Bowling Green senior guard Lexi Fleming (25), left, drives to the basket against Purdue Northwest’s Syria Butler (23) during the first half of an exhibition game on Thursday at the Stroh Center. (Scott W. Grau/BGSU Athletics)
The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference in the 2023-24 season.
The MAC office released the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll and the Preseason All-MAC Teams – determined via voting by the league’s 12 head coaches – on Thursday morning.
Additionally, Lexi Fleming was selected to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team for the second consecutive year.
Toledo was the choice of the coaches to win the MAC regular-season crown in ‘23-24. The Rockets received 121 points and 11 of the 12 first-place votes. Ball State garnered 110 points and the other first-place vote, with the Kent State getting 102 points, BGSU 77 and Northern Illinois 72.
Fleming, a native of Cincinnati (Mercy McAuley), played in 36 of the Falcons’ 38 games last season, averaging nine points, four rebounds and 2.6 assists while making 51 three-point field goals. She finished third in the MAC in total steals (67) and eighth in steals per game (1.86) a year ago as the Falcons went 31-7 overall and 14-4 in the MAC.
Fleming was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020-21 before missing the ‘21-22 season due to injury. In games in which Fleming takes the court, the Falcons have a record of 49-14 (.778).
The regular season begins on Tuesday, as Cleveland State comes to the Stroh for a 6 p.m. start.
