AKRON — Lauren Prochaska hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 0.2 seconds to go in the game and
Bowling Green escaped Rhodes Arena with a 47-45 win over Akron Tuesday night. The Falcons are now 23-4
overall and 11-3 in the Mid-American Conference East with two regular-season games remaining.
“It was a fun way to win. We haven’t had a buzzer-beater in a long time in our program,” BG coach Curt
Miller said. “When you haven’t shot the ball well all night, to step up and find a play in the last five
seconds of the game is a credit to our kids never giving up.
“We found a way to win and keep our hopes alive to win the MAC East,” Miller added. “Certainly there were
a lot of negatives tonight, but the positives were finding a way to win a close game on the road (and)
finding confidence late in the game despite not playing well.”
Rachel Tecca — who paced the Zips with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double — dropped in a baseline hook
to give Akron a one-point advantage, 45-44, with 8.7 seconds remaining.
BG used two timeouts with 5.2 seconds left and the Falcons got the ball to Prochaska, the career scoring
leader at BG, for the game-winner.
Miller said the first play that was drawn up — “was just not a good play. There was a little panic and I
don’t think people understood what we were doing.
“The second timeout really helped us get organized. We were putting the ball in Tracy’s (Pontius) hands.
She knew she was going to read Lauren off of a screen by Maggie (Hennegan),” Miller continued. “We felt
like the way we were defending that we had a chance to get the person screened. It was just a matter of
whether the timing would be perfect to have enough time to develop.”
Hennegan set a good screen, Miller said, and Prochaska went to the baseline rather than the wing.
“It all happened perfectly,” Miller said. “In that situation that’s players making plays … A lot of
people contributed to make that play work.”
After making 5-of-11 3-pointers in BG’s 60-55 win over Eastern Michigan on Feb. 12, Prochaska was 0-of-11
on threes over the span of three games, before hitting the game-winner.
After Prochaska’s basket, Akron, needing to go the length of the court with no time to catch and shoot,
actually completed a pass that sailed nearly two-thirds the length of the court. Tecca redirected the
pass toward the net, but the ball fell short as the horn sounded.
Akron led 20-19 after a defensive, turnover-filled first half. The Zips limited Bowling Green to just
15.4 percent (4-for-26) in the half, as the Falcons scored just nine points from the field while making
12 turnovers.
Bowling Green opened the second half with four straight points to take a three-point lead, but Akron
answered with a 7-0 run. Natasha Williams started the streak with a traditional three-point play and
Tecca followed with a post move and a pair of free throws to make the score 27-23.
The Falcons built a 32-28 lead from there, before Akron answered with another 7-0 run to take a
three-point advantage with under seven minutes to play. Kacie Cassell and Taylor Ruper each knocked down
a trey to spark the run.
Hennegan had two baskets and a free throw in the final 5:20 to aid the Falcons.
Jen Uhl put the Falcons ahead with 27 seconds left with a pair of free throws to answer Kara Murphy’s
pair of free throws for Akron with 1:23 to go, setting the stage for the final 10 seconds of the game.

The Falcons were only 13-of-55 from the field (23.6 percent), 3-of-21 on threes (14.3 percent) 18-of-23
from the free-throw line (78.3 percent).
Akron was 14-of-49 (28.6 percent) from the field, 4-of-12 on threes (33.3 percent) and 13-of-19 from the
line (68.4 percent).
“I think you have to give credit to both defenses and preparation, Neither team let anything easy
happen,” Miller said.
Prochaska led the Falcons with 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Chrissy Steffen scored 10
points. Hennegan finished with nine points and Uhl had seven points and eight rebounds.
Bowling Green hosts Kent State Saturday with tipoff at noon in a game to be televised on SportsTime Ohio.