The women's basketball edition of the Battle of I-75 on Saturday afternoon at Savage Arena will feature two teams entering the game with different collective mindsets.
For Toledo (8-7, 3-1 MAC), the theme will be how to continue a recent upswing. After a grueling non-conference schedule and a slip-up at Western Michigan in the opening Mid-American Conference game of the season, the Rockets have reeled off three straight wins.
“I think our players are starting to really understand what their roles are and what they need to bring to the team every night,” Toledo coach Tricia Cullop said. “We can't win three and say, 'We're here, we've arrived.’ There are so many tests in our league, and every night is a new test. We know that even though Bowling Green has lost some close games, they've been right there. They are on the verge of doing something really good. We have to bring our best effort.”
For Bowling Green (7-9, 0-4) the theme is figuring out how to finish close games. The Falcons come into the rivalry game losing their first four MAC games, but there is a feeling among the team that BG is on the cusp of a big breakthrough.
“I feel like it's been a step in our program to be [close] in all these games,” Bowling Green coach Robyn Fralick said. “Now our next step is to finish them. There have been some heartbreakers, but I'll give our team and our staff credit that we are hammering away. We are sticking with it and we are going to continue to battle and figure it out.”
Toledo has had a balanced scoring attack all season, led by 11.5 points per game from Nakiah Black. Black's status for Saturday's game is in question after she suffered an injury taking a charge in the Rockets’ win over Akron, and she is considered day-to-day.
After Black, Tanaya Beacham averages 9.5 points per game, and Mariella Santucci adds 9.3 points per game.
Bowling Green will have to be prepared for a deep Toledo team.
“Their depth is something that stands out right now,” Fralick said. “They are getting more out of more kids, especially recently. I think that has been a big factor, and I think Santucci has been playing really well as a senior in that point guard position. She has really been putting people in good spots. Their athleticism stands out and they do a lot of things really well.”
Bowling Green has three players averaging in double figures with Caterrion Thompson leading the way at 14.8 points per game with Angela Perry and Madisen Parker not far behind at 13.9 and 13.6 points per game, respectively.
“They are well coached, and Robyn does a great job with her team,” Cullop said. “They are much improved from a year ago. I think the thing that is going to be interesting defensively is they have four kids starting on the perimeter that shoot above 33 percent. Then you have Angela Perry inside that shoots a great percentage on the low block. Their starting five is a handful.”
With three consecutive conference wins over Buffalo, Northern Illinois, and Akron, Toledo is building confidence as the season moves along.
“I think we are getting better game by game,” Santucci said. “We had a tough non-conference season, but I feel like it taught us a lot. The shots are not always going to fall, but we have to make sure we play our basketball every game no matter what team we are playing.”
Bowling Green, meanwhile, feels like it is a few possessions away from having a very different season and the Falcons have an opportunity to turn things around in a rivalry game.
“We're so close,” Thompson said. “We just have to keep hammering away and going at it. We know that the turn is coming up as long as we continue to stay locked in and focused and keep pushing. ... Going into the game we are going to focus on how we let the last three games slip away. We are going to focus on those possessions that we wish we could have back and focus on one possession at a time.”
Cullop is starting to rely more on more on her young players like freshmen Quinesha Lockett, Sophia Wiard, and Soleil Barnes. She hopes that they will understand the intensity that encompasses the I-75 rivalry.
“I think the main thing is we tell them, No. 1, it is just another game,” Cullop said. “But two, our players have to be ready because it is a fierce rivalry and it matters to our community. Our schools are located so close together that it is a big deal.”
Her time at Bowling Green so far has been an adjustment from her incredible three-year run as head coach at Ashland, but Fralick has been inspired by the toughness and resolve of her Falcons team when things have not always gone their way.
“It's part of the challenge and part of the joy,” Fralick said. “This group has stayed together. We've had some real heartbreakers and we keep picking ourselves up and showing up. I'm excited to see what this can look like. I think last year at this time to this year, I love our work ethic and our togetherness. I can't wait to be on the court with them. Last night we got home late off the bus [from Buffalo] and I couldn't wait to get back on the court with them today.”
First Published January 17, 2020, 5:17 p.m.
