OXFORD, Ohio — The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team used a late third quarter run to take the lead for good on Saturday afternoon, then held off every Miami University comeback bid in the fourth period.
The Falcons downed the RedHawks, 81-76, in Mid-American Conference action at Millett Hall.
With the win, the Falcons (14-13, 9-9 MAC) move into a tie for sixth place in the MAC standings entering the final week of the regular season.
Freshman Amy Velasco had 19 points and five assists to lead the Orange and Brown in both categories. Velasco went 10-of-12 at the free-throw line, including 7-for-8 over the game’s final three minutes.
Senior Kadie Hempfling had 18 points, with junior Elissa Brett adding 12 and senior Madisen Parker 10.
BGSU’s relatively balanced scoring effort offset a career day by MU’s Ivy Wolf. Wolf paced the RedHawks (8-19, 4-14 MAC) with 32 points, while Peyton Scott scored 19, including 11 in the final quarter.
Miami led by three points at the half, and the RedHawks had a two-point advantage after Wolf’s layup with 1:37 left in the third quarter.
But a Hempfling jumper began a 7-0 run to end the period. That run included four points in the final 5.5 seconds, as after Nyla Hampton hit a pair of free throws, Jocelyn Tate stole the ensuing inbounds pass and hit a driving layup as the buzzer sounded.
Tate’s bucket gave the Falcons a 60-55 lead, and she scored the first points of the fourth quarter for a seven-point advantage.
In all, BGSU put together a 15-4 run to end the third period and begin the fourth.
The lead grew to as many as 11 points, and although Miami cut it to three in the final minute, Velasco and the Falcons made enough free throws down the stretch to salt away the road win.
