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2005-06 MEDIA GUIDE BGSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 1

BGSU BASKETBALL 2005-06

BGSUFalcons.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The BasicsFalcon Quick Facts 22005-06 Rosters 3

MAC Tournament ... a Look Back 4-5

NCAA Trip 6

Media InformationSchedule/Team Photo 7Media/Travel Information 8-9

The 2005-06 SeasonSeason Outlook 10-17Falcon Notes 18-19

Coaching StaffHead Coach Curt Miller 20-22Assoc. Head Coach Jennifer Roos 23Assistant Coach Brandi Poole 24Assistant Coach Kevin Eckert 25

The 2005-06 FalconsStudent-Athlete Bios 26-50The Seniors

Jill Lause 26-27Casey McDowell 28-29

The JuniorsAmber Flynn 30-31Julie Gompers 32-33Liz Honegger 34-35Carin Horne 36-37Ali Mann 38-39Megan Thorburn 40-41

The SophomoresKate Achter 42-43Whitney Taylor 44-45

The FreshmenLindsey Goldsberry 46Jasmine McCall 46Jessica McKenzie 47DePrice Taylor 47

Support Staff 48G-B-G Stats for Current Falcons 48-50

2004-05 In Review2004-05 Statistics 52-612004-05 Game Boxscores 62-69

The MAC / OpponentsThe Mid-American Conference 70-712004-05 MAC Standings/Stats 72-762006 MAC Tournament Info. 77MAC Composite Schedule 78-792004-05 Opponents 80-87Series Information 88

HistoryAcademic All-Americans 89BGSU Tradition 90-91BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame 92-93Honors & Awards 94-951,000-Point Club 96Career Records 97-100Single-Season Records 101-103Single-Game Records 104

Year-by-Year Results 105-112Coaching Records 112All-Time Letterwinners 113Numerology 114Anderson Arena 115Sundry Records 116Falcon Alumnae 117

This is BGSUBowling Green State University 118-121Dr. Sidney A. Ribeau 122BGSU Board of Trustees 123Vice President Dr. Ed Whipple 124Athletics Director Paul Krebs 125Janna Blais / Dr. Lee Meserve 126Athletic Administration 127Head Coaches 128Student-Athlete Wellness 129Falcon Club 130-131

2005-06 Radio & TV Roster 132

2005-06 MEDIA GUIDEThe 2005-06 BGSU Women’s BasketballMedia Guide is a production of the BGSUAthletic Communications Office – J.D.Campbell, Assistant AD; Mike Cihon andDave Meyer, Assistant Directors; KyleKuhlman and Erin Schorr, GraduateAssistants – in conjunction with the BGSUWomen’s Basketball Office. Compiled,written and edited by women’s basketballSID Mike Cihon. Photography by the BGSUOffice of Marketing and Communications(Craig Bell and Brad Phalin), Jeff Harwell,Larry Clapper Photography, Jeffrey HallPhotography, Mike Cihon and Mike Metzger/BG News. Printed by the Hubbard Com-pany; Defiance, Ohio. Media guide informa-tion is current through Oct. 1, 2005.

2 BGSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2005 MAC REGULAR-SEASON & TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

UNIVERSITY / ATHLETIC DEPT.School _________________________Bowling Green State UniversityLocation _____________________ Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0030Founded ____________________________________________ 1910Enrollment_________________________________________ 20,975Nickname _________________________________________FalconsColors ____________________________________ Orange & BrownAffiliation ___________________________________ NCAA Division IConference ________________ Mid-American (MAC) – East DivisionHome Facility ________________________ Anderson Arena (4,700)Press Row Phone ______________________________ 419.372.7131President _______________________________ Dr. Sidney A. RibeauFaculty Representative ______________________ Dr. Lee MeserveDirector of Athletics ______________________________ Paul KrebsAssociate AD/SWA ______________________________ Janna BlaisAthletics Dept. Phone ___________________________ 419.372.2401

COACHING STAFFHead Coach _____________________________________ Curt MillerAlma Mater ___________________________ Baldwin-Wallace, 1990Record at BGSU (years) _________________________ 65-53 (four)MAC Record ________________________________________ 35-29Career Record (years) ___________________________ 65-53 (four)Associate Head Coach __________________________ Jennifer RoosAlma Mater (Year) ___________________________ Davidson, 1993Assistant Coach _______________________________ Brandi PooleAlma Mater (Year) ____________________ Univ. of the South, 1997Assistant Coach ________________________________ Kevin EckertAlma Mater (Year) _______________________________ Ohio, 1996Basketball Office Phone _________________________ 419.372.2255

FALCON QUICK FACTS

HISTORYFirst Year as Varsity Sport ___________________________ 1973-74All-Time Varsity Record ________________________ 499-338 (.596)All-Time MAC Record __________________________ 262-135 (.660)MAC Regular-Season Titles _________________________________

_______________________ 6 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2005)MAC Tournament Titles ____________________________________

_________________ 7 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2005)MAC Tournament Record ______________________________ 27-14NCAA Championships Appearances __________________________

_________________ 7 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2005)NCAA Championships Record ____________________________ 1-7WNIT Appearances (Postseason) _____________________ 1 (1998)Postseason WNIT Record _______________________________ 0-1

TEAM INFORMATION2004-05 Overall Record ________________________________ 23-82004-05 MAC Record __________________________________ 13-3MAC Finish ______________________________ First, West DivisionMAC Tournament Results __________________________________

___________________________ Def. Miami, 84-68, in Quarterfinals____________________ Def. Eastern Michigan, 77-57, in Semifinals______________________ Def. Kent State, 81-75, in Championship

Letterwinners Returning/Lost ____________________________ 9 / 3Starters Returning/Lost ________________________________ 5 / 0

ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONSAssistant A.D./Director of Ath. Comm. _____________ J.D. CampbellAssistant/Women’s Basketball ______________________ Mike CihonOffice Phone __________________________________ 419.372.0474Office Fax ____________________________________ 419.372.6015E-mail _____________________________ [email protected] Director _______________________________ Dave MeyerGraduate Assistant _____________________________ Kyle KuhlmanGraduate Assistant _______________________________ Erin SchorrMailing Address _______________________ 201 Perry Stadium EastAthletics Website _________________________ BGSUFalcons.com


NUMERICAL

NO. NAME POS. HT. CL./EL. HOMETOWN (H.S./PREV. SCHOOL) 1 DePrice Taylor 5-7 G Fr./Fr. Detroit, Mich. (Harper Woods Trinity Catholic) 3 Lindsey Goldsberry 5-9 G Fr./Fr. Dayton, Ohio (Chaminade-Julienne) 4 Julie Gompers * 5-6 G Jr./Jr. Wheeling, W.Va. (Wheeling Park)12 Whitney Taylor * 5-7 G So./So. Wooster, Ohio (Wooster)13 Liz Honegger ** 5-11 F Jr./Jr. Lafayette, Ind. (Jefferson)14 Carin Horne ** 5-10 F Jr./Jr. Lima, Ohio (Lima Senior)20 Kate Achter * 5-8 G So./So. Oregon, Ohio (Clay)21 Casey McDowell ** 5-7 G 5/Sr. Hudson, Ohio (Hudson) (Indiana State Univ.)22 Ali Mann ** 6-1 F Jr./Jr. Chelsea, Mich. (Chelsea)23 Jasmine McCall 5-6 G Fr./Fr. Detroit, Mich. (CMA)31 Jessica McKenzie 6-0 F Fr./Fr. Zanesville, Ohio (West Muskingum)44 Megan Thorburn ** 6-1 F Jr./Jr. Mason, Mich. (Mason)50 Amber Flynn ** 6-0 F-C Jr./Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio (North College Hill)55 Jill Lause *** 6-2 C Sr./Sr. Dublin, Ohio (Coffman)

Head Coach: Curt Miller (Baldwin-Wallace, ’90) – fifth seasonAssociate Head Coach: Jennifer Roos (Davidson, ’93) – fifth seasonAssistant Coaches: Brandi Poole (Univ. of the South, ’97) – fifth season

Kevin Eckert (Ohio, ’96) – fourth seasonTrainer: Nikki SefcikStudent Managers: Amanda Gibson, Randall Clark* letters earned

ALPHABETICAL

NO. NAME POS. HT. CL./EL. HOMETOWN (H.S./PREV. SCHOOL)20 Kate Achter * 5-8 G So./So. Oregon, Ohio (Clay)50 Amber Flynn ** 6-0 F-C Jr./Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio (North College Hill) 3 Lindsey Goldsberry 5-9 G Fr./Fr. Dayton, Ohio (Chaminade-Julienne) 4 Julie Gompers * 5-6 G Jr./Jr. Wheeling, W.Va. (Wheeling Park)13 Liz Honegger ** 5-11 F Jr./Jr. Lafayette, Ind. (Jefferson)14 Carin Horne ** 5-10 F Jr./Jr. Lima, Ohio (Lima Senior)55 Jill Lause *** 6-2 C Sr./Sr. Dublin, Ohio (Coffman)22 Ali Mann ** 6-1 F Jr./Jr. Chelsea, Mich. (Chelsea)23 Jasmine McCall 5-6 G Fr./Fr. Detroit, Mich. (CMA)21 Casey McDowell ** 5-7 G 5/Sr. Hudson, Ohio (Hudson) (Indiana State Univ.)31 Jessica McKenzie 6-0 F Fr./Fr. Zanesville, Ohio (West Muskingum) 1 DePrice Taylor 5-7 G Fr./Fr. Detroit, Mich. (Harper Woods Trinity Catholic)12 Whitney Taylor * 5-7 G So./So. Wooster, Ohio (Wooster)44 Megan Thorburn ** 6-1 F Jr./Jr. Mason, Mich. (Mason)

