376 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.

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 VIRGINIA
Virginia enters Sunday's game with a 5-2 record. The Cavaliers won four-straight games to begin the year, but have dropped two of the last three contests, including a 69-60 setback at Northwestern on Thursday (Dec. 1). UVA is among the teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today Coaches' Poll. Junior forward Lauren Moses leads a balanced attack with 14.3 points per game, while freshman guard Jocelyn Willoughby and junior guard Aliyah Huland El have 11.3 and 11.1 ppg, respectively. Two of their teammates have 8.6 ppg, and the Cavaliers have eight players averaging between 3.0 and 5.9 rebounds per game. Willoughby leads the team in the latter category. Last season, head coach Joanne Boyle's team went 18-16 overall and 6-10 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, advancing to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Boyle welcomed back seven letterwinners, including three starters, from that club.

THE BGSU-VIRGINIA SERIES
Virginia leads BGSU, 1-0, in the all-time series between the teams. The lone previous meeting came last year in Charlottesville, when the host Cavaliers posted a 68-39 win before a crowd of over 10,000 fans (Dec. 8, 2015).

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
The Falcons will conclude a three-game homestand on Wednesday (Dec. 7), hosting Ohio Valley in a 7:00 p.m. start at the Stroh Center. Then, BGSU will face back-to-back teams that – like Virginia – are receiving votes in at least one national poll. BGSU will play road games against Virginia Tech (Dec. 11) and South Dakota State (Dec. 18) on back-to-back Sundays.

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