Falcons Head to Buffalo for Wednesday-Morning Bout with the Bulls

BGSU at BUFFALO
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • 11:00 a.m.
Alumni Arena • Buffalo, N.Y.
TV/Video: ESPN+ • Audio: Falcon Media Sports Network
Live Stats: UBBulls.com • Twitter: @BGSUwbb

JUMP BALL
• The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team heads to Western New York for a Mid-American Conference midweek morning matchup. The Falcons, under the direction of first-year head coach Fred Chmiel, face the University at Buffalo on Wednesday (Jan. 24), with tipoff scheduled for 11:00 p.m. at Alumni Arena.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• There are multiple ways to keep up with the Falcons in 2023-24...

• TV/VIDEO: Wednesday's UB game will be streamed via ESPN+.
• RADIO/AUDIO: All of BGSU's 2023-24 games are scheduled to have an audio stream thanks to the Falcon Media Sports Network.
• LIVE STATS: Again this year, live stats for all games will be available.
• TWITTER (X): In-game updates, along with key graphics and information, can be found on the BGSU women's basketball Twitter/X 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.

PORTER'S PROLIFIC PERFORMANCES (PLURAL)
• Erika Porter added her name to the BGSU record book in each of last week's games. On Wednesday (Jan. 17), Porter went an eye-popping 10-of-11 from the field en route to a game- and career-high 24 points in the Falcons' win over Akron. Porter's field-goal percentage (90.9%) is tied for the fifth-best performance in a game in BGSU history. The list follows...
BGSU RECORD BOOK – HIGHEST FIELD-GOAL PCT., GAME
(minimum 8 FGM)
1. Michelle Terry vs. Eastern Michigan Feb. 14, 1996    1.000 (11-11)
2. Kate Achter vs. Temple Nov. 24, 2006       1.000 (8-8)
   Kate Achter vs. Youngstown State Nov. 30, 2004       1.000 (8-8)
4. Lori Albers vs. Cincinnati Jan. 4, 1993       .923 (12-13)
5. ERIKA PORTER vs. Akron Jan. 17, 2024    .909 (10-11)
   Whitney Taylor vs. Kent State Jan. 16, 2008    .909 (10-11)
   Joelyn Shoup vs. Eastern Michigan Feb. 20, 1985    .909 (10-11)
8. Jacki Raterman vs. Northern Illinois  Jan. 2, 1999      .857 (12-14)
9. Angela Perry vs. Marshall    Dec. 7, 2019       .846 (11-13)
   Melissa Chase vs. Wayne State    Jan. 30, 1980   .846 (11-13)

• Then, three days later, Porter pulled down no fewer than 19 rebounds at Miami. That total tied her for eighth on that BGSU list.

• Porter had the most rebounds in a game by a Falcon in nearly 28 years, since Charlotta Jones had 22 boards (also against Miami) on Jan. 31, 1996.

• The school record is 24 rebounds in a game, set by Joelyn Shoup vs. Northern Illinois (Feb. 27, 1985). The list...
BGSU RECORD BOOK – MOST REBOUNDS, GAME
1. Joelyn Shoup vs. Northern Illinois   Feb. 27, 1985   24
2. Charlotta Jones vs. Miami Jan. 31, 1996   22
Lori Albers vs. Marquette     Dec. 29, 1992   22
4. Joelyn Shoup vs. Toledo Jan. 26, 1985   21
5. Joelyn Shoup vs. Miami Jan. 2, 1986 20
Michelle Stevens vs. Akron 1978-79 20
Barb Britton vs. Miami 1975 20
8. Erika Porter at Miami Jan. 20, 2024   19
   Joelyn Shoup vs. Ball State Feb. 2, 1985    19
   Joelyn Shoup vs. Eastern Michigan   Feb. 22, 1985   19
   Joelyn Shoup vs. Ball State Jan. 14, 1984   19
Bobbi Little vs. Michigan 1977-78   19

FRESHMEN FLOURISH IN FIRST FORAY(S) IN THE MAC
• Three BGSU freshmen have seen action during the conference portion of the schedule, and all three have made significant contributions in the Falcons' first six forays in the MAC.

• Paige Kohler has been a mainstay on the court since her first collegiate game. She has started every game this season, and has averaged 10.3 points and a team-leading 31.5 minutes per outing. In MAC contests, she has 13.8 ppg and again leads the team in minutes played, at 34.8 mpg.

• Two other freshmen, Keiryn McGuff and Taya Ellis, played sparingly during the non-conference schedule, but have seen their minutes – and their production – increase during league play.