2005-06 BGSU ROSTERS

FALCONS BY CLASS

SENIORS (2)

Jill LauseCasey McDowell

JUNIORS (6)

Amber FlynnJulie GompersLiz HoneggerCarin HorneAli MannMegan Thorburn

SOPHOMORES (2)

Kate AchterWhitney Taylor

FRESHMEN (4)

Lindsey GoldsberryJasmine McCallJessica McKenzieDePrice Taylor

FALCONS BY STATE

OHIO (8)

Kate AchterAmber FlynnLindsey GoldsberryCarin HorneJill LauseCasey McDowellJessica McKenzieWhitney Taylor

MICHIGAN (4)

Ali MannJasmine McCallDePrice TaylorMegan Thorburn

INDIANA (1)

Liz Honegger

WEST VIRGINIA (1)

Julie Gompers

PRONUNCIATIONS

Kate Achter OCK-terrLiz Honegger HAH-neg-errCarin Horne CARR-inJill Lause LAW-seeAli Mann ALLEYDePrice Taylor duh-PREESE


2005 MAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP RUN ... A LOOK BACK


ON TO SEATTLE FOR THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS


FALCON TEAM & SCHEDULE

The 2005-06 Falcons. Front row (left to right): Jessica McKenzie, Liz Honegger, Megan Thorburn, Casey McDowell, Jill Lause, Ali Mann,Amber Flynn, Julie Gompers, Carin Horne. Back row (left to right): Assistant coach Brandi Poole, assistant coach Kevin Eckert, managerAmanda Gibson, Kate Achter, DePrice Taylor, Lindsey Goldsberry, Jasmine McCall, Whitney Taylor, trainer Nikki Sefcik, associate head coachJennifer Roos, head coach Curt Miller.

2005-06 FALCON SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER

Fri. 18 IPFW 7:00Mon. 21 ST. FRANCIS (PA.) 7:00Fri. 25 vs. IUPUI $ 4:30 CTSat. 26 vs. Youngstown St. / at Indiana $ 4:30/7:00 CTWed. 30 at Detroit 7:00

DECEMBER

Tue. 6 DUQUESNE 7:00Sat. 10 at Florida International 7:00Thu. 22 at Oakland 7:00Wed. 28 vs. Delaware # 4:00Thu. 29 vs. Iona / at Saint Joseph’s # 2:00 / 4:00

JANUARY

Mon. 2 at Kentucky 7:00Sat. 7 AKRON * 1:00Tue. 10 at Buffalo * 7:00Sat. 14 at Kent State * 2:00Wed. 18 OHIO * 7:00Sat. 21 MIAMI * 1:00Wed. 25 at Central Michigan * 7:00Sat. 28 WESTERN MICHIGAN * 1:00

FEBRUARY

Wed. 1 EASTERN MICHIGAN * 7:00Sun. 5 at Toledo * 2:00Wed. 8 NORTHERN ILLINOIS * 7:00Sat. 11 at Ball State * 3:00Wed. 15 at Akron * 7:00Sat. 18 BUFFALO * TBAWed. 22 KENT STATE * 7:00Sat. 25 at Ohio * 1:00Tue. 28 at Miami * 7:00

MARCH

Sat. 4 MAC Tournament First Round (at campus sites)Wed. 8 MAC Tournament Quarterfinals %Fri. 10 MAC Tournament Semifinals %Sat. 11 MAC Tournament Championship %

HOME games at Anderson Arena* Mid-American Conference game$ Hampton Inn Classic (Bloomington, Ind.)# Hawk Classic (Philadelphia, Pa.)% at Quicken Loans Arena; Cleveland, OhioStarting times are Eastern and p.m., unless noted


INFORMATIONBGSU women’s basketball releases and otherinformation can be accessed via the Internet.Log on to www.bgsufalcons.com to receiveinformation on all 18 intercollegiate sports. Thewomen’s basketball site includes a schedule,roster, all press releases (usually in portabledocument [.pdf] as well as text format), results(including boxscores) and up-to-date statistics.Members of the media can receive releases viae-mail by contacting BGSU women’s basketballSID Mike Cihon.

BGSU RADIO & INTERNET BROADCASTSThe BGSU department of athletics and the Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization(BGRSO) have reached an agreement under which WBGU-FM (88.1) will serve as the flagshipstation for Falcon women’s basketball for the second consecutive season. The group isscheduled to broadcast over 20 regular-season games in 2004-05, and would carry anypostseason action as well. The broadcasters will vary on a game-to-game basis. Gamesproduced by BGRSO can be heard on the web through bgrso.org, or through the RealOne Package available on bgsufalcons.com.

CREDENTIALSPress and photo credentials for Falcon women’s basketball home games should be requestedAT LEAST ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE. Seating is limited to working press only. Requestsshould be directed to Mike Cihon, BGSU Athletic Communications, 201 Perry Stadium East,Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0030. A press pass doubles as a parking pass. Passes will bemailed if time permits.

INTERVIEWSAll interviews with players and coaches should be arranged through the athletic communica-tions office. Please allow at least 24 hours to set up interviews. HOME AND/OR DORMROOM PHONE NUMBERS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE. Student-athletes will not be asked to miss class for any interviews or media opportunities. Arrange-ments will be made for telephone and in-person interviews at a mutually-agreeable time.

PHOTOGRAPHERSOnly those accredited photographers working on assignment will be issued credentials. Noflashes or strobe units are permitted without prior clearance from the athletic communicationsoffice. Photographers should shoot from the designated areas. All areas of the east sideline(opposite team benches) and north end are open; at the south end, only one photographer at a

time under the basket; no more than two photogra-phers in the SW corner. Photographers must staybehind the orange band around the outside of theplaying surface and must not block the view of fans.

DIRECTIONS TO ANDERSON ARENAThe quickest and most convenient way to AndersonArena is via Interstate 75. Take exit 181 off of I-75and head west on Wooster Street. Go to the secondtraffic light (Mercer Road) and turn right. Go toRidge Street and turn left. The arena and parking lotwill be approximately one-half mile ahead, on the leftside.

PARKINGThe media parking lot for Anderson Arena is thelarge lot just to the east, off of Ridge Street. Anyoneholding a press credential is entitled to free parking,but an early arrival is suggested, since the lot is alsoopen to the public. Media members picking up theircredentials at the press gate will have their namesincluded on a parking list.

MEDIA INFORMATION

A total of 11 BGSU women’s basketballgames were televised in 2004-05, includingthree on Fox Sports Net, one on ESPN2, andseven in the greater Toledo area on BCSN.Former BGSU coach Fran Voll (left) andDave Horger served as the broadcast teamfor six of the Falcons’ 10 home games.


MEDIA INFORMATION

BGSU ON THE ROAD

BALL STATE (FEB. 10-11)

Radisson Hotel Roberts

420 S. High Street

Muncie, IN 47305

765.741.7777

AKRON (FEB. 14-15)

Radisson City Center

20 West Mill Street

Akron, OH 44308

330.384.1500

OHIO (FEB. 24-25)

Ohio University Inn

331 Richmond Avenue

Athens, OH 45701

740.593.6661

MIAMI (FEB. 27-28)

Marcum Inn & Conf. Center

Miami University

Oxford, OH 45056

513.529.2104

TRAVEL NOTES

Days listed indicate departurefrom/return to BGSU • TheFalcons will travel to all roadcontests via bus, with theexception of the FloridaInternational game and the HawkClassic (flights) • For the Detroit(Nov. 30), Oakland (Dec. 22) andToledo (Feb. 5) games, theFalcons are scheduled for same-day travel to and return from thesite • For the remainder of the bustrips, plans generally call for theteam to depart from BGSU theday before the game and returnimmediately following the game •The travel schedule is subject tochange.

HAMPTON INN CLASSIC (NOV. 23-26)

Hampton Inn

2100 N. Walnut Street

Bloomington, IN 47404

812.334.2100

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (DEC. 8-11)

Comfort Suites Miami

3901 SW 117 Avenue

Miami, FL 33175

305.220.3901

HAWK CLASSIC (DEC. 27-30)

Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

4200 City Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19131

215.879.4000

KENTUCKY (JAN. 1-2)

Hilton Suites Lexington Green

245 Lexington Green Circle

Lexington, KY 40506

859.271.7101

BUFFALO (JAN. 9-10)

Courtyard Marriott

4100 Sheridan Drive

Buffalo, NY 14221

716.626.2300

KENT STATE (JAN. 13-14)

Fairfield Inn

9783 State Route 14

Streetsboro, OH 44241

330.422.1166

CENTRAL MICHIGAN (JAN. 24-25)

Fairfield Inn

2525 S. University Park Drive

Mount Pleasant, MI 48858

989.775.5000

PRESS ROW SERVICESPrograms, game notes, and other pertinent game information will besupplied along press row, located at the top of the arena on the westside. A complete box score and play-by-play will be available shortlyafter the game’s completion. There are several telephones in thepress box for use after the game. A fax machine can be madeavailable, but only with prior notification.

POST-GAME INTERVIEWSA post-game press conference will be held in Room 202 on theintermediate level of the arena approximately 10 minutes after theconclusion of the game. Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, thevisiting coach and requested players will speak first, followed byCoach Miller and requested BGSU players. BGSU observes a closedlockerroom policy.

VISITING RADIORequests for permission to broadcast must be made in writing at leasttwo weeks prior to the game. The fee will be waived for the officialstation of the visiting school if there is a reciprocal agreement.


2005-06 SEASON OUTLOOK

to put ourselves in position to be able toplay for championships.

“I remind our team all the time that I don'tthink, talent-wise, we are necessarily thebest team in the MAC, on paper. In thatfirst season (the 2001-02 campaign, inwhich BGSU finished 9-19), our main goalwas to become the hardest-working team inthe MAC. That has not changed. In fact,that goal is even more important now that

we are defending a title.

