Bowling Green State University 5-foot-10 fifth-year guard Morgan Sharps drives to the basket in her first game back since last year’s Toledo game. (BGSU Athletics)
Four players scored in double digits as the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team picked up an 85-73 win over Lehigh University on Thanksgiving morning at Enmarket Arena during second-day action at the Savannah Hoops Invitational.
Lexi Fleming had a game-high 22 points for the Falcons (4-1), who went 2-0 in the tournament and have won three-straight games. Erika Porter scored 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting, and Fleming (seven) and Porter (six) combined for 13 rebounds along with those 42 points.
Thursday’s game also marked the return of Morgan Sharps. Sharps, in her first game since being injured in a win over Toledo in January, scored 15 points on Thursday, going 4-for-8 from three-point range.
Amy Velasco had 14 points for the Falcons. Velasco has scored in double digits in all five games this season to date, and in seven consecutive games dating to March.
Colleen McQuillen had 19 points for the Mountain Hawks (5-1), who lost for the first time this season. Lily Fandre had 13 points, Meghan O’Brien 12 and Jamie Behar 10 to round out Lehigh’s double-figure scorers.
The Falcons fell behind by nine points late in the first quarter, but BGSU used a 15-2 run to go up by seven late in the opening half. The Mountain Hawks, however, hit a three-pointer to end the half, then scored eight quick points to begin the third quarter.
Moments later, though, Fleming’s driving layup tied the score and began a 10-0 run for the Falcons. Porter’s layup gave BG the lead for good, and after a Velasco driving layup, Sharps hit a three-pointer, then stole the ball, was fouled and knocked down a free-throw try for a 60-52 lead late in the third.
Lehigh got back within two points on an O’Brien triple with 7:20 left in the game, but Sharps responded with another trey. Still another long-range make by Sharps extended the BG lead to double digits with 4:25 to go, and Lehigh got no closer than six thereafter.
BGSU went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line in the game’s final 1:36, with Kohler hitting four in a row and Velasco and Fleming each making a pair.
The Falcons shot 52.5 percent from the field in the win, going 31-of-59. Lehigh, after going 12-of-18 (66.7%) in the first quarter, shot just 32.1% (9-of-28) in the second half and 44.8% for the game.
BGSU was plus-11 on the boards, with 37 rebounds to Lehigh’s 26, and the Falcons had a 13-4 lead in second-chance points.
The Falcons return home to face Duquesne on Monday evening with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at the Stroh Center.
BGSU then will play four games in the month of December, including three against teams currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation. The month begins with a matchup at Iowa on Saturday, Dec. 2.
