Findlay Too Much For Bulldog Women At Wink

Postgame Audio: Head Coach Tracey Dorow
(MP3 File) - (Windows Media Version)

Big Rapids, Mich. - Four players reached double-figure scoring as Findlay beat Ferris State by a 72-58 count in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic conference (GLIAC) women's basketball play on Saturday (Feb. 6) afternoon inside FSU's Jim Wink Arena.

The host Bulldogs jumped out to an 11-point advantage only four minutes into the contest after scoring the opening 10 points of the outing, but the Oilers closed the initial half on a 31-10 run to take a 10-point advantage at the break. FSU could get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

The Oilers were paced by Laura Bardall's game-high 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting. She was joined in double-digits by Maggie Gompers with 16 points, Audra Mihalic with 13 points and Megan Sellers, who netted 12 points.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs had only two players reach double-figure production with sophomore guard Tricia Principe scoring 14 points and sophomore guard Kelsey DeNoyelles adding 13 points. Ten of Principe's points came in the first half.

"It seemed like we were aggressive and pushed the ball early," said FSU head coach Tracey Dorow.  "Then, the aggressivness turned into impatience and we were taking quick shots that weren't there and not making them play defense."

Findlay shot 41.7% (25-60) for the game and was six-of-20 (30%) beyond the three-point arc along with 16-of-24 (66.7%) at the free throw line.

FSU made only 19-of-51 (37.3%) field goals and five-of-15 (33.3%) three-pointers to go with a 15-of-18 (83.3%) showing at the free throw line.

Findlay held a decisive 36-18 edge in points scored inside the paint and finished with 17 points off 16 Bulldog turnovers. The Oilers also had 17 assists with Mihalic garnering a game-high nine dimes. They turned the ball over only 10 times for the game.

FSU led the rebounding battle by a narrow 38-36 margin and the Bulldog reserves outscored the Oilers' bench nine to five for the contest.

The lead changed hands only one time as the Oilers fought back from the early 11-point deficit to take the lead for good with 8:28 to play in the first half.  FSU went the final 14:38 of the first half without a field goal.

"I think we may have been trying too hard to step up and make something happen because we weren't doing that great," Dorow said.  "It was almost like we weren't playing that well on defense so they tried to pick it up on offense and it has to happen the other way around."

Saturday's outing represented FSU's annual "Community Health Day" and a special halftime performance was also held as part of the local Festival of the Arts festivities.

The Bulldogs wrapped up a four-game conference homestand with the setback and will now play four consecutive league contests on the road.

With the win, the Oilers remained atop the GLIAC South Division standings with a current 16-5 overall record and an 11-5 GLIAC mark. FSU fell to 6-15 overall and 5-11 in league play while remaining in ninth place in the conference's overall standings with six regular-season contests left on the schedule.

FSU ventures to Michigan's Upper Peninsula next week for two games at Michigan Tech (Feb. 11) and Northern Michigan (Feb. 13). Thursday's contest at MTU begins at 5:30 p.m. (EST).