Bowling Green State University’s women’s basketball team began its 2025-26 season with a challenging road game against the No. 2-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The Falcons were defeated 114-47 in front of an audience of 16,649, the largest crowd ever to witness a Bowling Green women’s basketball game.
Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick led the Falcons with 10 points, while Johnea Donahue and Taya Ellis each grabbed four rebounds. Donahue also contributed five steals. Paige Kohler added seven points and five assists for Bowling Green.
Freshman Sofia Moschen scored her first collegiate points with a late three-pointer. Lauren Gerken and Emily Siesel also made three-pointers for the Falcons.
South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards led all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting. Madina Okot recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Gamecocks shot over 63 percent from the field and nearly 43 percent from three-point range.
Bowling Green finished the game shooting just over 24 percent from the floor and made six of their twenty-six attempts from beyond the arc. The Falcons converted five out of six free throws but were outrebounded by South Carolina, 53-25. Despite this, they forced fourteen turnovers and collected eleven steals.
The game started with Donahue scoring for Bowling Green less than a minute into play, but South Carolina responded quickly with a fifteen-point run to take control early. At halftime, South Carolina led by thirty-six points.
In the third quarter, Bowling Green had its best offensive stretch, scoring sixteen points through contributions from several players including Kohler, Miller, Donahue, and Jaedyn Cook. However, South Carolina maintained its lead heading into the final period.
Bland-Fitzpatrick reached double figures in scoring for the first time in her career at Bowling Green during the fourth quarter. Miller added another three-pointer as Bowling Green closed out the game on a small run before South Carolina secured victory.
According to program records, this contest surpassed previous attendance highs set against Iowa in December 2023 and Virginia in December 2015.
This was Bowling Green’s first matchup against a top-two opponent since facing No.1-ranked South Carolina in December 2023 at home.
Looking ahead, Bowling Green will continue its opening road stretch by playing Wisconsin on November 12 and Marquette on November 14 before traveling to Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout later in November. Their home opener is scheduled for November 30 against Purdue Fort Wayne at Stroh Center.
