The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team is set to face the University of Toledo in the latest installment of the “Battle of I-75” rivalry on Saturday, January 31. The game will take place at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio, with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
This matchup, presented by Fremont Federal Credit Union, carries five points in the rivalry series standings. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ or listen via Falcon Media Sports. Live statistics and additional coverage are available through BGSUFalcons.com and social media channels.
Bowling Green enters the contest with an 11-9 overall record and a 4-5 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. The Falcons have a strong historical presence in the MAC, holding a .629 winning percentage in league games and leading all conference institutions with 15 regular-season titles and 11 tournament championships. They also maintain a winning record against every other school in the conference.
Junior Paige Kohler recently reached a career milestone by surpassing 1,000 points as a Falcon. She became only the 33rd player in program history to achieve this feat and did so as one of the fastest players to reach that mark at Bowling Green. Kohler currently ranks 30th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,038 points.
Senior Kaia Woods recorded her first collegiate double-double during Wednesday’s win over Akron, finishing with ten points and ten rebounds despite being listed at just 5-foot-3 on official rosters.
Sophomore Johnea Donahue has made significant contributions this season after returning from injury. She posted double-doubles against Kent State and Eastern Michigan and leads both her team and the MAC with an average of 4.17 steals per game—ranking second nationally. Donahue’s defensive efforts include two games this season where she collected eight steals.
Kohler was named to the Preseason All-MAC First Team following her performances last year when she earned All-MAC Honorable Mention honors along with academic recognition from College Sports Communicators. This season she leads Bowling Green in scoring (14.0 ppg) while ranking among conference leaders in several statistical categories.
Sophomore Lauren Gerken has also emerged as a key contributor after missing much of last season due to injury; she has scored double digits seven times over her last eight games.
In their most recent outing, Bowling Green defeated Akron by a score of 80-62 at home. Four Falcons scored in double figures: Donahue led with 21 points followed by Kohler (19), Gerken (13), and Woods (10). The Falcons overcame early shooting struggles by excelling at free throws and dominating both points in the paint (44-20 advantage) and fast-break opportunities (30-5).
Toledo comes into Saturday’s game with a record of 10-8 overall and is currently fourth in MAC play at 5-3 after winning four out of their last five contests. Kendall Carruthers leads Toledo offensively with an average of 13.1 points per game.
The all-time series between Bowling Green and Toledo stands at 46 wins for BGSU versus Toledo’s 44 victories; each team won once during their two meetings last season.
Following this matchup, Bowling Green will continue its road trip against Kent State before returning home for a non-conference contest against Coastal Carolina as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
