Bowling Green women's basketball defeats Northern Illinois in regular season finale

Falcons clinch seventh seed in MAC tournament, will face Ball State in quarterfinals

Mar. 7, 2026 at 9:36pm

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Bowling Green women's basketball team defeated Mid-American Conference rival Northern Illinois 77-66 in their regular season finale. Paige Kohler led the Falcons with 20 points in just 27 minutes of play, while Lauren Gerken added 17 points and 4 rebounds off the bench. The win secured the seventh seed for Bowling Green in the upcoming MAC tournament, where they will face second-seeded Ball State in the quarterfinals.

Why it matters

This victory allows Bowling Green to secure a spot in the MAC tournament quarterfinals, setting up a matchup with one of the conference's top teams in Ball State. The Falcons will look to pull off an upset and advance further in the postseason tournament.

The details

Bowling Green shot 7-for-13 from the field, leading the team in scoring. Liberty-Benton graduate Lauren Gerken also had a strong game off the bench, scoring 17 points and grabbing 4 rebounds. The Falcons' win over Northern Illinois clinched the seventh seed in the upcoming MAC tournament.

  • The regular season finale was played on March 7, 2026.
  • The MAC tournament quarterfinal matchup between Bowling Green and Ball State is scheduled for Wednesday.

The players

Paige Kohler

Bowling Green player who scored a team-high 20 points in 27 minutes of play.

Lauren Gerken

Bowling Green player and Liberty-Benton graduate who scored 17 points and grabbed 4 rebounds off the bench.

Ball State

Bowling Green's opponent in the MAC tournament quarterfinals, seeded second in the conference.

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What’s next

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The takeaway

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