Falcons start fast, win big against Oakland

The BG women's basketball team made a call Saturday afternoon, and it was long distance.

The Falcons made 10 3-pointers in the first half, five from senior Tracy Pontius alone, to cruise to an 80-46 win against Oakland.

Pontius finished with a game-high 17 points and paced three other Falcons in double-figures. Maggie Hennegan had 13 points while Lauren Prochaska and Chrissy Steffen each had 11.

Saturday's game was the second straight for BG in which its offense scored 80 points or more. It was also the second straight game its defense held an opponent in the 40-point range.

This is what makes the Falcons a good team, they have the ability to beat teams with their offense and their defense, which are both very good.

We knew their offense was going to be good this season, it's what has won them six consecutive Mid-American Conference titles. But the defense has been quite good.

When you think of BG women's basketball, you tend to think more in terms of its offense.

While in the last two games the Falcon offense put up 80 or more points both games, the defense allowed just 46 points or less.

When an offense is scoring in the 80s and a defense is giving up points in the 40s, the win looks pretty good at the end of the day.

BG's offense will take care of itself. It's almost a given that Prochaska and Pontius are going to put up double-digit scoring efforts every game. And if Hennegan and Steffen could do the same, this offense will be near impossible to stop.

If the defense plays the way it has over the last two games, then the entire team will be near impossible to stop.

Against Oakland Saturday, the Falcons held the Golden Grizzlies to a dismal 28 percent shooting Saturday.

BG limited Bethany Watterworth, who was a preseason All-Summit League first team candidate, to no points on 0-for-6 shooting.
Watterworth entered Saturday having scored 20 points in each of her last two games.

"Bethany Watterworth is one of the best post players in the entire Midwest regardless of conference," said BG coach Curt Miller. "Any league you put that kid in she can be great. For us to hold her without a basket is just a credit to our team approach."

BG has now won three consecutive games and will look to make it four straight Wednesday when it hosts Detroit at 7 p.m. in Anderson Arena.