Falcon women down CMU (3-12-11)

CLEVELAND – It’s not earth-shattering strategy.
In fact it’s Basketball 101.
When you need a big play in a tight game or the game is on the line in the final minutes, get the ball to
your best player.
Lauren Prochaska accepted the challenge Friday afternoon in the Mid-American Conference women’s semifinal
against Central Michigan in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.
The Bowling Green senior hit a big 3-pointer to start a 12-0 Falcon run and then made 5-of-6 free throws
in the final 2:50 of the game as BG slipped past Central, 80-72. Prochaska finished with 16 points,
eight rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal with no turnovers while playing 38 minutes.
The Falcons, now 27-4 overall, face Eastern Michigan Saturday at 1 p.m. for the MAC tournament title and
an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
With her team behind 45-43 with 16:03 to play in the game, Prochaska nailed a 3-pointer to start a 12-0
run for the Falcons and BG never trailed again.
“He (Miller) put the ball in my hands to run a play. The play kind of broke down so I just tried to make
a play out of it. I happened to get open behind the screen and I made the shot,” Prochaska said. “We got
behind. We knew we had to step up and it just happened to be my shot that time.”
Prochaska also got the ball in the late going and even though CMU knew what was going to happen,
Prochaska was able to get to the free-throw line and then convert.
“The way the officials were calling the game, we knew it was tight,” said CMU head coach Sue Guevara.
“When Lauren gets the ball … you know she is going to the basket. She’s going to lower her shoulder and
we knew that. So you take a step back, you’re not going to crawl right up in her. So you take that step
back, keep her in front and then defensively you have to keep your feet down and then look for a
charge.”

When asked about getting the ball to Prochaska Miller said with a laugh: “There’s a tough decision.
“When they made a great run at us late, after we had built a double-figure comfortable lead. We had to
run our offense through her,” he added.
In addition, Prochaska had the task of defending CMU’s Shonda Long, who had scored 40 points in the
Chippewas’ 90-69 win over Buffalo in the MAC quarterfinals.
Prochaska also responded to that challenge, holding Long to six points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field.

“I think she is the best guard defender in the league and gets no credit for it,” Miller said. “She’s not
flashy. She’s very unassuming on the court. She doesn’t play with any emotion. She just goes out and
gets stops.
“Every single player you put Lauren Prochaska on, they don’t get to their average,” Miller continued.
“She’s just so long. She anticipates and she understands, players’ strengths and weaknesses.
“She will graduate and leave this league getting everything written about her offense. But her defense is
so, so important to what we try to do,” Miller added.
Prochaska said it was a team effort in limiting Long to six points.
“I was at the game and watched her score 40. I knew that’s who I would be guarding,” Prochaska said. “I
really focused in on trying to stop her, starting at the 3-point line because she is such a good
shooter.

“I had a lot of help when she went backdoor and when she drove on me,” Prochaska continued. “It was a
team approach and I think we did a very good job of stopping her.”
Tracy Pontius led BG with 18 points, Jen Uhl added 12 and Chrissy Steffen contributed 10.
The five seniors who played for the Falcons accounted for 56 points.
“I’m proud of the seniors stepping up in the second half and being tough enough to grind out a very, very
tough game against a program that’s going to be special for a long, long time,” Miller said.
Kaihla Szunko led Central Michigan, 20-10, with 23 points and 19 rebounds, both game highs.
“I’m proud of the way we defended and battled with one of the best scoring teams in the nation,” Miller
said.