We Need Your Help!!

The support at Anderson Arena is second to none! We need YOUR help to bring this same atmosphere on the road to Ypsilanti this Saturday!

This coming Saturday (2/12/11), BGSU Women’s Basketball will be heading less than an hour north to Ypsilanti, MI, for a HUGE battle at Eastern Michigan - and we are asking for the Falcon Faithful to make the short trip and help us earn a big road win. There are many, many reasons to make the trip - here are just a few:

- It’s the shortest road trip of the season. (68 miles!)
- The BGSU Ticket Office has purchased tickets at a reduced group rate price, so tickets through our ticket office will cost just $3.
- Both BG and EMU are 7-3 in MAC play – so this game has tremendous implications for seeding for the MAC Tournament.
- We are currently tied with Kent State for the East Division title, making every game vital to our chance at winning an unprecedented 7th straight divisional title!
- Our men are playing at Central Michigan, so we’re the closest basketball game BG will have this Saturday.
- The six seniors, including Lauren Prochaska, who in the last game became the all-time leading scorer in BGSU History, have just 6 regular season games left – it’s another chance to see one of the best classes in BG History! (Just became the 6th class in history to win 100 games!)

But the most important reason to take this short trip to EMU and support the Falcons? NOTHING motivates this team more than our fans! Simply put, we have the BEST women’s basketball fans in the MAC – as good as any in the country! It’s what makes it so difficult for opponents to play at Anderson Arena, and why we have one of the best home records in the country over the last few years! With such an important road game being so close to BG, help bring that home atmosphere up to Ypsilanti! There is no doubt our players thrive playing for our fans, and so the more we can have in Ypsilanti to support us, the better our chances! And early weather reports say it's going to be a great day! (Unless you're an EMU fan!)

To summarize:
Who: BGSU at Eastern Michigan
Where: Ypsilanti, MI (68 miles north of BG)
When: 2pm this Saturday, February 12th
Cost: Tickets can be purchased through the BGSU Ticket Office for $3 (877-BGSU Ticket)

Please come out and help us beat the Eagles in this HUGE road game!

2010 Non-conference One to Remember!

Seniors Chelsea Albert, Lauren Prochaska, Kelly Zuercher, Tracy Pontius, Jen Uhl and Maggie Hennegan helped lead us to the best start in BG and MAC History!

With a 73-64 road win at Butler in the historical Hinkle Fieldhouse, we ended the non-conference portion of our 2010-11 schedule, and what a memorable one! With a record of 12-1, we set the record for the best start in BGSU (and MAC) Women’s Basketball history!

Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward, and, in this case, 12 steps forward. After a disappointing opening road loss at Evansville to start the season, we have rolled off 12 straight wins, setting not only the BGSU record for the most non-conference wins in a season, but the MAC record as well! Some of the highlights of this tremendous streak:

- Defeated Missouri Valley power Creighton by 26 points.



- Defeated a very talented Oakland squad by 34. Oakland has taken Penn State to Overtime, and beaten Illinois and Clemson as well.



- Beat a Detroit squad that was 2-0 with two double-digit victories against MAC schools by 25. Detroit recently beat Michigan in Ann Arbor by almost 20 points.



- Won the Seattle tournament, including a hard-fought 9 point win over Arkansas Little Rock, an NCAA Tournament team and picked to win their half of the Sun Belt.



- Defeated #23 Vanderbilt at home in front of a fantastic crowd by double-digits.



- Swept a 2 game, 4 day road trip down south, including a tough win at Western Kentucky, picked to win their half of the Sun Belt.



- Set the record by defeating a talented Butler team, at the infamous Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler, yet another team that made the post-season last year, came into the game undefeated at home this year, and had only lost at home 6 times over the last 3 seasons.




In addition to these highlights, there were several other notable achievements within this outstanding run:



- With the 12-1 record, we had our 9th straight winning non-league record, the only MAC school to have ever achieved this.



- It was the 5th consecutive season BG has won at least 10 non-league games.



- Senior Lauren Prochaska set the NCAA National Record for Most Consecutive Free Throws Made with 70 in a row.



