Sunday’s Women’s Basketball Results
Western Michigan 58, Valparaiso 48
Bowling Green 104, Lourdes 76
Indiana 74, Eastern Michigan 67
Ohio State 85, Toledo 60
Purdue Fort Wayne 67, Northern Illinois 44
Colorado 75, Miami 55
South Dakota 78, Ball State 59
Stories Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Western Michigan 58, Valparaiso 48
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan University women's basketball team returned home on Sunday with a 58-48 victory against the Valparaiso Beacons.
The Broncos earned their first home win on Sunday afternoon at University Arena. Despite trailing early, WMU's offense came to life in the second half, improving its shooting to earn its second straight double-figure victory. Three members of the Brown and Gold ended the game in double digits, including a career-best for senior forward Mary Clare Brusek with 14 points. Western Michigan also had 10 points from redshirt senior forward De'Ahna Richardson and sophomore guard Kailey Starks.
The Broncos opened scoring on Sunday afternoon with a three-pointer from forward De'Ahna Richardson. But WMU struggled to score the rest of the quarter as Valparaiso built an 11-point lead. The Brown and Gold were able to end the quarter with a four-point run to make it a seven-point deficit.
It was a slow start to the second quarter on offense as well for Western Michigan. The Broncos' first points of the second came over two minutes in at the line from Brusek. Brusek continued to run the offense for WMU, scoring 10 points over eight minutes on the court.
The Brown and Gold started to get contributions across the floor throughout the last quarter of the first half, getting within two points with 1:27 left on the clock. Traded baskets in the final minute and a half made it a three-point game going into the locker room for Western Michigan, down 31-28.
The Bronco offense quickly made adjustments in the second half, forcing an early Valparaiso timeout after WMU took its first lead. Both teams struggled offensively after the timeout, with a basket not being made over the next four and a half minutes. The Beacons broke the offensive cold streak with a jumper to tie the game and retake the lead. But the Brown and Gold were back on top with an 8-2 run to close out the third.
While Valpo had the first points of the fourth quarter, Western Michigan tore off on a nine-point run right after to increase its lead to 10. The Beacons were able to put together a brief four-point run to cut back into the Broncos' lead. WMU closed out the game, though at the free throw line, making five of its last 10 in the final minute while allowing only three points from Valparaiso. The Brown and Gold earned its 58-48 win to improve their record to 3-5.
Western Michigan had a strong game in the paint, scoring 24 points to the Beacons' 12 in the lane. The Broncos also benefited from a strong bench, with 33% of their points being scored by non-starters. WMU competed well defensively, taking the glass competition 46-33 in rebounds and taking away nine possessions.
Bowling Green 104, Lourdes 76
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Junior Paige Kohler made history on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 14), as the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team picked up a 104-76 win over Lourdes University at the Stroh Center.
Kohler recorded the first triple-double in program history, with 17 points and game-high totals of 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Falcons (6-4).
Junior Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick also had 17 points in the win, going 6-for-7 from the field, while redshirt junior Jasmine Fearne and sophomore Lauren Gerken each scored 16 points.
For the Gray Wolves, who are 9-0 on the season, Emma Pedroza and Kaylona Butler combined to score 57 points. Pedroza had a game-high 32 points, with Butler adding 25. Sunday's game counted as an exhibition contest for Lourdes.
The visitors scored seven points in the final 40 seconds of the opening quarter to take a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes, but BGSU ended the first half on a 17-2 run to take a 51-33 lead into the locker room.
The Falcons' lead reached 20 points for the first time on an Emily Siesel three-pointer early in the third quarter, and Kohler's putback later in the period upped the margin to 30 points. The advantage became a game-high 39 points midway through the fourth, as Jaedyn Cook's layup gave the Orange and Brown a 101-62 lead before the Gray Wolves ended the game on a 14-3 run.
Kaia Woods and Ky'Aira Miller each scored nine points, with Woods adding six assists, five rebounds and a game-high five steals. Siesel and Cook each scored six points, with Cook pulling down eight rebounds.
The Falcons had a 49-33 rebounding advantage, including a 43-19 lead in that category over the final three periods.
BGSU shot 57.1 percent from the floor on the afternoon.
NOTE OF THE DAY (OBVIOUSLY, PAIGE'S TRIPLE-DOUBLE IS THE NOTE OF THE DAY, BUT WE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT)
• In the first 200 games the Falcons played at the Stroh Center, BGSU never scored more than 102 points in a contest. Now, BG has surpassed that total in three consecutive games in the building.
• The Falcons had 103 points vs. Kentucky State on Nov. 3, setting a new arena record for points in a game. Then, four days later, BGSU shattered that four-day-old record with 118 points against Defiance.
• On Sunday, BG scored 104 points vs. the Gray Wolves, marking the Falcons' third-straight triple-digit scoring game.