“I amvery pleased with how farwe have come, but we have placed highexpectations upon ourselves, and others nowhave higher expectations. We know we willhave a bull’s-eye on our back every nightout, and we know that we will get everyopponent’s best effort. We need to bring ourlunch pails to work every day, stay focusedand get prepared to meet each challengethroughout the season.”

If one is preparing to face challenges,having five returning starters from aconference championship team certainly is a

good way to start. Senior CaseyMcDowell, juniors Liz Honegger,Carin Horne and Ali Mann andsophomore Kate Achter all started over20 games a year ago. Honegger, Mann,Horne and Achter all averaged from 11 to15 points per game last winter, with eachearning some sort of MAC honor at theconclusion of the regular season. The ‘fifthstarter,’ McDowell, scored nearly sevenpoints an outing and showed the ability toprovide an offensive spark, as evidenced byher 31-point outburst in the leaguetournament’s quarterfinal round.

Three key bench players from a year ago aregone, as last year’s senior class of KellyKapferer, Tene Lewis and Sakima Smithhave departed. But, four other letterwinnersreturn, looking to battle for time on thecourt, and are joined by four talentednewcomers.

Senior Jill Lause, juniors AmberFlynn and Megan Thorburn andsophomore Whitney Taylor comprise

those four returnees, and eachof the four has dis-played flashes ofgreatness from time totime. They are joined byfour freshmen –Lindsey Goldsberry,Jasmine McCall,Jessica McKenzieand DePrice Taylor –who also will be vying fortime in Miller’s lineup.

Long-time followers of theFalcon program undoubtedlyhave noticed a resurgence inthe team’s confidence over thepast few years. The players onthis year’s team all have beenrecruited by Miller and his staff,and nearly all of them haveexperienced many more wins than

losses.

“When my staff arrived at BGSU four yearsago, we took over a program full of greatkids,” said Miller. “And, that continuestoday, as the current team is full of greatpeople. The one thing that is different withthis group, though, is that they don’t knowanything but winning. Obviously, theplayers in the sophomore and junior classeshave not had less than a 21-win season.Even Jill and Casey, in their three years

The Bowling Green State Universitywomen’s basketball team won the Mid-American Conference regular-season andtournament titles in 2004-05.

And, Curt Miller and his staff welcomeback nine letterwinners, including all fivestarters, from that team, which went 23-8overall, 13-3 in MAC play and advanced tothe NCAA Championships for the first timein 11 years.

So, Miller has been spending hisoffseason watching television,right? Maybe antiquing, orsurfing the web, or just sittingin his office reading thenewspaper, with his feetpropped up on his desk?

Umm ... no.

“One of the major factors inlast season's championshiprun was the fact that wenever lost sight of who weare,” said Miller, whoenters his fifth season atthe Falcon helm. “Weare a blue-collar team,and we are aware thatwe need to work hardevery day. We need to show up andprove ourselves night after night.

“Last season was a magical ride and atremendous year, and it will always be in therecord books. But, this is a new season, andwe will need to be ready for the challengesit presents.

“Obviously, we are excited about where wehave positioned this program after fouryears. One of the goals when we first gothere was to build a championship program.But, we also want to sustain a championshipprogram. It is a goal, year in and year out,

BLUE-COLLAR TEAMIn the quest to defend the 2005 Mid-AmericanConference championship, Curt Miller and the Falconsare mindful of what got them there

Seniors Casey McDowell (left) and Jill Lause


here, have averaged almost 19 wins peryear.

“This group expects to win, believes theycan win, and sometimes the mentalapproach is half the battle. It isn’t cockiness– like I said, we realize that we are notalways necessarily the best team on paper –but there is a confidence there. We knowthat we have to prove ourselves every timewe take the court, and I think that brings alot of fight to us. We had a number ofgames last year where we trailed, or wewere struggling, but I never saw our playershang their heads or give up. We areconfident, and we know that the best way toachieve success is to keep working, keepplugging away and never forget who weare.”

That work ethic was evident over thesummer, when nearly the entire corps ofreturnees stayed in Bowling Green to workout together. And, that enthusiasm carriedover to the program’s newcomers.

“I was very pleased that nine returneeschose to stay in town for at least one of thesummer-school semesters,” said Miller.“The returning players had a greatoffseason, and came back for the beginningof this year in better shape and hungrierthan in years past. And, three of our fourincoming freshman also attended the secondsession of summer school. So, in essence,nearly our entire team spent much of thesummer together, and they were able towork with a top-notch strength andconditioning staff.

“We were ready to go from day one. Wedidn't need to worry about getting theplayers in shape, because they already werein shape. We could move right on to honingand developing their skills. Their energyand desire is very evident, and I think thechampionship year really gave us thatenergy.”

A position-by-position look at the 2005-06Falcons ...

POST TIME

People of Bowling Green, try to remaincalm. Do not be alarmed, but a two-headedmonster lurks in your town.

That two-headed monster, of course, is thejunior post tandem of Mann and Honegger,

and they have many similarities. Theyshared the team’s Player-of-the-Year awardlast season. Each player is on a pace tofinish high on many Falcon career lists, andeach player earned All-MAC Second-Teamhonors as a sophomore a year ago. Onmany teams, either one would be the ‘go-to’player. But, they have shown the ability tothrive as an offensive duo over their firsttwo years in Northwest Ohio, and theircoach is first in line to give them a gold starfor ‘working well with others.’

“Ali Mann and Liz Honegger have estab-lished themselves as two of the mostdominant and consistent post players in thisleague,” said Miller. “Liz and Ali feed offof each other. They are both so talented, butsometimes I don't think either of them getthe recognition that they deserve. Individu-ally, in my opinion, they are both first-teamall-conference types of players. But,because they are both so unselfish and suchteam players, neither one of them feels likethey have to have the ball every time downthe floor.

“They have great teamwork. Some nights,it might be Ali’s night, and some nights, it isLiz’s night. And, we wouldn't be nearly assuccessful if they didn't work so welltogether.”

Mann averaged 13.8 points and 7.4rebounds last year, and kicked it up a notch

in league play, with team-best averages of15.0 points and 7.8 boards. She scored indouble digits in 24 games, including 11 ofthe final 12 contests of the year. Afterspraining her ankle in the final home game,Mann was questionable for the followinggame. Not only did she play in that game,however, she excelled, scoring 20 points injust 24 minutes off the bench as the Falconsrallied for a road win over Northern Illinois,clinching the league title on the final nightof the regular season.

“Ali had a tremendous conference run lastyear,” said Miller. “And, she has come backin tremendous shape.

“Ali Mann’s strength is her versatility. Herability to score at the arc, score off thedribble, and be strong and powerful enoughto score inside creates a lot of matchupproblems. She is a player that has the skillsof a big forward or a 3-player, but plays inthe post in our system. It seems, early on inthe 2005-06 academic year, that she hasraised her game to even a higher level, and alot of the kids look up to her.

“After a MAC Freshman-of-the-Year season(in 2003-04) and an all-conference sopho-more year, I think you can clearly look toAli Mann as the leader of our team, both onand off the floor.”




Versatility is a strength of Honegger’s aswell. Not many centers stepped outside thethree-point line to make 59 shots last year,and not many players under six feet tallblocked 50 shots. Honegger did both, andmanaged to lead the team in scoring andrebounding, averaging 14.5 points and 8.1boards, as well as in three-point field goalsand blocks. Woe to the opponent thatunderestimates the mild-mannered junior.

“Liz Honegger is a kid that is so, sounderrated,” said Miller. “She is soproductive, and so talented. She wasrecognized as a second-team all-conferenceplayer last year, but could be an MVP-typeplayer in this conference. She does a littlebit of everything for us.

“Liz anchors our defense, in more ways thanjust blocking shots. She is already all overour record books in that category, but shealso makes so many deflections and tips.And, at the other end of the court, she maybe the best three-point shooting center in theentire country, let alone in the conference.That allows us to be very creative with ouroffense, bringing (opposing) post playersaway from the basket to defend her.

“She is an extra shooter on the floor, andthat ability to step away from the basketopens up a lot of opportunities and drivinglanes for other players. Her versatility at

the offensive endallows our wholescheme to run morefluidly and to be aseffective as it is.”

Flynn, Lause andMcKenzie round outthe flock of Falconsin the post. Flynn,who missed thesecond half of herfreshman year,played in 18 gamesas a sophomore,averaging just over apoint a game. Shehas shown a greatcommitment toimproving her gameover the summer,according to hercoach, and looks tohave that commit-ment pay off in herjunior campaign.

“In terms of conditioning and fitness, I thinkAmber Flynn showed the most markedimprovement of anyone over the summer.Amber was an important sign for us, comingout of high school, and she got off to aquick start her freshman year. But, afterbecoming academically ineligible, I thinkshe fell into a little bit of a sophomoreslump last year.

“Amber did not get a lot of playing time lastyear, behind Liz, Ali and a fifth-year seniorin Kelly Kapferer. But, she is a talentedoffensive player, and her first step is asquick as any post player in our league. Itlooks like she has a new energy, and I thinkshe will really provide a spark for us at boththe 4 and 5 positions this year.

Lause, the lone player with three years ofplaying experience in Miller’s program,returns for her final go-around. On thefloor, she averaged a point and a rebound in25 games off the bench last winter. Off thecourt, Lause has been a key veteranpresence on a young Falcon team over thelast few years, and Miller will rely on thatveteran leadership more than ever in 2005-06.

“Jill will be calledupon to providemore leadership thanever,” said hercoach. “She keepsour lockerroomloose, and is a greatperson to havearound. On thecourt, Jill’s strengthsare at the offensiveend. She has theability to play withher back to thebasket, and hastremendous touchfacing the basket.