- Senior Tracy Pontius scored her 1000th point with her first basket on the season, and moved into the Top 20 in all-time scoring at BG.



- With a 7-0 home record, we have now run our regular-season home winning streak to 36 consecutive games.



- Overall we’ve now won 20 in a row at Anderson Arena, one of the 10 longest current streaks in the nation.



- In the most recent NCAA Statistical update, we are #1 in the country in free throw percentage.
- We are 6th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game.

We are very, very proud of the team and a historical non-conference run, but as Coach Miller told the team after the Butler game:

“Enjoy what you’ve done – you’ve made history, and no one can ever take that away from you. But remember, MAC play is really all that matters, and tomorrow when we wake up, non-conference is over, and all 12 teams in the MAC are 0-0.”

MAC play opens Wednesday, January 5th, as we travel to Athens, Ohio, to take on the Bobcats. Our first home MAC game is that following Saturday, January 8th, against rival Miami. Come on out and show your support for the team as we make a run at an unprecedented 7th straight MAC Championship!

Meet the Newest Falcon: Alexis Rogers

Newest Falcon Alexis Rogers, transfer from Duke, shows off her cutting edge sense of fashion at a recent practice.

Since I know EVERYONE has been waiting for me to write my blog for a couple weeks, be prepared to learn all about me: Alexis Rogers. Let’s see my name is Alexis but everyone calls me Lex, except for Christopher ( Chrissy Steffen) she calls me Lexi. The most important things to me in life is my family, music, basketball, and of course DISNEY movies. Right now I’d have to say my favorite artist is Neyo, but Jason Derulo is moving up on the list everyday. I like ALL kinds of music, you can ask the girls on the team my music selection has shocked a handful of them. My music selection varies from oldies, r&b, rap, country, to Disney. I really like things that you can sing to, although my singing skills aren’t that great! Other than listening to music I also like to play it: I’ve played the piano since I was 8, but I had to give up taking lessons because it began to interfere with basketball practice. I’ve thought about minoring in music, but that’s still being contemplated. I have decided to major in Early Childhood Education. I love kids, and at heart I am still a four year old. I figure with this major I can relive my childhood, watch Disney movies, and get paid for it (Just kidding!). I think education is really important and if children can learn to enjoy it from an early age it makes the 16 year process easier, and I think I can make education fun.

I have four really influential people in my life. First there is my mom, she is my best friend. She is the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I doubt she will ever be beaten in that category. She knows what she wants in life and she isn’t afraid to purse her goals. Her name is Youlanda, I am sure you will hear her at games screaming for the next four years. The second pair are my grandparents. They have been so great to me and without their advice and strength I may not have made it through last year. The third person is my older brother, Antwaun. I would truly call him my idol and my hero. I seek his approval for a lot of things. We are ten years apart, and he was a student athlete so he helps me with so many things because he has been where I am right now. He played in the NFL for a year, and he has proven to me that there is indeed a life after sports. The fourth person is my little cousin Zion. Although he is only 3 he makes me want to be a better person. I want him to look up to me and say that I have positively influenced his life. My day automatically gets better when he calls me and tells me he misses me. He is young, but he makes me a better person and I love him dearly for that, and when he gets old enough to understand I will tell him.


I started my college career at Duke as everyone probably already knows. It wasn’t the best fit for me, fortunately Bowling Green gave me a second chance. I’ve been here for three months now, and I have loved every day of it. During the transferring process I really wanted a down-to-earth coaching staff that knew more about their players than just their stats. I think here I have gotten everything I expected to get out of college. Although the coaches are great and have been very patient with my lack of memory of over half of the plays (lol), I love the players even more. Coming from a team of only 11 individuals who did their own thing its really exciting for me to be part of such a large team that actually enjoys hanging out together. Having to sit out this year means I’m going to have to encourage my teammates from the bench, and that has been something I have struggled with, but I honestly think this group of girls makes you want to cheer from the bench. Overall I love Bowling Green ( despite the fact that I get blown over by the strong gusts of wind) and its been an amazing experience for me, and I am so glad I decided to come here.

