YPSILANTI. Mich. – This is the time of the year coaches want their seniors to be difference-makers.
Jillian Halfhill and Alexis Rogers provided that kind of effort for the Bowling Green women’s basketball
team Saturday afternoon at Eastern Michigan. The result was a 61-56 BG victory.
The two seniors both had double-doubles with Halfhill scoring a game-high 21 points and adding 10
rebounds while Rogers had 13 points and a game-high13 rebounds. Rogers also had a game-high seven
assists.
"I’m going to try to figure out how to get another year (of eligibility) out of them," BG head
coach Jennifer Roos said, about the two seniors. "They have just really responded well.
"I have to give credit to (Halfhill). She bailed us out at the foul line; she bailed us out at the
arc," Roos added "Without her performance, it could have been a different game.
"She has turned into an unbelievable floor general for us."
About Rogers, Roos added: "I thought Alexis’ rebounds at the end of he game were a big key."

"We know the time is coming," Halfhill said. "Coach Roos told us in the locker room today
we have seven more (regular season) games left, and that was an eye-opener for us.
"We want it to end well, so we are going to give it everything we have," she added.
Still it was a struggle for the Falcons who fell behind 21-8 in the first nine minutes off the game as
EMU’s 2-3 zone was effective.
"I thought we got a little 3-ball happy early on, and didn’t get the ball inside as much as we
wanted to," Roos said. "They were open looks; I was not disappointed with the shots we got,
but we rushed a few things.
"Their zone is very difficult to score on," Roos added. "It not only puts pressure on
perimeter kids, but it is very physical inside."
Bowling Green then put together a 26-8 run to close out the first half and take a 34-29 lead into the
break. Halfhill’s 14-foot jumper put BG up for the first time with 1:32 left in the half. Halfhill
scored seven of BG final nine points in the first half, and Rogers had the other basket.
Roos said the comeback is the sign of a mature team.
"They didn’t do anything outside of their comfort zone in trying to cut that lead before half,"
Roos said.
EMU took a 40-39 lead with 13:54 left in the game, but Halfhill answered 23 seconds later with a
3-pointer from the left corner to put her team ahead to stay.
"It was a designed play," Halfhill said. "I was open. I saw the look, so I took it. Coach
Roos preaches that whenever you see the basket, shoot it.
"We like to play with the lead. We were down one, and I wanted to get us the lead back,"
Halfhill added. "Fortunately it went in for me."
The Falcons would then lead by seven points twice, the final time on a Deborah Hoekstra layup with 3:44
left in the game.
EMU then rallied and cut BG’s lead to 56-54 on a pair of Janay Morton free throws with 1:50 left.
The Falcons clamped down on defense, while Rogers had a key basket and Halfhill made three free throws to
secure the win.
Of the Eagles’ final seven possessions of the game, EMU missed five shots, had a turnover, and made two
free throws.
Next up for the Falcons, 21-3 overall and 11-1 in the Mid-American Conference, is a contest Wednesday at
the Stroh Center against MAC-leader Central Michigan.
NOTES: Eastern Michigan is 14-9 overall and 4-8 in the MAC …. It was Rogers’ seventh double-double of the
season and 22nd of her career, and it was Halfhill’s second this season and third of her career … BG
held a 51-34 rebounding edge … Halfhill also had a team-high three steals.