“Jill had a very goodsummer, and is inthe best shape of hercollege career. Ilook for her tocompete for qualityminutes at the 5

position throughout the entire season.”

McKenzie comes to BGSU after a highly-successful career at West Muskingum HighSchool, where she was named the Ohio co-Player of the Year in Division III lastseason.

“Jessica gives us our truest backup 4 playerin years,” said Miller. “It gives us comfortto have her at the 4 position to developbehind Ali Mann. Jess is a left-hander whohas the ability to attack the basket off thedribble as well as score with range. But, sheis also very strong for her age, and can getin there and battle inside. We really like herstrength and ‘physicalness’ already.”

YEAH, BUT GET TO THE POINT

Achter returns for her sophomore seasonafter one of the best debuts in schoolhistory. She averaged 11 points, fourrebounds and four assists in her first seasonat BGSU, and was the runner-up in theMAC Freshman-of-the-Year balloting.Achter took a back seat to no one in theleague tournament, however, earning MVPhonors as the Falcons swept three games atCleveland’s Gund Arena en route to thetitle.

Junior Liz Honegger

Junior Ali Mann



Most importantly, Achterwas the engine that keptthe Falcons humming,replacing a four-yearstarter and all-leagueperformer (LindsayAustin), and making aseamless transition. Aftercoming off the bench earlyin the year, Achter movedinto the starting lineup inmid-December, and theFalcons went 20-4 withher in the starting five.

“As the season progressed,we saw Kate’s confidence,understanding andproductivity just soar,culminating with anunbelievable run in theMAC Tournament,” saidMiller. “She has worked hardon her three-point shooting andrange in the offseason, to giveher a double threat at theoffensive end. But, she retainsthe ability to get into the laneoff our high ball-screen offenseand create havoc for thedefense. Kate’s getting into thelane to create shots, for herselfor for others, is a huge focalpoint of our offense and allowsit to run smoothly.

“The statistic that jumps off thepage with Kate is her ability toget to the foul line. Kate wentto the line over 150 times lastyear, and made 121, which wasnearly double the total of thenext-highest freshman in theMAC. As a fan, though, one ofthe things you notice is thatKate is a tremendous athletewith great quickness. Thatreally allows us to play the waythat we like to play, and score inthe up-tempo.

“We led the league and were28th in the country in scoringlast year. Clearly, that onlyhappens if you have a pointguard willing to push tempo.Kate can create a lot of tempofor us, and we will depend uponher to create that tempo again,

as we continue to strive, year inand year out, to be one of thehighest offensive-productivityteams in the country.”

Achter will be pushed at thepoint-guard position bynewcomer McCall. The Detroitnative, like Achter, has the needfor speed, and her new coachlooks forward to the chance toutilize an up-tempo offense,even if Achter is not in thegame.

“Jasmine McCall is a tremen-dously talented point who willgive Kate a great battle for thestarting position,” said Miller.“The players love to play withJazz because of her speed,quickness and ability to get upthe floor. It gives us a one-twopunch at the point position andenables us to keep the tempo upthroughout the entire game.

“Jazz is a tremendous on-balldefender, and has the ability forus to extend the floor defen-sively, really get after peopleand – between her and Kate –wear down opposing pointguards. She is already moreoffensive-minded and has betterrange than Kate, and I think she

ROSTER BREAKDOWN / PERSONNEL NOTES

LETTERWINNERS RETURNING (9)

Name Pos. Ht. Yr. HometownKate Achter * G 5-8 So. Oregon, Ohio31 GP, 24 GS, 11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, MAC Tournament MVP,MAC All-Freshman Team

Amber Flynn ** F-C 6-0 Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio18 GP, 1.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Liz Honegger ** F 5-11 Jr. Lafayette, Ind.31 GP, 31 GS, 14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.6 bpg, 34.3 3-Pt.FG%, All-MAC Second Team, MAC All-Tournament Team

Carin Horne ** F 5-10 Jr. Lima, Ohio31 GP, 21 GS, 11.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 spg, All-MAC Hon. Mention

Jill Lause *** C 6-2 Sr. Dublin, Ohio25 GP, 1.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg

Ali Mann ** F 6-1 Jr. Chelsea, Mich.31 GP, 30 GS, 13.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, All-MAC Second Team,Academic All-MAC Team

Casey McDowell ** G 5-7 5-Sr. Hudson, Ohio31 GP, 30 GS, 6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.6 apg, 37.0 3-Pt. FG%, MAC All-Tournament Team

Whitney Taylor * G 5-7 So. Wooster, Ohio24 GP, 1 GS, 1.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg

Megan Thorburn ** F 6-1 Jr. Mason, Mich.29 GP, 10 GS, 3.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg

* letters earned

OTHER RETURNEES (1)

Name Pos. Ht. Yr. HometownJulie Gompers * G 5-6 R-So. Wheeling, W.Va.Missed 2004-05 season due to injury; lettered in 2003-04

LETTERWINNERS LOST (3)

Name Pos. Ht. 2004-05 StatsKelly Kapferer **** C 6-2 30 GP, 1 GS, 3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg

Tene Lewis **** G 5-8 31 GP, 7 GS, 2.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Sakima Smith **** F 6-0 26 GP, 1.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg

NEWCOMERS (4)

Name Pos. Ht. Yr. HometownLindsey Goldsberry G 5-9 Fr. Dayton, OhioJasmine McCall G 5-6 Fr. Detroit, Mich.Jessica McKenzie F 6-0 Fr. Zanesville, OhioDePrice Taylor G 5-7 Fr. Harper Woods, Mich.

Head coach Curt Miller



will be an exciting player to watch for yearsoff of our high ball-screen offense.”

At press time, it was expected that JulieGompers, who missed the 2004-05season due to injury, would again besidelined in '05-06. Gompers played in 16games as a freshman before sitting out hersophomore campaign.

SHOOT, THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD

A pair of returnees will be pushed by a duoof newcomers at the shooting-guardposition. McDowell is the incumbent afterblossoming as the starting 2 guard a yearago. She averaged 6.8 points per game,more than tripling her average from theprior season, and was named the Falcons’Most Improved Player. That scoringaverage ballooned to 16.8 in the MACTournament, resulting in an all-tourney teamaccolade.

A transfer from Indiana State University,McDowell struggled to find her shootingtouch during 2003-04, her first playingseason at BGSU. Last year, however, shemade 37 percent of her three-point field-goal attempts to lead the team, and drained44 treys to quadruple her total from the

Bowling Green,” said Miller. “She is atremendously skilled and smooth offensiveplayer, who is talented enough to slot her inas an off guard. She also has the talent toplay as a backup point guard, and is strongenough to play minutes at the 3 position.Her offensive flair will allow her to becomea crowd favorite early on.

“Lindsey is a winner in every sense of theword. She has won multiple state champi-onships, and she has won national AAUtitles. She is the daughter of a coach, and –as expected – is very fundamental. Sheunderstands the game, and is a kid that isvery steady and dependable. Lindsey is alsoa solid three-point shooter with a quickrelease, and will help our offense runsmoothly by enabling us to space the floor.In the long run, she has the ability to playthe same role as Casey McDowell for theFalcons for years to come.”

GET SMALL

A pair of juniors, Horne and Thorburn,return at the small forward spot. Thattandem has combined to play nearly everyminute at that position over the last twoseasons. Horne earned All-MAC HonorableMention after averaging 11.4 points and 4.2rebounds per game. She led the Falcons insteals, with 63, and hit a total of 45 three-pointers last winter. Perhaps most impor-

Junior Carin Horne

Junior Megan Thorburn

previous year. That total included a schoolrecord-tying seven in the league tourneyquarterfinal win over Miami.

“Casey had a great junior year, playing-wise,” said Miller. “She is without questionour smartest kid, in terms of basketballknowledge. She is always in the right placeat the right time, and, simply put, we are abetter team when she is on the floor. Caseyis a crafty and smart defender, who doesn'tgamble and make a lot of mistakes, andforces people to work to score points.

“At the offensive end, Casey reallyunderstands the game plan and what we aretrying to accomplish. She has the deepestrange on the team, and can really extend thefloor with her three-point shooting.”

Whitney Taylor averaged almost two pointsper game as a freshman last winter. Taylorwas thrown into the fire, as her firstcollegiate start came in her first collegiategame. That contest was in the PreseasonNIT at nationally-ranked Ohio State. Taylorhad a pair of double-digit games, andshowed glimpses of the ability to rack upthe points in a hurry.

“Whitney is an explosive offensive playerthat can score points in bunches,” saidMiller. “As good of an offensive player asshe is, I think Whitney would be the first toadmit that she did not have the kind ofseason, shooting-wise, that she would havehoped.

“Whitney’s game is highlighted by hertenacity, toughness and work ethic. She hada good summer of strength and condition-ing, and I think we will see her playing witha lot more confidence during her sophomoreseason. And, as that confidence andunderstanding of the game plan continues torise, we will see her get more minutes at theoff-guard position.”

DePrice Taylor is a versatile freshman whocould play multiple guard positions. Hertalents should enable her to find a spot onthe floor. Another freshman, Goldsberry,has a three-point touch and a history ofsuccess on the basketball court.

“DePrice is one of the most naturally-giftedplayers recruited during our tenure at



tantly, Horne has shown the ability to hit big shotsin key situations.

“Carin is tremendously talented offensively, withthe ability to put up huge numbers,” said Miller.“She is one of the best three-point shooters in theleague, but she is also a physical player that canget herself to the hole and post up smaller players.

