Falcons Face Flashes on Saturday at the Stroh

BOWLING GREEN VS. KENT STATE
Saturday, January 21, 2023 • 1:00 p.m.
Stroh Center • Bowling Green, Ohio
Video: ESPN3 • Audio: BG Falcon Media
Live Stats: BGSUFalcons.com • Twitter: @BGSUwbb

• The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, coming off of a rivalry-game win over the Mid-American Conference's preseason favorite, remains at home for yet another tough test. Head coach Robyn Fralick and the Falcons face Kent State University on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 21), with tipoff set for 1:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center.

EVENTS / PROMOTIONS / HAPPENINGS
• Saturday's game will be Superhero Day at the Stroh, with free capes and masks for all children in attendance.

• At halftime, the Performance Dogs of Ohio will be performing on the court in an event not to be missed.

TICKETS AND PARKING
• Tickets and parking can be purchased by clicking the links below...

TICKETS | PARKING

Credit cards are now being accepted for parking. Cash will continue to be accepted as well. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets as well as parking passes in advance.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• There are multiple ways to keep up with the Falcons in 2022-23...

• TV/VIDEO: Saturday's game will be streamed via ESPN3.
• RADIO/AUDIO: All of BGSU's remaining 2022-23 games, both home and away, are slated to have an audio stream thanks to BG Falcon Media (the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization [BGRSO]).
• LIVE STATS: Live stats are scheduled to be available for all BGSU games in 2022-23.
• TWITTER: In-game updates, along with key graphics and information, can be found on the BGSU women's basketball twitter account, @BGSUwbb.

• For all of the pertinent links to any and all ways to follow the Falcons, go to BGSUFalcons.com and navigate your way to the "women's basketball schedule" page on game day.

HAVE. A. DAY!
• Allison Day exploded for a career-high 31 points in the Falcons' 88-76 win over Toledo at the Stroh Center on Wednesday evening (Jan. 18). In her first-ever "Battle of I-75," Day went 13-for-21 from the field and tied for game honors with seven rebounds. She paced five players in double figures in the scoring column for the Falcons.

• Day's previous season scoring high was 21 points vs. Eastern Michigan one week prior, and her career high had been 23 points during her tenure at Loyola Univ. Chicago. On Wednesday, Day had 19 points in the first half alone. She had a three-point play in the third period, then scored nine more points in the fourth to help BGSU clinch the victory.

MORE ON A-DAY'S CAREER DAY
• Allison Day's total of 31 points, as mentioned, set a new career high. It was also the first game of 30 or more points by a Falcon in nearly three years, since Caterrion Thompson had 32 points in an overtime contest vs. Kent State at the Stroh Center on Feb. 29, 2020.

• The last time a BGSU player had reached the 30-point plateau in regulation came on Nov. 30, 2019, when Angela Perry had 36 points in a 98-60 win over California Baptist, in the Victoria Invitational in Victoria, BC, Canada.

• Day's big night was the first 30-point game by a BGSU player in a "Battle of I-75" contest in nearly 14 years, since Tracy Pontius had 32 points in a 79-66 win over Toledo. Pontius's prolific performance came in a MAC Tournament semifinal game in downtown Cleveland.

TAKE SOME – THEY'RE FREE
• The Falcons entered Wednesday night's Toledo game shooting just over 70 percent from the free-throw line on the season. BG was ranked eighth in the MAC and 180th in the country in that category.

• But, against the Rockets, the Falcons had season-high totals of 25 free throws made and 32 attempted. BGSU shot 78.1% from the stripe in the win, and went 18-of-22 (81.8%) in the fourth quarter alone.

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
• The 2022-23 Falcons have been quite successful at forcing turnovers by the opponents, while keeping their own turnover total to a relative minimum. BGSU has had fewer turnovers than the opponent in all 17 games this season to date, and the Falcons currently lead the entire nation in turnover margin (+9.88).

• BG has turned the ball over 17 times or fewer in each game, while forcing the opposition into at least 15 turnovers in every game. The Falcons have averaged 11.76 turnovers, while the foes have turned the ball over 21.65 times per game.

• BGSU committed just seven turnovers in the home opener against Wright State, tied for the fourth-lowest single-game total in school history. The Falcons turned the ball over just nine times at Akron, the team's sixth game with a single-digit turnover total this season to date.

• And, BG has turned those opponent turnovers into buckets. Through 17 games, the Falcons have outscored the opponents, 395-174, in points off turnovers.

FALCONS VS. THE MAC
• The Falcons own the second-best record in MAC history. Heading into the Kent State kerfuffle, BGSU has an all-time record of 438-256 (.631) in MAC regular-season games, for the second-highest winning percentage of all league institutions. BG also has the second-most conference wins of all 12 programs.

