BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green State University’s women’s basketball team had its Mid-American Conference game against Western Michigan slip away in the final minutes.
Between numerous 3-pointers from Western Michigan, a personal foul and intentional foul from BGSU’s Erika Porter with less than 20 seconds left, and a bevy of missed 3-pointers and free throws, the Falcons couldn’t seal the deal as the Broncos came away with a 63-60 victory on Wednesday at the Stroh Center.
“Bitter pill to swallow, for sure,” BGSU coach Fred Chmiel said. “Didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from the free-throw line, 3 for 10; we left seven on the table there and then we were 5 of 18 from the 3-point line.
“On the other end, they’re 47 percent from the 3-point line, so that’s the game right there. Some bad mistakes by us down the stretch that [were] uncharacteristic, typically we don’t make. We’re on to the next one. We’ll feel the sting of this until tomorrow at about 2:30, and then we’re going to get to work on a very good Toledo team.”
Wednesday’s contest featured seven ties and 19 lead changes, but BGSU (9-9, 3-4 MAC) appeared to gain the momentum it needed when a 20-12 third quarter advantage gave the Falcons a 48-40 lead. Porter, a 6-foot-2 senior post, was dominant in the quarter and after halftime in scoring 15 of her team-high 17 points (8 of 10 shooting) in the final 20 minutes.
Western Michigan (8-9, 5-2 MAC), which averaged a MAC-worst 57.1 points per game entering the contest, tied it at 58 with 1:36 left when Hannah Spitzley bruised a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired. Porter responded with a basket, but Alli Carlson came right back for Western Michigan to tie it at 60.
BGSU’s Amy Velasco, who scored 15 points with four assists, just missed a layup with around 20 seconds left. Porter was called for a foul while going for the rebound, and after she and multiple Western Michigan players were on the floor, she appeared to be visibly frustrated at a Broncos player when she got up.
The officials reviewed the play, and an intentional foul on Porter was added to her personal foul.
“She thought the Western Michigan player was displaced off the top of Erika. Erika pushed her over, and there was some movement that caused the [intentional],” Chmiel said. “So it’s just a bad time to have that type of action, that type of call.
“But it’s basketball, and it’s a heated moment. Just got away from us a little bit, but again, it’s uncharacteristic and I doubt it’ll ever happen again.”
Spitzley hit two free throws and Marina Asensio 1 of 2 to make it 63-60 with 17.3 seconds left. The Broncos missed two free throws with 16.5 seconds left, giving the Falcons a chance, but Velasco and Lexi Fleming both missed good looks from 3-point range in the final seconds as Western Michigan held on for the win.
“We had a tough fourth quarter today. We’ve got to stay locked in for all 40 minutes,” Velasco said. “They just weren’t falling today, and that’s unlike this team. We’re great shooters, one through 15 honestly, so they just didn’t fall tonight and we’ve got to get back in the gym and work on the shooting and free throws.”
BGSU’s 30 percent from the free-throw line was, by far, its lowest of the season. Overall, the Falcons shot 45.6 percent (26 of 57) from the floor.
Spitzley scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. Asensio scored 11 of her 18 points in the first quarter and dished out seven assists.
Paige Kohler had seven points and five assists for BGSU, while Fleming swiped five of BGSU’s nine steals.
BGSU will look to respond at 2 p.m Saturday when it makes the short trip up I-75 to face the Rockets.
First Published January 23, 2025, 2:16 a.m.