National Recognition: #5 Ranking in Inaugural Mid-Major Top 25 Poll!

Seniors Chelsea Albert, Lauren Prochaska, Kelly Zuercher, Tracy Pontius, Jen Uhl, and Maggie Hennegan look to lead BG to a 7th Consecutive MAC Championship

CollegeInsider.com, having established a men’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll over a decade ago, has now created the Women’s Mid-Major Top 25, and in the inaugural poll, in yet another example of the national notoriety the BGSU Women’s Basketball program is gaining, BG was ranked #5 in the nation!

The Men’s Poll, now entering its 12th year, has become a standard measuring stick for programs outside of the proverbial power conferences. This past season the top four teams in the final regular season Men’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll all advanced to the Sweet 16.

The women’s Mid-Major Top 25 will be composed of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Great West, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt and West Coast.

The 31 member voting panel consists of head coaches from these conferences. The poll will be released every Tuesday throughout the 2010-11 season.
In a previous blog BGSU Head Coach Curt Miller discussed the challenging schedule awaiting the Falcons this season, and the release of the inaugural Mid-Major Top 25 poll confirms this, with no less than 5 of BG’s opponents this year being ranked in the Top 25! In addition to those 5, there are 3 other schools (Kent State, Eastern Michigan, and Oakland). Below is the poll:

1. Gonzaga
2. Green Bay
3. James Madison
4. Arkansas Little Rock (BG opponent)
5. BOWLING GREEN
6. Princeton
7. Marist
8. Liberty
9. Middle Tennessee
10. Hartford
11. Old Dominion
12. Lehigh
13. Illinois State
14. Florida Gulf Coast
15. South Dakota State
16. Toledo (BG opponent)
17. Chattanooga
18. Vermont
19. Oral Roberts
20. Creighton (BG opponent)
21. Western Kentucky (BG opponent)
22. Butler (BG opponent)
23. Gardner-Webb
24. Delaware
25. St. Mary’s

National Recognition: A Visit from a World Champion!

Two of the best in the business!

World Champion Seattle Storm Head Coach Brian Agler with Coach Curt Miller

What better sign of the national attention and respect Coach Miller has brought to himself and the BGSU Women’s Basketball program than a visit by Brian Agler, the Head Coach of the WNBA’s World Champion Seattle Storm, less than 3 weeks after winning the championship!





This “meeting of the minds” started back in April, when Coach Agler asked Coach Miller to meet with him and his staff to talk about our ball screening offense. Agler was so happy with the offense and what Seattle was doing with it that he, in turn, invited Coach Miller and staff out to watch Seattle play the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis early in the Fall. The staff went to Seattle’s shootaround that day, and were guests of the Storm at the game. So it was only natural that Coach Agler was in Northwest Ohio to view the Falcons’ practice and trade coaching secrets with BGSU head coach Curt Miller.





“It was an honor to have Coach Agler visit our practice,” said Coach Miller. “I always look forward to spending time with him, talking X’s and O’s and coaching strategy. Seattle has one of the finest pick-and-roll games in the WNBA, with Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. They are the best of the best, and I am excited to have the chance to pick his brain about the pick-and-roll offense.“





Additionally, it was great of Coach Agler to take a few moments and talk to the team after practice. Any time you get a chance to talk with someone who has reached the pinnacle of his profession, it is truly an honor. I look forward to hearing his critique of our team.”





Agler, a graduate of Wittenberg University, has coached collegiately at UMKC and Kansas State, among other schools, and also has guided several teams at the professional level. He led the Columbus Quest to American Basketball League titles in both 1997 and 1998, and had an 82-22 record there. He also was the first coach of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.





“Last year, I asked Curt to spend some time with me and my staff,” said Agler, who had a .648 winning percentage as a collegiate head coach. “We are always looking to try to get better. Our league is so competitive that, if you are not always striving to get better, you can fall behind quickly.





“Curt was very hospitable, making time to speak with us at the Final Four. With players like Lauren and Sue on our team, we wanted to incorporate more pick and roll. We did adapt it and we did improve offensively, and things worked out for us this season. I am back here (meeting with Miller) so that I can keep getting better on a daily basis.”





