Velasco Leads All Scorers, But #12/11 Buckeyes Best Falcons Sunday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior Amy Velasco poured in a game-high 24 points on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 24), but it was not enough as the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team fell to nationally-ranked Ohio State University, 96-53. The non-conference matchup took place at the Schottenstein Center.

Velasco was 8-of-16 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line for the Falcons (2-4), but the senior was the lone Falcon to hit double digits in the scoring column.

Ava Watson scored 20 points to lead five double-figure scorers for the Buckeyes (5-0), ranked #12 in the country in this week’s Associated Press poll and #11 in the USA Today Coaches poll.

Chance Gray had 18 points and Taylor Thierry and Jalone Cambridge 17 apiece for the hosts.

The Buckeyes led by just three points midway through the opening quarter, as a putback by Taya Ellis cut the OSU lead to 12-9. But, three-pointers by Thierry and Watson began an 8-0 run, and the hosts began to pull away.

Ohio State led, 23-12, after one quarter, and opened up a 47-23 lead at the half, after scoring 14-straight second-quarter points.

 

Gallery: (11-24-2024) 112424 wbk at Ohio State – Ben Zetocha

FIRST QUARTER
• Amy Velasco hit a driving layup on the game’s opening possession, but the hosts then scored the next six points before Velasco took a Laila Harrison pass and knocked down a three-point try.
• The Buckeyes responded with a bucket, and the teams traded points for the next few minutes, with Lauren Gerken feeding fellow freshman Harrison for a layup after BGSU broke the press, and Taya Ellis putting back a missed shot to get the Falcons within three, at 12-9.
• But, Taylor Thierry and Ava Watson each knocked down three-point tries, and Madison Greene’s layup gave the home team a 20-9 lead. Velasco drove and hit a layup while being fouled in the process, converting the free throw, but a Chance Gray jumper late in the quarter gave the Buckeyes a 23-12 lead after 10 minutes.

SECOND QUARTER

• Gerken grabbed a missed shot and put it back up and in, and Velasco scored on yet another driving layup, but the home team had an answer each time. Gray hit a long two-pointer and a BGSU turnover led to a Buckeye layup that made the score 31-16.

• Kendal Moxey backed her defender down and hit a baby hook, but moments later, a Jaloni Cambridge three was followed by a BGSU offensive foul, then a jumper by Eboni Walker. The Bucks would hold the Falcons scoreless for over four minutes, going on a 14-0 run that made the score 45-18 late in the quarter. 

• Velasco knocked down two more shots in the final moments of the period on a floater and a driving layup, but the Buckeyes went 10-of-20 in the period and took a 47-23 lead at the intermission.

THIRD QUARTER

• Gray had the hot hand for the Buckeyes in the third quarter, making her first four shots of the period and scoring 12 points. She opened the scoring with a three-pointer, then had a conventional three-point play.

• After a Kennedy Cambridge steal and layup, Erika Porter scored off of an inbounds pass, but Gray answered with another triple, then another. The hosts began the quarter on an 18-2 run.

• Emily Siesel’s nifty lob led to a Porter layup as the shot clock neared zero, and out of a timeout, Siesel drove inside, drew a foul and hit both shots.

• Velasco was fouled on a drive, making both of her tosses, and the senior then hit a nice jump-stop bucket. Velasco lobbed a ball into Porter for a layup in the final minute of the period, but BGSU was unable to cut into the OSU lead.

FOURTH QUARTER

• Paige Kohler made a nice cut and was rewarded by a Porter pass for a bucket, and Porter had a putback. Velasco drove and was fouled – one of seven times she was officially fouled in the game – sinking two more free throws.

• Third-year Falcon Jasmine Fearne took a Velasco pass and knocked down a three-point try with just over six minutes to go, and Gerken had a monster block at the other end of the court.

• Velasco sliced through several defenders for a bucket, then found Fearne for another three-ball. With just over 2:10 left, Velasco was fouled, went to the line and scored points 23 and 24 on the afternoon. Moxey’s banker capped the Falcons’ scoring with just over a minute to go.

NOTES & NUMBERS

• The Buckeyes had a narrow 40-39 rebounding advantage, and the Falcons had a 12-8 lead in second-chance points.

• Ohio State benefited from 24 BGSU turnovers, scoring 30 points off of turnovers. BGSU had seven second-half turnovers after committing 17 in the first half.

• Freshmen Lauren Gerken and Laila Harrison each made the first start of their respective collegiate careers. Both players had three offensive rebounds to tie for the team lead in that category.

• Amy Velasco had her 11th career game with 20 or more points. This season, she has scored at least 20 points four times in six games.

UP NEXT

• The Falcons will head to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Thanksgiving holiday, concluding the November slate with a pair of games at the Daytona Beach Classic. The Falcons will face Stetson on Friday (Nov. 29) and Arkansas Saturday (Dec. 30) in that invite. Tipoff for each game is set for 1:15 p.m. at the Ocean Center.

• Then, the Falcons will return home the following weekend, meeting Xavier at the Stroh Center on Saturday, Dec. 7. That contest begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Stroh Center.

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.