“Carin’s offensive game is such that she could, inmy opinion, someday lead the league in scoring.She has the ability to make big shots at big times,and she is not afraid to take those shots. Shestruggled with her shooting touch during most ofthe MAC Championship game, but still was ableto hit two big shots at the end, which helped icethe game. She has that shooter’s mentality.”

Thorburn has started 33 games in her career, andhas averaged over five points per game in her firsttwo years in the Brown and Orange. An athleticplayer with good size, she has shown the ability toput up big numbers as well, as evidenced by a 26-point game at IPFW early last season.

“Megan Thorburn gives us a great one-two punchat the small forward or big wing position,” saidMiller. “She excels in the open floor, and her sizeallows us a lot of versatility to play big lineups.

The Seniors: CaseyMcDowell and JillLause

FALCONS IN THE FINAL 2004-05 MAC STATISTICS

Individual Category All Games MAC Games OnlyScoring Honegger, 11th, 14.5 Mann, T-10th, 15.0

Mann, 13th, 13.8 Honegger, 13th, 14.3Horne, 17th, 11.4 Horne, 16th, 12.3Achter, 20th, 11.0 Achter, 24th, 10.3

Rebounding Honegger, 3rd, 8.1 Mann, T-6th, 7.8Mann, 7th, 7.4 Honegger, 9th, 7.4

Field-Goal Pct. Mann, 5th, .467 Mann, 5th, .497Honegger, 10th, .432

Assists Achter, 3rd, 4.00 Achter, T-11th, 3.44Free-Throw Pct. Achter, 12th, .776 Achter, 14th, .761

Honegger, 14th, .760 Honegger, 15th, .755Steals Horne, 9th, 2.03 Horne, 6th, 2.25

Honegger, 10th, 1.97 Honegger, T-14th, 1.94Lewis, 13th, 1.84 Lewis, T-14th, 1.94

3-Pt. FG Pct. McDowell, 5th, .370Honegger, 13th, .343

3-Pt. FG Made Honegger, 6th, 1.90 Honegger, 6th, 2.00Horne, 10th, 1.45 Horne, T-13th, 1.50McDowell, 13th, 1.42

Blocked Shots Honegger, 1st, 1.61 Honegger, 2nd, 1.69Mann, T-11th, 0.81

Assist/Turnover Ratio Achter, 5th, 1.23 Lewis, 10th, 1.21Achter, 12th, 1.10

Offensive Rebounds Honegger, 9th, 2.71 Mann, 10th, 2.81Mann, 13th, 2.52 Honegger, 13th, 2.50

Defensive Rebounds Honegger, 2nd, 5.35 Honegger, T-9th, 4.94Mann, 6th, 4.90 Mann, T-9th, 4.94

Team Category All Games MAC Games OnlyScoring 1st, 71.1 4th, 69.2Scoring Defense 4th, 62.7 2nd, 58.2Scoring Margin 3rd, +8.4 2nd, +11.0Free-Throw Pct. 2nd, .711 8th, .691Field-Goal Pct. 5th, .421 6th, .416Field-Goal Pct. Defense 3rd, .391 2nd, .3783-Point Field-Goal Pct. 7th, .309 8th, .3083-Point FG Pct. Defense 5th, .316 3rd, .301Rebounding Margin 5th, +2.0 3rd, +3.2Blocked Shots 2nd, 3.71 2nd, 4.00Assists 2nd, 14.39 2nd, 14.75Steals 4th, 10.10 3rd, 10.75Turnover Margin 1st, +2.77 2nd, +3.75Assist/Turnover Ratio 2nd, 0.94 2nd, 0.97Three-Point Field Goals Made 1st, 6.00 4th, 5.88

FALCONS IN THE FINAL 2004-05 NCAA STATISTICS

Team CategoryScoring Offense 29th, 71.1Scoring Margin 49th, +8.4Field-Goal Pct. 77th, .4213-Pt. FG Made 47th, 6.00W-L Pct. 30th, 74.2Assists 89th, 14.39Blocked Shots 84th, 3.71Steals 74th, 10.10Fewest Turnovers Per Game 43rd, 15.3



Megan has started out very strong in each ofher first two seasons, and we continue towork on building her confidence throughoutthe year.

“Megan is a player who is playing her bestwhen she is confident. She is a natural 3position player, but also can be a 6-foot-1off-guard and give us a big lineup. Meganis capable of having big, big games, and hasshown in stretches the ability to be an all-conference type of player.”

THE SCHEDULE

Once again, Miller has put together achallenging non-conference schedule, withpotential opponents from the Big Ten andSoutheastern Conferences, and a number ofother games against teams from high-profileconferences. The non-league slate alsoincludes three games in venerable AndersonArena. Prior to the MAC slate, the Brownand Orange will travel to five differentstates and play five teams that won 18 ormore games in 2004-05.

“In my opinion, scheduling is a big part ofbuilding a program, and we set out to raiseour scheduling as we built the program,”said the head coach. “I think this is ourtoughest non-league schedule in my tenurehere. It will help us in the RPI, andcertainly will prepare us for what is going tobe a very tough Mid-American Conferenceschedule.

“We are playing againstsome teams from someof the top conferences,including the Big Ten,SEC, Atlantic 10 andSun Belt, and these arethe types of confer-ences we need to haveon our schedule inorder to continue togain national exposurefor our program.”

The schedule openswith a pair of homegames prior to theThanksgiving holiday,vs. IPFW and SaintFrancis (Pa.). Then,BG heads to a Big Tenvenue to compete in theHampton Inn Classic inBloomington, Ind.,before ending the month of November witha trip to Detroit.

In December, the Falcons host Duquesne,looking to avenge one of just eight lossessuffered in ‘04-05. Then, the team jets toMiami to face Florida International, andafter a break for final exams, BG will faceOakland. Following Christmas, the Brownand Orange will meet Delaware, a 25-winteam from a year ago, to open play in theHawk Classic, hosted by Saint Joseph’s. Agame at Kentucky closes the non-leagueschedule.

BACK TO THE EAST

The MAC schedule has a new wrinkle thisyear. With the departure of Marshall andthe return to a 12-team conference, eachschool will play home-and-home seriesagainst its five divisional opponents, whilemeeting each of the six teams in the otherdivision once. For the Falcons, that meanstwo games apiece against Akron, Buffalo,Kent State, Miami and Ohio, as BG hasreturned to the East Division.

“The East is going to be very demanding,”said Miller. “Obviously, Kent Statecontinues to be a measuring stick for all ofus. What jumps off the page is theirconsistency over the years, which is whatwe're trying to establish here at BowlingGreen.”

BGSU will open MAC play with five intra-divisional games. Then, six cross-divisional

contests vs. WestDivision opponentsmake up the middle ofthe league schedule,before the Falconsclose the regularseason with five moregames vs. the East.

“The 5-6-5 format is aunique schedule,” saidMiller. “You hear allthe time that thedivision games reallymean something downthe stretch, and that iswhat the MACschedule has set itselfup to have. There willbe a lot of interestingstorylines and a lot ofimportant games thatcan really swing the

balance of power. You need to be playinggood basketball both at the beginning andthe end of the schedule.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is probably fair to say that Curt Miller is aworrier.

Oh, sure, in just four years he has com-pletely reversed the fortunes of the BGSUprogram, taking the Falcons from near thebottom of the MAC to the top of the league.The turnaround was complete with lastyear’s MAC regular-season and tournamenttitles and a trip to the NCAA Champion-ships.

Miller’s worries have changed slightlyduring that time. During his first year, heworried that the Falcons might never winanother game. In his second season, heworried that his team was not improvingnearly as much as the rest of the league. Inhis third season, Miller fretted that hisyoung team would struggle due to saidyouth. Last year, Miller worried that hismuch-improved team would not be able tolive up to heightened expectations.

Now, in his fifth year, Miller’s concernsinvolve defending the MAC titles andmaking a return to the national tournament –a far cry from his worries as a first-yearcoach back in the 2001-02 campaign.

But, with one of the most stable staffs in theregion, if not the nation – associate headJunior Amber Flynn

The BGSU juniors: (Seated, left toright) Julie Gompers, Carin Horne andAli Mann. (Standing) Megan Thorburn,Amber Flynn and Liz Honegger.



coach Jennifer Roos and assistantcoach Brandi Poole have been onMiller’s staff during his entire tenure, whileassistant Kevin Eckert enters his fourthyear – as well as a versatile team that hasbeen entirely recruited by the current staff,the ingredients for future success seem to bein place.

“I like to talk about the versatility of ourteam,” said the head coach. “For the lastfew years, we have consistently had fourkids in double figures, or averaging at leastnine points. I think that’s a strength of oursystem. It doesn't lend itself to just onesuperstar, it is an equal-opportunity offense.We go to people that have good matchups,

Falcon sophomores Kate Achter (left) and Whitney Taylor

or to people that have the hot hand thatnight. We don’t depend on just one or twoplayers.

“And, the fifth year, of course, means thatthe whole team is entirely yours for the firsttime. Every single player on the roster hasbeen brought to Bowling Green by thecurrent coaching staff. We recruit veryspecifically to our system, and we feel verygood that we have an entire roster that playsthe way that we want to play and can fit intoour system. We’re very excited about that.

“Part of the pride I have in our champion-ship is due to the fact that it happened witha group of coaches that I absolutely lovecoaching with. Jennifer, Brandi and Kevinhave been extremely loyal, and have passedon some opportunities to go on to otherprograms. I feel that I have one of the beststaffs, not only in the midwest, but in thecountry, and I hope wecan stay together foryears to come.”

