BOWLING GREEN — Kadie Hempfling’s putback of a Morgan McMillen missed shot with a second remaining Saturday propelled the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team past Robert Morris 61-60 in a nonconference game at the Stroh Center.
The Falcons (2-1), who had held a nine-point lead in the second quarter, had to rally from a nine-point, third-quarter deficit in order to beat the Colonials (1-2).
Andrea Cecil paced Bowling Green with 20 points. McMillen added 13 points and four steals, and Hempfling contributed six points and 13 rebounds.
Megan Callahan finished with 16 points to lead Robert Morris. Esther Castedo added 14 points, and Nadege Pluviose contributed seven points, 10 rebounds and three steals.
VIDEO: BGSU beats Robert Morris at buzzer
The Falcons used a 11-2 to start the second quarter to break a 16-16 tie and take a 27-18 lead with 6:20 to go before halftime. Cecil scored five of her points during the spurt, and Hempfling canned her only 3-pointer of the contest.
However, the Colonials battled back during the next 5:23, outscoring BG 19-4 in taking a 37-31 lead with just 57 seconds to go before halftime. Castedo hit a pair of 3s, and Nneka Ezeigbo had four of her nine points.
Cecil was able to hit a pair of free throws with a second left and went into the locker room down 37-33.
The third quarter was back and forth, and after Castedo hit a pair of free throws with 1:55 remaining, Robert Morris was ahead 52-43.
But that’s when the Falcons began their comeback. Cecil hit a 3 just before the end of quarter to make it 52-46 going to the fourth, and McMillen’s 3 with 6:26 left in regulation pulled BG to within 54-52.
The Colonials pushed it back out to five at 60-55 on Pluviose’s 3 with 2:37 remaining, but that was the final points of the game for Robert Morris.
Sierra Thompson’s layup with 1:10 to go pulled the Falcons within three, and Sydney Lambert followed with a jump with 19 seconds remaining to make it 60-59. With fouls to give, BG’s Thompson fouled twice, with Callahan missed a pair of free throws with 16 seconds to go. However, Robert Morris got the offensive rebound after the second miss, forcing McMillen to foul Nia Adams two seconds later.
Adams missed both free throws, with Thompson getting the rebound for the Falcons. They worked the ball to McMillen, whose shot was blocked by Ezeigbo into the hands of Hempfling, who converted a layup inside for the winner.
The Falcons host Loyola (Ill.) at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
First Published November 17, 2018, 10:54 p.m.
