Box Score

The Malone University women's basketball team used clutch shooting and a strong defensive performance to stun NCAA Division I Bowling Green State University in a Wednesday night exhibition on the Falcons' home court. The Pioneers drilled 10 three pointers and netted 28 of their 33 free throw attempts while holding their counterparts to just 31.3% shooting in a complete 78-65 victory.

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) members scored on their first two possessions to open up a 5-0 lead over the Pioneers in what looked to be a chance for the Falcons to shake off some holiday rust in a warm-up game before commencing conference play next week. Malone would have none of it, answering with a Chrissie Vaughan three and a Hannah McCue breakaway layup to tie it up at 5-5 as the five-point lead for the Falcons proved to be their largest of the game.

After going down by three later in the quarter, consecutive three pointers by Hannah McCue gave Malone its first lead at 16-15. A bucket by BG made it 17-16 before another fast break layup by McCue gave Malone a lead that would last for the duration of the game. The Pioneers increased their advantage to as many as seven when Holly Groff's corner three in the closing seconds of the first quarter put Malone on a 100-point pace at 25-18.

An and-1 opportunity by McCue early in the second quarter gave Malone its first double-digit lead at 30-20. Clutch threes by McCue and Groff and a driving left-handed layup by Rachel Goddard in the final seconds of the second quarter helped Malone carry a 44-34 lead into the half. McCue, who spent three years in the Mid-American Conference with Miami (OH), had already hit the 20-point mark before the halftime buzzer.

The Falcons, who shot just 9-of-29 (31.0%) from the field in the first half, relied on a 23-16 rebounding advantage and 12 second chance points just to keep within striking distance.

In stark contrast to an up-temp first 20 minutes, the pace slowed in the third quarter as both defenses clamped down and made points hard to come by as the two teams played to a 12-12 tie. An old-fashioned three-point play by BG cut the lead to as little as six points early on, but the shooting struggles that plagued the Falcons in first half worsened as they finished just 2-for-14 (14.3%) in the quarter.

A pair of Chrissie Vaughan three-pointers lifted Malone's lead to as high as 14 late in the frame. The Falcons, however, took advantage of the absence of McCue, who fell into foul trouble, to close the third quarter down just 56-46.

With McCue on the bench, the Falcons cut the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter when Rachel Konieczki knocked down a mid-range jumper to make it 59-50 just above the seven-minute mark. Sensing the makings of a comeback, Vaughan quieted the threat with a deep left-wing three-pointer just before an expiring shot clock a few moments later. Goddard's three-pointer on the next possession left no doubt.

The Falcons never seriously threatened again as Malone connected on 16-of-18 fourth quarter free throw tries. A pair of Goddard free throws gave the Pioneers their largest lead, a 20-point advantage at 74-54, before Malone held on late with the 78-65 upset in hand.

**Bowling Green's loss to Malone marked the first loss to a non-Division I opponent since falling to DII Saginaw Valley State in 1984.

Game Highlights
-Bowling Green maintained a 44-39 rebounding advantage and turned 20 offensive boards into 21 second chance points, but their inability to knock down open shots doomed them from the get-go.
-The Falcons shot just 11-for-43 (25.6%) over the first three quarters and 19-of-61 overall. BG finished 5-for-21 (23.8%) from deep.
-Malone, meanwhile, overcame a 5-of-24 (20.8%) shooting effort in the second half to finish 20-for-53 (37.7%) from the floor, including a 10-for-24 (41.7%) performance from long range.
-The Pioneers excelled at the free throw line, draining 20-of-22 (90.9%) second-half free throws and 28-of-33 (84.8%) overall.
-Bowling Green held a 38-15 lead in bench points as the four of the five Malone starters combined for 63 points.

Malone Individual Highlights
-Hannah McCue led all scorers with 24 points and led Malone with seven rebounds. She added two steals and a block on the defensive end.
-Rachel Goddard, who played 39 of the 40 minutes, scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half and added five assists.
-Chrissie Vaughan drilled four three-pointers en route to her 12 points while adding four boards and two assists.
-Baylen Dyrlund was a perfect 8-8 at the free throw line as she tallied 12 points to go along with five rebounds and a pair of assists.
-Reserve guards Mackenzie Storlie (seven points) and Holly Groff (six points) evenly split eight rebounds.
-Naomi Grandison added six rebounds in 14 minutes off of the bench.

Bowling Green Individual Highlights
-Ashley Tunstall led BG's 11 scorers with 12 points
-Abby Siefker pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds

Up Next:
The Pioneers will ride the momentum from Wednesday night's win into a New Year's Eve showdown with rival Walsh. Saturday's road matchup is slated to tipoff at 12:00 pm.