So, it seems that anumber of ingredientsare in place for contin-ued Falcon success.And, the coach seemsbound and determined toremind his players of theadditional ingredientsfor a successfuloutcome, the intangiblesthat enabled BG to win atitle last year.The BGSU freshman class consists of (left

to right) Jessica McKenzie, Jasmine McCall,DePrice Taylor and Lindsey Goldsberry

“I tell our team all the time that I don'tthink, talent-wise, we are necessarily thebest in the MAC. We pride ourselves in thelittle things, like cameraderie, having achampionship-type lockerroom, and comingto the gym ready to work hard every dayand every night. We still don't believe thatwe are necessarily the best team on paper –we won a championship without a first-teamall-conference member last year – but weremember what got us there last year, andthe players know how it felt to see that hardwork pay off. They want to experience thatfeeling again.”


Kate Achter (top) was the MVP of the KraftMAC Tournament, while Casey McDowell(middle) and Liz Honegger joined Achter onthe all-tournament team

BGSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NOTES

The following are a few player and teamnotes to aid in the coverage of the 2005-06Bowling Green State University women’sbasketball team ...

FALCONS WIN MAC CHAMPIONSHIP

Bowling Green won the MAC WestDivision and captured the overall regular-season title with a league-best 13-3 record... that earned the Brown and Orange the topseed for the conference tourney ... BGproceeded to beat #8 Miami (84-68) in thequarterfinals, #4 Eastern Michigan (77-57)in the semifinal round and #2 Kent State(81-75) in the championship game of theKraft MAC Tournament at Gund Arena inCleveland ... the Falcons averaged 80.3points per game in the league tourney.

STORYLINES - THE YEAR THAT WAS

• In October of 2003, BGSU was coming off a 12-16 season, and the Falcons were picked tofinish sixth in the MAC's West Division in 2003-04 ... a young BGSU team, featuring threefreshman starters, finished second in the West, a game out of first place ... the Falcons earnedthe fourth seed for the Kraft MAC Tournament, then won back-to-back one-point games onbuzzer-beating shots by senior point guard Lindsay Austin to advance all the way to thetourney championship game.

• The Falcons lost two senior starters – both 1,000-point scorers – from that team, and werepicked to finish third in the West Division in 2004-05 ... the Brown and Orange, playing adifficult pre-conference schedule, went 3-4 to begin the season ... in mid-December, coachCurt Miller changed his lineup, inserting freshman Kate Achter as the starting point guard ...Achter started 24 games, with senior Tene Lewis providing a spark off the bench, and theFalcons went 20-4 after that 3-4 start.

• The Falcons’ starting lineup featured a freshman (Achter), three sophomores and a junior ...four of the starters averaged at least 11.0 points per game this year, with the three sophs –Liz Honegger (14.5), Ali Mann (13.8) and Carin Horne (11.4) – leading the way ... Achteraveraged 11.0 points on the year.

• The fifth starter, redshirt junior Casey McDowell, averaged 6.8 points per game, anderupted for a career-high 31 points in the Falcons’ league tourney quarterfinal win overMiami ... she tied the school record, as well as the MAC Tournament record, by makingseven three-point field goals in that win.

• Different players stepped up for the Falcons during the season's late going ... co-captainKelly Kapferer, for example, averaged 3.3 points per game on the year, but came off thebench to score nine points in the win over arch-rival Toledo in the final home regular-seasongame (Feb. 26) ... in that game, Mann suffered a sprained ankle with 8:18 left in the secondhalf, and Kapferer played nearly the rest of the way ... the fifth-year senior converted a three-point play with 9.1 seconds left, for what proved to be the game-winning points.

BACK TO THE BIG DANCE

The Falcons, for the first time since 1994, qualified for the NCAA Championships... the Falcons, the MAC regular-season and tournament champions, earned theleague's automatic bid to the national tourney ... BGSU was the #13 seed in theKansas City Regional, and dropped a 70-60 decision to fourth-seeded andnationally-ranked Kansas State in the first round (March 19) at Bank of AmericaArena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (9,394) in Seattle, Wash.

FALCONS IN THE NCAABGSU qualified for the NCAA Championships for the seventh time in schoolhistory ... the Falcons are now 1-7 in tourney appearances, with a 1-2 mark athome and a record of 0-4 on the road ... the Kansas State game marked the firstneutral-site game in NCAA play in school history ...Year (BGSU's seed) Opponent Score1987 (#9 Mideast) at #8 Illinois L, 64-801988 (#10 Mideast) at #7 St. Joseph's L, 66-681989 (#9 West) #8 CINCINNATI W, 69-59

at #1 Maryland L, 65-781990 (#12 West) at #5 South Carolina L, 50-931993 (#10 East) #7 FLORIDA L, 67-691994 (#7 Midwest) #10 CREIGHTON L, 73-842005 (#13 Kansas City) #4 Kansas State L, 60-70


BGSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NOTES

• Mann was questionable for the next game,the final regular-season contest at NorthernIllinois (March 1) ... not only did she play,however, she was the team’s top offensiveweapon down the stretch as the Falconspulled out a 75-72, come-from-behind winto clinch the outright league championship... Mann, coming off the bench for the onlytime all season, scored 20 points in 24minutes against the Huskies.

• In the league tournament, McDowell hadher 31-point effort – more than double herprevious season high – as BG dispatchedMiami in the quarterfinal round.

• BGSU avenged each of the three confer-ence regular-season losses in the tournament... the Falcons had lost twice to EasternMichigan, and also fell to Kent State in theonly regular-season meeting between thoseteams ... BG had scored at least 61 points ineach of the 13 MAC wins during the season,including 68 or more in 12 of those victories... but, the Falcons had scored no more than53 points in any of the three losses.

• In the final two tourney games, though, theFalcons averaged 79.0 points (80.3 for theentire tournament) ... BG scored 77 pointsagainst Eastern, before putting up 81 pointsvs. Kent State ... Mann led the way with 19points against the Eagles, with Achteradding 17 and Honegger 15 ... the other twostarters, Horne and McDowell, had nineapiece, while Lewis had six key points offthe bench.

• Against KSU, Mann – the team’s leadingscorer in the EMU game – was hampered byfoul trouble nearly the entire afternoon, andscored just four points in 17 minutes ... but,Achter and Honegger scored 21 and 20,respectively ... Horne added 17, includingtwo huge buckets in the late going ... thesoph had a jumper at the 1:52 mark to putBG ahead, 76-70, then drained a three-pointer with 1:08 left to make the score 79-72 ... with Mann in foul trouble, Kapfererhad eight first-half points off the bench.

• Achter and McDowell, BG’s fourth- andfifth-leading scorers on the season, led theFalcons in that department in the tourna-ment ... Achter had 18.0 points in the threegames at Gund Arena, while McDowell had16.3 points per game and shot 60.9 percentfrom the field ... McDowell made 11-of-16three-point field-goal tries, for an eye-popping 68.8% long-range rate.

BGSU POINTS OF PRIDE

• The Falcons entered the NCAA Championships first-round game on a season-high six-game winning streak ... despite losing that contest to Kansas State, BGSU went 11-2 over thelast 13 games ... the Falcons won 14 of the last 17 games and 20 of the final 24 contests.

• After winning 32 games over a span of three seasons, the Falcons surpassed that total injust over half the time ... BG won 21 games in 2003-04, and registered the 11th win of theseason on Jan. 19 ... over the past two seasons, BGSU has a record of 44-18 ... the Falconswere 32-53 in the three years prior to 2003-04.

• Since the beginning of the 2003-04 season, the Falcons have a record of 30-9 against MACschools ... BGSU finished 11-5 in league play in ’03-04, went 3-1 in the conference tourna-ment, and the Falcons ended the 2004-05 regular season with a MAC ledger of 13-3 before

ALL-MAC FALCONSThe Falcons had three All-MACselections in 2004-05, as sophomoresLiz Honegger and Ali Mann werenamed to the second team andclassmate Carin Horne earned honor-able mention ... the Falcons have hadthe most All-MAC honorees of anyleague school ... the complete list of All-MAC selections through the years ...

ALL-MAC TOTALS, 1982-2004

School 1 2 3 HM Tot.Bowling Green 19 23 0 14 56Toledo 21 10 2 16 49Kent State 16 16 0 13 45Miami 8 16 0 21 45Ohio 10 12 0 19 41Western Mich. 16 8 0 13 37Central Mich. 11 9 0 17 37Eastern Mich. 8 8 2 16 34Ball State 7 8 0 15 30Northern Ill. 3 5 1 11 20Akron 1 1 0 7 9Buffalo 1 2 0 4 7Marshall 1 2 0 3 62004-05 was the first year a third team was named

Carin Horne (left) and Ali Mann each earned All-MAC honors in 2004-05

downing Miami, EMU and KSU intourney action at the Gund.

• BGSU’s total of 30 wins againstMAC foes over that two-year span isthe most of any league school ... theFalcons’ .769 winning pct. is also thebest among MAC schools in that time... four of BG’s nine losses in thatstretch came to Eastern, but theBrown and Orange snapped a five-game losing streak to the Eagles withthe league tourney semifinal win.

• The Falcons, with that 13-3 MACrecord, won the league’s 2005 regular-season title ... BGSU finished in firstplace in the West Division, two gamesahead of EMU (11-5) ... the title wasthe Falcons’ first league crown of anykind since the 1993-94 team won boththe MAC regular-season and tourna-ment titles ... BG’s 13 MAC winsrepresent the school’s highest totalsince the 1997-98 team went 15-3 inleague action, in the final year beforethe conference reduced the schedulefrom 18 games to 16 ... BGSU earneda first-round bye for the leaguetournament, for the first time since theMAC went to the current tourneyformat in the 1999-2000 season.

• BG’s win over Toledo on Feb. 26enabled the Falcons to complete thehome portion of the schedule with a 9-1 record ... BG also won nine gamesat home the prior season, going 9-4(.692) ... BGSU’s home winningpercentage of .900 was the team’s bestsince the 1992-93 team finished 12-1(.923) at home ... the Falcons’ 7-1MAC home mark is the best since the1997-98 team went 8-1 in leagueaction at Anderson Arena.