• That duo combined to score a total of 15 points in the Falcons' first 10 games of the season. Ellis played more than 12 minutes in just two of BG's first 10 games, but is averaging 17.4 minutes per game in MAC games. Similarly, McGuff played more than 13 minutes just once during the pre-conference schedule, and is averaging 22.6 mpg during the league campaign so far.

• The trio combined for 38 of the Falcons' 65 points in the MAC-opening win at Central Michigan. Kohler led the way with a game- and career-high 28 points. Additionally, all three players were on the court during key stretches of the fourth quarter as the Falcons held the Chippewas without a field goal for the final 8:20.

• Against Western Michigan, Ellis played nearly 23 minutes, with McGuff playing 24 and Kohler 35. BGSU held WMU scoreless for the final 2:37, and – with the Falcons leading by two points and just 10 seconds left – Ellis blocked a potential game-tying layup attempt by the Broncos.

• In the Eastern Michigan game, Kohler led the Falcons with 15 points, while Ellis had a career-high 10, including four-straight BG buckets in the second quarter.

• Kohler had 18 points at Ball State, with McGuff pulling down a career-high 11 rebounds. Then, last Wednesday (Jan. 17), McGuff earned the first start of her career, playing a career-high 35 minutes and keeping UA's Reagan Bass well under her scoring and rebounding averages. And, Ellis pulled down eight rebounds at Miami.

VELASCO GOES OFF
• Junior Amy Velasco exploded for a career-high 28 points at Ball State (Jan. 13), going 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-6 from the stripe. It marked her third career game of 20-plus points, and her first such game since her freshman season.

• Two of Velasco's three highest-scoring games as a Falcon have come at Worthen Arena. She scored 21 points in a pair of games just seven days apart as a freshman, including in a contest at Ball State on Feb. 5, 2022. Velasco also had 21 points against Toledo at the Stroh Center on Jan. 29, 2022.

THE FALCONS VS. THE MAC
• Historically, the Falcons have been one of the top programs in the Mid-American Conference. Entering Wednesday's Buffalo bout, BGSU has gone 452-261 (.635) in league regular-season games. The Falcons have the second-highest winning percentage of all MAC institutions, and the second-most conference wins of all 12 programs.

• BGSU has won 15 MAC regular-season titles, which is the highest total of any conference institution. And, the Falcons have won a league-best 11 MAC Tournament titles.

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

BE READY WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED
• The Falcons have utilized six different starting-lineup combinations through 16 games this season, after employing a total of five different lineups during all of last year (38 games).

• Nine different players have started at least one game in 2023-24 to date, after a total of seven different Falcons were in the starting lineup last season.

THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons enter the Buffalo game with an overall record of 10-6 on the season, and BGSU is 4-2 in MAC play. Three of the Falcons' losses this season have come to nationally-ranked teams.

• BGSU is 5-1 at home, 3-5 on the road and 2-0 in neutral-site games. In MAC play, the Falcons are 3-0 at the Stroh and 1-2 in front of hostile gatherings.

• The Falcons rallied to beat Cleveland State, 89-86, in the season opener at the Stroh, and after a loss at Texas State, BG bounced back with four-straight wins. The victims during that stretch included Xavier on the road, Mercer and Lehigh at a neutral site (Savannah, Ga.) and Duquesne at the Stroh. The latter game saw the Falcons win, 68-66, on Amy Velasco's buzzer-beater.

• BGSU went 1-3 in December, with all three losses coming to nationally-ranked teams (#4/4 Iowa, #1/1 South Carolina and #16/15 Indiana).

• The Falcons began the 2024 portion of the schedule with a 65-64 win at Central Michigan in the MAC opener, before returning home and picking up wins against Western Michigan (75-69; Jan. 6) and Eastern Michigan (69-57; Jan. 10).

• BGSU lost for the first time in league play on Jan. 13, falling at Ball State by a 76-61 count. The Falcons bounced back with a 70-59 win over Akron last Wednesday evening (Jan. 17) at the Stroh, before losing at Miami, 56-47, on Saturday (Jan. 20).

• A total of 13 Falcons have seen action this season, with nine of those 13 averaging at least 13 minutes per contest. Nine different players have started at least one game so far in 2023-24.

• Velasco, a junior leads the team with 34.8 minutes per game, while freshman Paige Kohler has played 31.5 mpg.

• Fourth-year Falcon Lexi Fleming averaged 31.4 mpg over the first 10 contests of the season, before leaving the Indiana game (Dec. 22) due to injury. Fleming also has averages of 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, and led the Falcons in all three categories at the time of her injury. She was averaging 16.7 ppg prior to that IU game, in which she played just 1:10.