A pre-season national ranking of #17, Lauren Prochaska listed as one of 30 players to watch for the Wooden Award, and a visit from the World Champion Head Coach of the Seattle Storm to learn more about our offense. For a program at the “Mid-Major” level, BGSU Women’s Basketball continues to garner NATIONAL respect!

National Recognition: Lauren Prochaska Named to Wooden Watch List!

Senior Lauren Prochaska looks to win her 4th MAC title in 4 years this season.

In another example of the national recognition Bowling Green Women’s Basketball is garnering is the announcement that Senior Lauren Prochaska was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 list. The list is comprised of 30 women’s basketball players who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious individual award.

Prochaska, entering her senior season with the Falcons, already is third in BGSU history in scoring, with 1,699 career points through her first three years. The Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons, she is the only MAC player to make the Wooden Award top-30 list.A native of Plain City, Ohio (Jonathan Alder H.S.), Prochaska is the school's career record-holder with 241 three-point field goals made. She averaged 17.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season, leading the team in both categories as the Falcons won the MAC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Championships.




About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09). Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Connecticut’s Tina Charles won the Award in 2010.Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award’s name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club on the Friday prior to the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to http://www.woodenaward.com/.



2010-11 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 List, Women

Name Height Class Position University Conference

Danielle Adams 6-1 Sr F/C Texas A&M Big 12

Kachine Alexander 5-9 Sr G Iowa Big 10

Angie Bjorklund 6-0 Sr G/F Tennessee SEC

Jessica Breland 6-3 Sr F North Carolina ACC

Elena Delle Donne 6-5 So G/F Delaware CAA

Skylar Diggins 5-9 So G Notre Dame Big East

Jasmine Dixon 6-0 Jr F UCLA PAC 10

Victoria Dunlap 6-1 Sr F Kentucky SEC

Dawn Evans 5-7 Sr G James Madison CAA

Brittney Griner 6-8 So C Baylor Big 12

Amber Harris 6-5 Sr F Xavier Atlantic 10

Tiffany Hayes 5-10 Jr G Connecticut Big East

Shenise Johnson 5-11 Jr G Miami ACC

Jantel Lavender 6-4 Sr C Ohio State Big 10

Italee Lucas 5-8 Sr G North Carolina ACC

Maya Moore 6-0 Sr F Connecticut Big East

Deirdre Naughton 5-10 Sr G DePaul Big East

Nnemkadi Ogwumike 6-2 Jr F Stanford PAC 10

Kayla Pederson 6-4 Jr F Stanford PAC 10

Ta'Shia Phillips 6-6 Sr C Xavier Atlantic 10

Samantha Prahalis 5-7 Jr G Ohio State Big 10

Lauren Prochaska 5-11 Sr G/F Bowling Green Mid-American

Chastity Reed 6-1 Sr F Arkansas Little Rock Sun Belt

Danielle Robinson 5-9 Sr G Oklahoma Big 12

Sugar Rodgers 5-11 So G Georgetown Big East

Shekinna Stricklen 6-2 Sr G/F Tennessee SEC

National Recognition: #17 Pre-Season Ranking!

Senior Point Guard Tracy Pontius will be relied on heavily to lead the Falcons in '10-11.




In the history of sport, NEVER has a victory been earned by a pre-season national ranking. However, for a program like ours, from a mid-major conference, it is a huge sign of respect to earn such an accolade. Hence our excitement when Athlon Sports College Basketball 2010-11 Preview hit the stands in September listing Bowling Green as the #17 team in the nation!

As happy about the national attention Coach Miller is, he understands that it is a ranking, and nothing more:

“It’s an honor to be included in the pre-season national rankings, but they are a direct reflection of past success”, says Head Coach Curt Miller. “This team will have to go out and prepare as hard as we have in the past in order to overachieve, which is our ultimate goal.”

Come meet these #17 ranked Falcons up close and personal on Thursday, October 21st at the Tip-Off Dinner! For information / reservations please contact Doreen Bateson at 419-372-9236.