HEAD COACH CURT MILLER

turnarounds in the nation.BGSU, picked to finish sixthin the MAC West, tied forsecond (just a game out offirst), finishing 21-10 overall.That marked a nine-winimprovement over the priorseason, tying for 11th in thecountry in that category.

In conference play, Millerand his staff guided theBrown and Orange to an 11-5ledger, a complete reversal of

the prior year’s league record (5-11). In2003-04, the Falcons finished with awinning record – both overall and in MACaction – for the first time in six years.BGSU, six games better than the previousseason in conference play, was the onlyMAC team to improve by more than threegames over the 2002-03 season.

The Falcons posted three consecutive winsto close the regular season, then picked upthree-straight wins in the league tourney.The final two victories in the tourney cameon back-to-back buzzer-beaters by seniorLindsay Austin at Gund Arena.

In the quarterfinal round, Austin’s jumperat the horn lifted the fourth-seeded Falconsto a 63-62 win over Western Michigan. Twodays later, lightning struck for a secondtime, as another Austin buzzer-beater led toanother one-point win. This time, the victimwas top-seeded Miami, as the Brown andOrange picked up a 75-74 win to advance tothe championship game. In that champion-ship contest, Eastern Michigan ended BG’sstellar season with a 65-56 win over theFalcons.

Miller’s 2003-04 team included theMAC’s Defensive Player of the Year(Austin) and the league’s Freshman of theYear (Mann), and three players (Austin,Mann and Stefanie Wenzel) named to theall-league squad.

In 2002-03, the Brown and Orange went12-16 overall. After posting the mostsuccessful non-conference season in over adecade, that edition of the Falcons – inBGSU’s first season in the MAC’s WestDivision – amassed a 5-11 league ledgerthat included a win over the division’s co-champion.

Curt Miller enters his fifthseason at the helm of theBowling Green StateUniversity women’s basket-ball program, having alreadymade his mark in a big way.Miller has returned theFalcon program to promi-nence, with back-to-backseasons of over 20 wins, andMid-American Conferenceregular-season and tourna-ment titles in 2004-05. InMarch of 2005, Miller wasnamed the MAC Coach of the Year.

Miller, who was named the seventh headcoach in the program’s history on May 8,2001, begins ’05-06 with an overall recordof 65-53 and a MAC ledger of 35-29. Overthe last two seasons, Miller and the Falconsare 44-18 overall and 24-8 in conferenceplay.

Last winter, Miller guided the Falcons,picked to finish third in the West Division,to the league’s best overall record, a MACregular-season championship and the topseed for the Kraft MAC Tournament. In theleague tourney at Gund Arena, the Brownand Orange downed Miami, EasternMichigan and Kent State to capture theschool’s first league tourney crown andNCAA Championships bid in over a decade.

In the NCAAs, Miller and the Falcons lednationally-ranked Kansas State at the halfbefore succumbing to the Wildcats by a 70-60 final.

Last season, four of the five Falconstarters earned conference honors on the eveof the MAC Tournament, as Liz Honeggerand Ali Mann were named to the all-conference second team while Carin Horneearned honorable mention and Kate Achterwas chosen to the MAC’s All-FreshmanTeam. The fifth Falcon starter, CaseyMcDowell, illustrated the balance of Miller-coached teams, as she had a career game thenext day as the Falcons downed Miami inthe tourney’s quarterfinal round. McDowelljoined Honegger and Achter on the all-tournament squad, with Achter becomingjust the second freshman in league history tobe named the tournament MVP.

Last season’s success came on the heels ofa magical 2003-04 campaign, when Millerand his staff orchestrated one of the top



The Falcons posted a 9-19 overallrecord in Miller’s first season at thehelm. Despite the loss of PreseasonAll-MAC Team member FrancineMiller for all but four games, BGSUwent 6-10 in league action andfeatured a much-improved defensefrom prior years. Miller’s Falconshad a field-goal percentage defenseof .400, the lowest in a decade andat the time the fourth-lowest inschool history.

The Falcons improved upon thatfigure in 2003-04, setting a‘modern-day’ record by allowingopponents to shoot just .388 fromthe field. That marked the third-lowest opponent field-goal pct. inschool history, and the lowest since1977-78. In just four seasons,

Miller-coached teams have posted three of the top-six totals in that categoryin school history.

While the Falcons still were learning to put together a complete 40-minuteperformance in those first two seasons, the preparation of Miller and hisstaff was evident in the Falcons’ quick starts, particularly in conferencecontests. BG led at halftime in all eight MAC home contests in 2001-02, andin six of the eight games the next year, a statistic which can be attributed inno small part to Miller’s coaching preparation and game plans.

Miller, a native of Girard, Pa., had ties to Ohio and the MAC as well, priorto his appointment at BGSU. He graduated from Baldwin-Wallace Collegein Berea, Ohio, and spent a year as a graduate assistant at Kent StateUniversity, where he was a volunteer coach on Bob Lindsay’s women’sbasketball staff.

Miller joined the Falcons after spending three years as the associate headcoach at Colorado State University. During the 2000-01 season, Miller waslisted as one of the top 10 assistant coaches in the country in an article in theWomen’s Basketball Journal, as voted by his peers.

Miller helped Colorado State to an overall record of 81-20 over his threeseasons there. The Rams, guided by head coach Tom Collen, a 1977 BGSUgraduate, finished with a 25-7 record in 2000-01. CSU won the MountainWest Conference Tournament and advanced to the second round of theNCAA Tournament.

The year prior, CSU qualified for the WNIT and advanced all the way tothe final four of that tourney, losing to eventual champion Wisconsin. In1998-99, Miller’s first season in Fort Collins, CSU won the preseason WNITtitle and the Western Athletic Conference championship. The Rams posted a33-3 record, the best in school history, and advanced to the “Sweet Sixteen”in the NCAA Tournament. That squad was ranked as high as fourth in thenation.

Miller’s responsibilities at Colorado State included serving as defensivecoordinator. He was in charge of all practice and game decisions regardingdefensive strategies. Additionally, Miller was the recruiting coordinator andscouting coordinator, and his responsibilities also included academic


THE MILLER FILEFull Name _______ Curt Russell MillerDate Appointed ___ May 8, 2001Date of Birth _____ October 6, 1968Place of Birth ____ Erie, Pa.Hometown _______ Girard, Pa.High School ______ Girard H.S. (1986)Education _______ Baldwin-Wallace Coll. (1990)Record at BGSU __ 65-53 (four seasons)Overall Record ___ 65-53 (four seasons)

MILLER YEAR BY YEAR AT BGSUSeason Overall MAC2001-02 9-19 (.321) 6-10 (.375)2002-03 12-16 (.429) 5-11 (.313)2003-04 21-10 (.677) 11-5 (.688)2004-05 23-8 (.742) 13-3 (.813)TOTALS 65-53 (.551) 35-29 (.547)

MILLER VS. THE MACSchool _____________ W-L ____ StreakAkron _______________ 4-0 ____ W4Ball State ____________ 2-4 ____ W2Buffalo ______________ 4-1 ____ W2Central Michigan ______ 5-2 ____ W4Eastern Michigan ______ 3-5 ____ W1Kent State ____________ 1-5 ____ W1Marshall *____________ 3-2 ____ W2Miami _______________ 3-3 ____ W3Northern Illinois _______ 3-4 ____ W2Ohio ________________ 4-2 ____ W3Toledo _______________ 5-2 ____ W5Western Michigan _____ 4-2 ____ W4* Marshall left the MAC at the conclusion of the 2004-05 academic year

MILLER IN THE MAC TOURNAMENTYear (Seed) ___ W-L __ Finish2002 (#9) ______ 0-1 __ Lost in First Round2003 (#10) _____ 0-1 __ Lost in First Round2004 (#4) ______ 3-1 __ Advanced to Championship2005 (#1) ______ 3-0 __ MAC Ty. ChampionsTotal __________ 6-3 __ .667, 1 Title

FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSIONIn October of 2004, BGSU Director of AthleticsPaul Krebs announced that the school hadreached an agreement with Curt Miller on a five-year contract extension ... the contract runsthrough June 30, 2009 ... Miller has guided theFalcons to records of 21-10 and 23-8 over the lasttwo seasons ... last winter, BGSU won leagueregular-season and tournament titles, and Millerwas named the MAC Coach of the Year.



MILLER’S COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCEHEAD COACH, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITYYear Overall (Pct.) MAC (Pct.) Finish

2004-05 23- 8 (.742) 13- 3 (.813) First in West Division, NCAA First Round

2003-04 21-10 (.677) 11- 5 (.688) Tie-Second in West Division

2002-03 12-16 (.429) 5-11 (.313) Tie-Sixth in West Division

2001-02 9-19 (.321) 6-10 (.375) Fourth in East Division

BG Totals 65-53 (.551) 35-29 (.547) 2005 MAC R-S & Ty. titles, 1 NCAA app.

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITYYear Overall Pct. Postseason

2000-01 25- 7 .781 NCAA Second Round

1999-2000 23-10 .697 WNIT Semifinals

1998-99 33- 3 .917 NCAA “Sweet 16”

CSU Totals 81-20 .802 Two NCAA; one WNIT appearances

ADDITIONAL COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE• Assistant Coach, Syracuse University – four seasons (1994-98)• Assistant Coach, Cleveland State University – three seasons (1991-94)• Grad. Asst./Volunteer Coach, Kent State Univ. – one season (1990-91)

counseling, scheduling, playerdevelopment and administrativecoordination.

