The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team is 3-0, and Tuesday’s School Day game at the Stroh Center was never in doubt. The Falcons beat Bellarmine University 91-66 in an 11 a.m. non-conference game, never trailing on their way to a third straight win to open the season, according to the game recap published by Bowling Green State University Athletics.
Junior Lauren Gerken led all scorers with 24 points in just over 24 minutes — she sat out the entire fourth quarter — and freshman Carol Silva added 14, according to BGSU Athletics. Gerken and Silva each grabbed seven rebounds as Bowling Green won the boards 39-34, and six more Falcons scored at least six points, with all 11 players who saw action scoring at least three.
The game broke open after halftime. Leading by 13 early in the second half, the Falcons ripped off a 17-0 run that stretched the margin to 69-39 late in the third quarter, BGSU Athletics reported. Bowling Green shot 63.2 percent in that third quarter and 58.8 percent after halftime overall. The quarter scores tell the story of the day: 22-14, 18-10 and 29-15 in Bowling Green’s favor before Bellarmine took the fourth quarter 27-22 against the Falcon reserves.
The supporting cast filled the box score. Senior Jaedyn Cook scored nine points in just over seven minutes off the bench, and senior Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick had eight points and a game-high eight assists — double her previous career high — according to BGSU Athletics. Freshman Kayla Stidham scored seven, and freshmen Sophie Alexander, Sara Caetano and Aurelie Vanderstraeten had six apiece.
As a team, the Falcons shot 50.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range, scored 60 points in the paint and turned Bellarmine’s 30 turnovers into a 32-15 edge in points off turnovers, BGSU Athletics reported. For the Knights (1-3), Triniti Ralston led the way with 20 points and Anna Rodgers added 11, according to Bellarmine University Athletics.
The fast start continues a strong opening week for the Falcons, who opened with an 82-59 win over Georgia Southern and followed it with a 77-73 win over Cleveland State — a game in which Gerken set a career high with 27 points — before Tuesday’s rout made it three straight at home.
What happens next: Bowling Green finishes its season-opening four-game homestand with another School Day game on Monday, Nov. 16, hosting Lawrence Tech at 11 a.m. at the Stroh Center. Then the Falcons head out for six straight road games, starting Thursday, Nov. 19 at Penn State.
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