| BG’s Jen Uhl (24) takes a shot over Toledo’s Jessica Williams (23) and Yolanda Richardson (33). (Photo: Andrew Weber/Sentinel-Tribune) |
Bowling Green could never make that one big play when it was needed Wednesday night. PHOTO GALLERY
Sparked by solid defense and relentless rebounding, Toledo’s women were able to hold off the Falcons,
66-65 before 3,315 boisterous fans in Anderson Arena.
“It was very exciting with the crowd and the type of game it was being close the whole time,” said BG
senior Lauren Prochaska. “We can’t hang our heads. We have to pick ourselves back up and be ready to
step back up. The season doesn’t get any easier from here. We have to just keep moving on and learning
from what we did wrong.”
BG is now 17-3 overall, with all three losses coming by one point, and 5-2 in the Mid-American Conference
East. Toledo is 14-6, 6-1 in the MAC West.
As is the case in all big games, there were plenty of plays that could have gone either way.
And it was Toledo that came up with the biggest in the final 20 seconds.
UT’s Naama Shafir (21 points, three assists, eight turnovers) made the first of a two-shot foul with 21.3
seconds remaining to put the Rockets up, 64-62. She missed the second shot, but teammate Melissa Goodall
was there to grab the rebound and she was fouled.
“I went straight up and the ball came right to me so I was able to go up, get the ball and secure it,”
Goodall said.
Goodall made both of her free throws to put the Rockets up 66-62.
“Stepping to the line was a little bit nerve-wracking. But I’m a senior now and it’s my time to shine;
it’s my time to step up and make some big shots for my team,” Goodall said.
The Falcons countered with a 3-pointer from Jen Uhl with 7.2 seconds left.
BG then fouled Shafir and with 4.9 seconds remaining. She missed both shots with BG’s Tracy Pontius
grabbing the rebound.
Pontius tried to work her way into position to get a shot off, but she was surrounded by three Rocket
defenders near mid-court as time expired.
“Our kids never quit,” BG head coach Curt Miller said. “We just couldn’t get over the hump tonight when
we needed it the most.
“Toledo played great tonight. Their stars stepped up,” Miller added. “We tried to put pressure on them
and I wonder what would have happened it we could have taken a late lead.
“But they kept making big play, after big play and never really gave us a chance.”
Bowling Green started slowly as Toledo played good defense and controlled the boards.
The Rockets were up 11 with 6:44 left in the first half and took a 29-23 lead into the break. Toledo held
a 24-11 rebounding edge at the break limiting BG to three offensive rebounds while grabbing nine
offensive rebounds of its own.
Shafir took over the start the second half, making her first six shots from the field. BG’s Maggie
Hennegan almost matched Shafir, scoring eight of BG’s first nine points in the second half. After a
scoreless first half Hennegan had 14 points in the second half.
However, the Falcons continued to battle and with Uhl (17 points, five rebounds) and Hennegan providing
the scoring, stayed with the Rockets.
A driving layup by Prochaska (11 points, seven rebounds) brought BG to within one, 54-53, with 7:36 left
in the game.
However, it was over three minutes before BG scored again. Chrissy Steffen made a pair of free throws to
cut UT’s lead to 56-55 with 4:12 left. BG had three turnovers and a missed shot in the 3:24 scoreless
span.
Goodall made a layup with 3:38 left and Hennegan countered with two free throws with 1:04 remaining to
again make it a one-point game. 58-57. BG missed three shots in the 2:20 between Steffen’s and
Hennegan’s free throws.
Goodall then turned in the second biggest play of the game, driving the lane and finding teammate
Lecretia Smith for a layup that turned into a 3-point play to give UT a four-point lead, 61-57, with
48.1 seconds left.
Hennegan countered with a layup for BG. Andola Dortch made two free throws with 33.3 left to push UT’s
lead back to four, 63-59, with 33.3 seconds left.
Pontius, who was hampered by a knee injury and played only nine minutes in the second half, hit a
3-pointer with 21.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Goodall’s final big play.