• Velasco and Morgan Sharps have scored 13.6 and 12.3 ppg, respectively. Kohler, who scored a career-high 28 points at CMU, has 10.3 points per contest, while Erika Porter has 9.8 ppg to date. Sharps (19) and Porter (18) combined for 37 points in the win over Western, and Velasco went off for a career-best 28 points at Ball State before Porter scored 24 points (going 10-of-11 from the field) vs. Akron. Then, Porter had 16 points and 19 rebounds – the highest total by a Falcon in 28 years – at Miami.

• Velasco paces BG with 3.9 assists per game, followed by Kohler (3.0 apg).

• Velasco has gone 24-of-56 (42.9%) from the arc to lead the Falcons in three-point accuracy, while Sharps, despite missing the first four games of the season, leads the team in triples made, having gone 31-of-82 (37.8%) from long distance.

• Olivia Hill and Sophie Dziekan each have 4.2 ppg this season. Dziekan made her first collegiate start at Wright State (Dec. 12) and responded with her first career double-double, as she had 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the win. She has made five starts this season, including a pair of MAC matchups.

• Hill started the first 14 games this winter before missing the Akron and Miami contests due to injury. After going 0-for-1 from three-point land in her first 59 games as a Falcon, she made not one, but two, long-range shots at Xavier. Hill is now 8-for-24 from the arc this season to date.

• Velasco has a team-leading 14.7 ppg in MAC play, with Porter and Kohler averaging 13.8 ppg apiece and Sharps 10.5. Porter has a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game ain MAC action, with freshmen Taya Ellis and Keiryn McGuff at 5.2 and 4.8 rpg, respectively.

• Velasco leads the Falcons in assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.7 spg) in MAC games, while Porter is shooting a team-high 61.1% (33-of-54) from the floor.

• Last year, the Falcons went 31-7 overall, and 14-4 in MAC play. BGSU tied Ball State for second in the conference, earned the number-two seed for the MAC Tournament and advanced to the championship game. Then, the Orange and Brown won four games in the WNIT to advance all the way to the semifinal round of that tourney. A total of nine student-athletes returned from that team in 2023-24.

• The Falcons lost four starters from a year ago, including three who entered the transfer portal. Additionally, Kadie Hempfling, the only player in school history with over 1,200 points, 800 rebounds and 400 assists, completed her eligibility.

• The Falcons' group of returnees for the 2023-24 season also included Jasmine Clerkley, Jasmine Fearne, Emily Siesel and Jaci Tubergen.

• Five newcomers joined head coach Fred Chmiel's first BGSU squad. That quintet includes Baylor transfer Porter as well as freshmen Ellis, Kohler, McGuff and Abbie Riddle.

• Chmiel's staff is comprised of assistant coaches Maggie Lucas, Nick DiPillo and Lexxus Graham-Blincoe, video coordinator Audra Clark, director of operations Tim Kjar and director of player personnel Zhaque Gray.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE BULLS
• Buffalo is 9-7 on the season, and the Bulls are 3-3 in MAC play to date. UB dropped a narrow 66-63 decision to Western Michigan on Saturday, snapping a two-game win streak. All six of Buffalo's MAC games have been decided by single digits. The Bulls are 7-3 at home and 2-4 on the road this season. In MAC games, UB is 1-2 inside Alumni Arena and 2-1 in hostile territory.

• Individually, Chellia Watson leads the team in scoring, at 22.9 ppg. She leads the entire MAC and ranks sixth in the nation in that category. Kristen Lewis-Williams has 11.9 ppg and a team-high 6.4 rpg on the season.

• Head coach Becky Burke and the Bulls already have nine wins despite returning just two letterwinners from the 2022-23 team. That club finished 12-16 overall and 7-11 in conference action.

THE SERIES
• The Falcons lead Buffalo, 28-22, in the all-time series, but UB won the most recent meeting. Last season, the teams split their two matchups, with BGSU picking up a narrow 64-61 win at Alumni Arena (Jan. 25, 2023). Exactly one month later, however, the Bulls dealt the Falcons their most lopsided home loss in over three years with an 84-66 outcome at the Stroh Center. UB has won three of the last four meetings and 17 of the last 21 contests since BGSU's 20-game series win streak from 2004-14.

• The Falcons are 12-10 at home, 14-12 on the road and 2-0 at neutral sites vs. UB through the years. Additional series information can be found on page 29.

DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the Buffalo contest, BGSU returns home to face Kent State on Saturday (Jan. 27). That game is set for a 4:00 p.m. tip, and it will be Alumnae Day at the Stroh.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
For more information on BGSU women's hoops, be sure to follow the Falcons on Facebook (@BGWBB), Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUWBB) and Instagram (@bgsuwbb), as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.

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