• BGSU leads the all-time series with all 11 MAC foes, making the Falcons the only team in the league with a winning record against every other school. BG also has the most overall victories and highest overall winning pct. of any league institution.

HAMPTON = DEFENSE
• Nyla Hampton had 86 steals last season, the fourth-highest total in BGSU history. She ranked second in the MAC and 17th in the nation in that category. With 2.69 steals per contest, Hampton finished third in the league and 23rd in the country.

• This season, Hampton has a team-high 55 steals through 17 games. She tied her career high with six steals in this year's opener at SBU, had five against both Wright State and IUPUI, and again tied her career standard with six in the Eastern Michigan game. Hampton, who had at least three steals in a game 17 times last year, has had at least four steals in nine of this year's 17 games.

• Currently, she ranks 10th in the nation in steals per game (3.24) and 12th in the land in total steals. She leads the MAC in steals and is second in spg.

• Hampton now has 197 steals in 72 career games played. Her average of 2.71 career steals per game puts her on pace to obliterate the school record – no other Falcon has had more than 2.19 career spg.

• In just her third year at BGSU, Hampton has moved into a tie for eighth place on the BGSU career list for total steals. In addition to steals per game, Hampton is on pace to break the school record for total career steals.

THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW IN CASE YOU'RE JUST JOINING US
• The Falcons are 15-2 on the season, and BGSU enters Saturday's KSU game with a record of 4-1 in MAC play. BG is tied with Akron and Ball State for first place.

• The Falcons saw a nine-game winning streak come to an end in the conference opener (Jan. 4), with an 81-73 loss at BSU, but have bounced back with four-straight wins since that time.

• BGSU opened the home portion of the conference slate with wins over Eastern Michigan (79-63; Jan. 7) and Central Michigan (101-68; Jan. 11). Last weekend, the Orange and Brown rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit on the road to beat then league-leading Akron, 71-66 (Jan. 14).

• And, most recently, BGSU won the latest edition of the "Battle of I-75," with an 88-76 win over Toledo at the Stroh on Wednesday (Jan. 18).

• The BSU game marked the Falcons' first setback since Nov. 17. BGSU won the nine games during the streak by an average of 26.44 points per game.

• BGSU has played only three games decided by single digits this season, going 2-1 in those contests. The Falcons have 13 double-digit victories and one double-figure loss this winter.

• After beating St. Bonaventure and Wright State to begin the season, the Falcons fell to then-#9/12 (and now #6) Indiana, 96-61, in Bloomington.

• BG's nine-game win streak began with victories at Southern Indiana and at home vs. Northern Kentucky and Detroit Mercy. The NKU matchup was the Falcons' only single-digit decision in BG's 12 non-conference games.

• The Falcons went a perfect 6-0 in the month of December, with the first five of those wins coming away from home. BG posted double-digit victories at Valparaiso (92-61), ETSU (82-64), IUPUI (84-70), Texas A&M-Commerce (90-61) and UTRGV (71-47). The latter two wins came at the UTRGV South Padre Island Classic.

• The Falcons ended non-conference play with a 92-51 win over Findlay at the Stroh Center (Dec. 30).

• Head coach Robyn Fralick and her staff welcomed back a total of 10 student-athletes from a year ago. That group included four starters from the 2021-22 season, plus a fifth player who started in 2020-21 before missing all of '21-22 due to injury.

• Last season, the Falcons – despite losing nearly 75 player-games to injury – won 17 games and advanced to national postseason play for the second-straight season. BGSU went 17-16 overall and 10-10 in Mid-American Conference play, and the Falcons were selected to participate in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). BG went 2-1 in that tourney, finishing the '21-22 season with a victory.

• Kadie Hempfling returned for a fifth year with the Falcons after starting all 33 games last winter. Nyla Hampton and Amy Velasco made 32 and 30 starts, respectively, while Elissa Brett started 26 contests in 2021-22.

• BGSU's top-five scorers from a year ago – Hempfling (11.7 ppg), Velasco (10.8), Brett (10.7), Morgan Sharps (9.5) and Hampton (8.4) – all returned. Brett paced last year's team in rebounding (6.0 rpg), while Jocelyn Tate (6.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) was second on the team in that category.

• Other returnees from last year's squad include Sophie Dziekan (2.5 ppg) and Olivia Hill (0.8 ppg). Jasmine Clerkley played in the first three games of 2021-22 before missing the remainder of the season due to injury, while Lexi Fleming – the 2020-21 MAC Freshman of the Year – was injured prior to the start of the season and missed the entire '21-22 campaign.