Prior to Colorado State, Miller spentfour seasons as an assistant coach atSyracuse University (1994-98). TheOrangewomen shared the Big EastConference championship during the1995-96 season.

Miller was an assistant coach atCleveland State University for threeseasons, and was the youngest topassistant in the country upon his hiringin 1991. Prior to his stint with the Vikings, as mentioned, Millerserved as a volunteer assistant coach at KSU. The Golden Flashesfinished 17-12 that season (1990-91), and enjoyed the second-bestturnaround in the nation, with a 12-game improvement over theprevious year.

In Miller’s 10 years as recruiting coordina-tor, Colorado State, Syracuse and ClevelandState combined to sign all-state players from17 states, Canada and South America. That listincluded a Gatorade Player of the Year fromthe states of Maryland, New York andConnecticut. Miller has been asked to serve oncoaches’ round table discussions regardingrecruiting or coaching techniques at fourWomen’s Basketball Coaches Associationnational conventions.

Currently the chair of the executivecommittee of the MAC women’s basketballcoaches, he also is the conference’s votingrepresentative for the USA Today/ESPN Top25 poll. Additionally, Miller is the districtrepresentative for the Russell Athletic/WBCACoach of the Year Committee.

Miller has a plethora of camp experience,having served as camp director at each of hisprevious three schools. He has also instructedat Blue Star camps and at schools includingPurdue and North Carolina.

Miller is joined for the fifth consecu-tive season by assistant coachesJennifer Roos and Brandi Poole, whileKevin Eckert returns for his fourthseason with the Falcon program.

“I truly believe that I have thestrongest assistant coaching staff in theMAC and the entire Midwest,” saidMiller. “We work long hours and spenda ton of time together, showing byexample to our players that teamchemistry starts from the top. I lovethem like family!”

Miller received his Bachelor of Arts degree in physical educationand business administration from Baldwin-Wallace in 1990. He hastaken courses toward his Master of Arts degree in sports administra-tion at KSU.

The 2005-06 BGSU coaching staff (left to right): BrandiPoole, Curt Miller, Jennifer Roos, Kevin Eckert.


ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH JENNIFER ROOS

Jennifer Roos enters her fifth season with the Bowling Greenwomen’s basketball program, and her second as the associate headcoach. She joined Curt Miller’s staff as an assistant coach in July of2001. Roos is in charge of the Falcon defense, and also serves as theteam’s recruiting coordinator.

“Jennifer is an outstanding coach,” said Miller. “She has coordi-nated our recruiting efforts, and has opened doors in the recruitingwars that haven’t been opened for years for potential Bowling Greenplayers.”

Last winter, Roos helped the Falcons, picked to finish third in theWest Division, to the league’s best overall record, a MAC regular-season championship and the top seed for the Kraft MAC Tourna-ment. In the league tourney at Gund Arena, the Brown and Orangedowned Miami, Eastern Michigan and Kent State to capture theschool’s first league tourney crown and NCAA Championships bidin over a decade.

In the NCAAs, the Falcons led nationally-ranked Kansas State atthe half before succumbing to the Wildcats by a 70-60 final.

Last season’s success came on the heels of a magical 2003-04campaign, when the Falcon staff orchestrated one of the topturnarounds in the nation. BGSU, picked to finish sixth in the MACWest, tied for second (just a game out of first), finishing21-10 overall. That marked a nine-win improvementover the prior season, tying for 11th in the country inthat category.

In conference play, the coaching staff guided theBrown and Orange to an 11-5 ledger, a completereversal of the prior year’s league record (5-11). In2003-04, the Falcons finished with a winning record– both overall and in MAC action – for the firsttime in six years. BGSU, six games better than theprevious season in conference play, was the onlyMAC team to improve by more than three gamesover the 2002-03 season.

The '03-04 Falcons posted a season-high six-game winning streaklate in the year, a streak which took BGSU all the way to thechampionship game of the Kraft MAC Tournament.

In 2002-03, the Brown and Orange went 12-16 overall. Afterposting the most successful non-conference season in over a decade,that edition of the Falcons – in BGSU’s first season in the MAC’sWest Division – amassed a 5-11 league ledger that included a winover the division’s co-champion.

The Falcons posted a 9-19 overall record in Miller’s staff's firstseason at the helm. Despite the loss of Preseason All-MAC Teammember Francine Miller for all but four games, BGSU went 6-10 inleague action and featured a much-improved defense from prioryears.

In fact, over the past four seasons, the Falcons have posted three ofthe top-six totals in opponent field-goal percentage in school history.

Roos came to the Falcon program after spending eight years at

Davidson College. She becamea coach with the Wildcats uponher graduation from the school.

Roos served as the recruitingcoordinator for her final twoseasons, the scheduling coordina-tor for the last five years and thescouting coordinator during alleight years at Davidson.

Roos, a native of Louisville, Ky., was a member of both the 1991-92 Davidson club team and the 1992-93 varsity squad. The latterseason marked the varsity program’s first after a six-year absence.

During that 1992-93 season, Roos was the sole upperclassmanamong the team’s starting five. She led DC in minutes, steals andassists, and was one of only two players to start all 22 games.

Roos was a standout in field hockey during her undergraduateyears. She was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time MVP forDavidson. Roos led the ’Cats to a 50-15-6 record in her fourseasons, and helped the squad to three consecutive Deep SouthAssociation championships.

Roos served as a captain for both the field hockey and basketballteams as a senior. She also lettered in lacrosse at Davidson.

Roos graduated from Davidson in 1993, with a B.A. in history,upon which she began her coaching career at the school.

THE ROOS FILEFull Name _______ Jennifer Robin RoosDate Appointed ___ July 2, 2001Date of Birth _____ July 17, 1971Hometown _______ Louisville, Ky.Education _______ Davidson College (1993)

COACHING EXPERIENCE• Assistant Coach; Davidson, 1993-2001;• Assistant Coach; BGSU, 2001-04;• Assoc. Head Coach; BGSU, 2004-present


ASSISTANT COACH BRANDI POOLE

Brandi Poole begins her fifth season with the Bowling Green women’sbasketball program, having come on board in July of 2001. Pooleprimarily works with the Falcon post players, runs the day-to-day officeoperations and coordinates all aspects of team travel. She also is incharge of the team’s summer camps.

“Brandi is an excellent assistant coach,” said Falcon head coach CurtMiller. “In 15 years of coaching, I have not worked with a moreefficient coach than Brandi.”

Last winter, Poole helped the Falcons, picked to finish third in theWest Division, to the league’s best overall record, a MAC regular-seasonchampionship and the top seed for the Kraft MAC Tournament. In theleague tourney at Gund Arena, the Brown and Orange downed Miami,Eastern Michigan and Kent State to capture the school’s first leaguetourney crown and NCAA Championships bid in over a decade.

In the NCAAs, the Falcons led nationally-ranked Kansas State at thehalf before succumbing to the Wildcats by a 70-60 final.

Last season’s success came on the heels of a magical 2003-04campaign, when the Falcon staff orchestrated one of the top turnaroundsin the nation. BGSU, picked to finish sixth in the MAC West, tied forsecond (just a game out of first), finishing 21-10 overall. That marked anine-win improvement over the prior season, tying for 11th in thecountry in that category.

In conference play, the coaching staff guided the Brown and Orange toan 11-5 ledger, a complete reversal of the prior year's league record (5-11). In 2003-04, the Falcons finished with a winning record – bothoverall and in MAC action – for the first time in six years. BGSU,six games better than the previous season in conference play, wasthe only MAC team to improve by more than three games over the2002-03 season.

The '03-04 Falcons posted a season-high six-game winningstreak late in the year, a streak which took BGSU all the way tothe championship game of the Kraft MAC Tournament.

In 2002-03, the Brown and Orange went 12-16 overall. Afterposting the most successful non-conference season in over adecade, that edition of the Falcons – in BGSU’s first season inthe MAC’s West Division – amassed a 5-11 league ledger thatincluded a win over the division’s co-champion.

The Falcons posted a 9-19 overall record in Miller’s staff's first seasonat the helm. Despite the loss of Preseason All-MAC Team memberFrancine Miller for all but four games, BGSU went 6-10 in league actionand featured a much-improved defense from prior years. Over the pastfour seasons, the Falcons have posted three of the top-six totals in thatcategory in school history.

Poole brought a wealth of experience, from both the collegiate andprofessional ranks, to the BGSU staff. A native of Clarksville, Tenn., shejoined the Brown and Orange after spending the 2000-01 season as anassistant coach at West Virginia University.

Prior to her stint in Morgantown, Poole served as the director ofbasketball operations for the Portland Fire of the WNBA. She alsocoached at the Fire’s 2000 Tryout Camp along with assisting in practiceand game coaching strategies and decisions. Her résumé also includes16 months as an assistant coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Poole also worked with the Colorado Xplosion of the now-defunct

THE POOLE FILEFull Name _______ Brandi L. PooleDate Appointed ___ July 2, 2001Date of Birth _____ November 22, 1974Hometown _______ Clarksville, Tenn.Education _______ Univ. of the South (1997)

COACHING EXPERIENCE• Assistant Coach; West Virginia Wesleyan,

1999-2000;• Director of Basketball Operations;

Portland Fire (WNBA), May-Aug. 2000;• Assistant Coach; West Virginia, 2000-01;• Assistant Coach; BGSU, 2001-present

ABL, serving as both a season ticket account executive and the team’sdirector of group sales.

Poole is a 1997 graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee,Tenn., where she earned a B.S. in mathematics. Poole received aMaster’s degree in business administration from West Virginia Wesleyanin 2000.

On the court, Poole was a three-time all-conference performer andthree-year co-captain at the University of the South. She still ranks sixthon the school’s scoring list and third on the rebounding chart.

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