BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team ended the first half on a double-digit run to seize control on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 15), and the Falcons went on to post a 70-55 win over Central Michigan University inside the Stroh Center.

Sophomore Paige Kohler had a game-high 18 points to lead four double-digit scorers for the Falcons (13-11, 6-6 Mid-American Conference). Senior Amy Velasco and freshman Johnea Donahue each scored 14 points, while fifth-year Falcon Lexi Fleming added 13.

Kohler went 5-for-8 from three-point range in the win, while Velasco had a game-high five assists. Donahue had four helpers and led all players with five steals in the win.

Jess Lawson led the Chippewas (10-14, 5-7 MAC) with 13 points, while Ayanna-Sarai Darrington had a double-double, with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Falcons went on a 9-0 run late in the first quarter to take a 21-8 lead, before the Chippewas scored the final bucket of the period.

After the lead reached as many as 15 points early in the second quarter, the visitors went on an 11-2 run to trim BG's margin to just six points, at 27-21. But, a corner three by sophomore Keiryn McGuff sparked a 14-0 run for the Falcons. BGSU held CMU scoreless over the final 4:30 of the first half, and the Orange and Brown took a 41-21 lead into the intermission.

BG's lead reached a game-high 24 points midway through the third quarter, and although the Chippewas made a late push, the margin never dropped into single digits the rest of the afternoon.

McGuff had seven points, going 3-of-4 from the field, and led all players with a plus/minus rating of +18.

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE -- COACH CHMIEL AND PAIGE KOHLER

FIRST QUARTER
• Both teams got off to a slow-shooting start. Taylor Johnson's jumper on CMU's first possession opened the scoring, before Johnea Donahue hit a pair of layups, but in transition and both off of long passes by Paige Kohler. Another Johnson bucket tied the contest at 4-4 with exactly two minutes gone, and the teams then went more than three minutes without scoring.
• Lexi Fleming's free throws out of the game's first media timeout gave the Falcons the lead – for good, as it turned out – and sparked a quick 7-0 run. Amy Velasco's three-pointer was followed by Kohler's driving layup to give BG an 11-4 lead.
• Madi Morson's jumper several minutes later cut the Falcons' lead to 12-8, but Erika Porter's and-one putback began a 9-0 run for the hosts. Kohler's long three-pointer capped that run, giving BGSU a 21-8 lead, before Taylor Anderson's layup ended the first-quarter scoring.

SECOND QUARTER
• Fleming scored the first four points of the period, including a left-wing three-point try that gave the Falcons a 25-10 lead and prompted a CMU timeout with just over a minute gone. The visitors responded with a pair of buckets, and after Fleming's steal and layup, Central scored the next seven points.
• Jess Lawson's three-point play began that stretch, and when Ayanna-Sarai Darrington made a pair of free throws with 4:30 left in the half, CMU was within six points, at 27-21.
• But, after that 11-2 surge for the visitors, the Falcons responded with a 14-0 run to end the half. Keiryn McGuff's corner three gave BG a nine-point lead, and the sophomore followed with a layup that put the lead into double digits for the remainder of the game.
• Donahue hit a driving layup in traffic, and Velasco spun and threw a shot off glass and in. Donahue grabbed an offensive rebound and whipped the ball out to Kohler for a three-pointer in the final minute of the half, and after a Donahue steal, the freshman hit a layup with just 7.6 seconds remaining before halftime, giving the Orange and Brown a 41-21 lead.
 

Gallery: (2-15-2025) 021525 wbk v CMU - Daniel Carlson

THIRD QUARTER
• Kohler hit a pair of three-pointers in the first three minutes of the second half, with both shots barely moving the net. The latter hoop gave BG a 49-26 lead, and moments later, Kohler blocked a Lawson shot and grabbed the rebound, with the ensuing possession leading to two Donahue free throws and a game-high 24-point advantage.
• Darrington scored four-straight points to get the Chippewas within 51-31, before Kohler followed with yet another triple, this time a step-back three.
• The visitors rallied within 16 points at the end of three quarters, with a Riley Smith trey and a Mayla Ham jumper aiding the Central cause.

FOURTH QUARTER
• Taylor Anderson's tip-in cut the BG lead to 14, at 58-44, but after a Donahue steal, Velasco's driving layup resulted in a three-point play and a 62-44 lead with 6:10 remaining in the contest. Donahue hit a pair of free throws, but the Chippewas then scored seven-straight points, with Hamm's three-pointer cutting the BGSU lead to 11 with 2:16 to go.
• Fleming was fouled and hit both shots with 1:38 remaining, and after the Falcons got a stop, Donahue fed Velasco for a jumper and a 68-53 lead with a minute to go.

UP NEXT
• The CMU game began a stretch in which BGSU will play three of four games at home. The Falcons will head to Kalamazoo to meet Western Michigan on Wednesday night (Feb. 19), with that contest set for a 7:00 p.m. start at University Arena.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will return home to meet Toledo next Saturday night (Feb. 22), before hosting Ohio four days later (Feb. 26).

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Wed., Feb. 19 | at Western Michigan | 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 22 | TOLEDO | 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 26 | OHIO | 7:00 p.m.
Sat., March 1 | at Northern Illinois | 2:00 p.m.
Wed., March 5 | KENT STATE | 7:00 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on all things BGSU women's basketball, follow the Falcons on Facebook (@BGWBB), Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUWBB) and Instagram (@bgsuwbb), as well as right here at BGSUFalcons.com.