• Five newcomers, including a pair of transfers, joined the 10 returnees. Allison Day played four seasons at Loyola Chicago, where she started 97 games and had totals of 1,139 points and 645 rebounds.

• Payton Moore is also in her first season with the Falcons, but her fifth as a collegian. Moore played in 78 games, starting 60, at Anderson (Ind.) University, where she had 1,111 career points along with 701 rebounds.

• Three freshmen joined the Falcons for the 2022-23 campaign. That group includes Jasmine Fearne (Cairns, Australia), Emily Siesel (New Washington, Ohio) and Jaci Tubergen (Hudsonville, Mich.).

• This season, the Falcons are 7-0 at home, 7-2 in road games and 1-0 in neutral-site affairs. In MAC play, BGSU is 3-0 at the Stroh and 1-1 at opposing venues.

• Entering the KSU matchup, no fewer than six players are averaging at least 8.4 ppg. Brett leads that balanced scoring attack with 12.8 ppg, with Hampton and Day both at 12.3 ppg.

• Brett, who has scored 63 points over the last four games, is second on the team in rebounding, with 5.4 boards per contest. Hampton is shooting 54.5 percent from the field, and paces the Falcons in assists (3.47 apg) and steals (3.24 spg).

• Day exploded for a career-high 31 points in the win over Toledo. She is shooting a MAC-leading 56.2% from the floor and has 4.5 rpg to date. Sharps is averaging 10.4 ppg. She has made a BG-best 41 three-pointers and is shooting 39.8% from the arc.

• Tate has 9.7 ppg, with Fleming averaging 8.4 ppg off the bench. Tate leads the Orange and Brown with 6.1 rpg and is second on the team in assists (2.8 apg).

• Dziekan and Velasco have 5.8 and 5.2 ppg, respectively. Velasco is third on the Falcons with 2.7 apg, while Dzieken is shooting 57.9% from the field, having gone 44-for-76 this year to date.

• Hempfling, a four-year starter before transitioning to a role off the bench in 2022-23, is shooting over 56% from the field this year, and she is 10-for-20 from the arc.

• Brett, Day, Hampton, Sharps and Tate each have started all 17 games this season, and all five are averaging between 23.1 and 27.0 minutes per game.

• BGSU is +18.1 in scoring margin, +2.4 in rebounding margin and +9.9 in turnover margin this season to date. The Falcons are first in the entire nation in the latter category, and BG is fourth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.50).

• In fact, the Falcons lead the MAC in 11 statistical categories, and BG is ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in 11 categories.

• In MAC games, Day has team-leading averages of 20.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg, and is shooting 61.1% from the floor. Brett has 13.4 ppg and has gone 14-of-35 from the arc, while Hampton has 11.8 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.8 spg and a field-goal pct. of 53.7%.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE GOLDEN FLASHES
• Kent State is 11-5 on the season, and the Golden Flashes are 3-2 in the MAC after a 79-66 home win over Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night. KSU has won six of the last eight games, and the Flashes are 10-3 overall after a 1-2 start to the season.

• Individually, Lindsay Thall leads a balanced scoring attack with 10.9 ppg, while Katie Shumate has 10.4 ppg and a team-leading 5.7 rpg. The Flashes are 16th in the nation in three-point field goals made per game (8.8).

• Head coach Todd Starkey's club is 7-2 at home, 2-3 on the road and 2-0 at neutral sites this season. Starkey welcomed back 10 letterwinners, including three starters, from a 2021-22 team that went 19-12 overall and 10-10 in MAC regular-season play.

THE SERIES
• The Falcons lead Kent State, 60-37, in the all-time series, and the Falcons have captured the last four meetings. Last season saw BGSU pick up a 77-67 win on the road (Feb. 21, 2022) and a 69-60 victory at the Stroh (March 2, 2022). Prior to BG's current streak, KSU had won seven of the previous nine meetings.

• The Falcons are 30-13 at home, 23-22 on the road and 7-2 at neutral sites vs. KSU through the years.

DOWN THE ROAD
• Following Saturday's KSU game, the Falcons will hit the road for the final two games of January. BGSU will face Buffalo on Wednesday night (Jan. 25), with tipoff set for 6:00 p.m. at Alumni Arena.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will head to DeKalb to meet Northern Illinois next Saturday (Jan. 28). The Falcons will begin the month of February with home games vs. Western Michigan (Feb. 1) and Miami (Feb. 4).

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Elissa Brett

Jasmine Clerkley

Allison Day

Sophie Dziekan

Jasmine Fearne

Lexi Fleming

Nyla Hampton

Kadie Hempfling

Olivia Hill

Payton Moore

Morgan Sharps

Emily Siesel

Jocelyn Tate

Jaci Tubergen

Amy Velasco

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