Campus Watch

Merry Christmas from the Koessler Athletic Center, where Santa Claus is taking in this afternoon's women's basketball game between Canisius and Bowling Green.

We're online now after some Internet connection problems. Canisius (5-3 overall) faces a big test today in the Falcons (6-3), who are five-time defending champions of the Mid-American Conference and have appeared in the WNIT tournament the past three seasons. It's the first time the two programs have ever met.

The Griffs are led in scoring by 5-foot-5 senior guard Brittane Russell, who played all 50 minutes Wednesday night in a 72-70 double overtime loss at Duquesne. It was just the fourth time the Griffs had ever played a double overtime game.

First Half

Starters for Canisius: F Melissa Gardner, F Ellie Radke, G Brianna Lucas, G Micayla Drysdale and G Russell. For Bowling Green: F Jen Uhl, F Tara Breske, G Tamika Nurse, G Lauren Prochaska and G Tracy Pontius.

18:57 remaining: Drysdale wastes little time extending Canisius' NCAA record of at least one three-pointer made in a game to 463 when she hits from the left wing for a 3-0 lead.

15:45: Pontius has all eight points for Bowling Green in an 8-8 tie.

13:08: The second of back-to-back three-pointers by Prochaska has made the score 16-10 Falcons.

10:22: An old-school hook shot by 6-foot-0 center Maggie Hennegan gives Bowling Green its largest lead, 20-12.

9:07: Russell hits her second three-pointer of the first half to cut Bowling Green's lead of 8 down to 5, 20-15.

7:15: So much for that. A Bowling Green trey out of a media timeout re-establishes the 8-point lead, 23-15.

5:44: Ugly turnover for Canisius, as Drysdale tosses it out of bounds looking for Radke. There have been too many of those in the first half for the Griffs.

4:35: Drysdale takes a blocking foul, her second of the game, after another turnover. Griffs look like they're sucking wind.

3:54: Bowling Green grabs four offensive rebounds on the same offensive sequence, but can't make it count. It's 25-16 after Radke splits a pair from the line.

1:27: It's turning into a rout as the bigger Bowling Green squad is having its way down low. Three straight field goals from inside 5 feet have made it 31-16.

44.7: Radke hit a foul-line jumper to end the run, but Bowling Green knocks down a pair of free throws to maintain a 15-point lead, 33-18.

00:0: Halftime, 33-18 Bowling Green. Russell had a three-pointer blocked at the buzzer, a good way to sum up how the first half went for the Griffs. Back soon with more details.

Second Half

18:50: Good start for the Griffs, who score the first four points of the half and get a steal from Russell. It's 33-22.

16:39: Prochaska drills her third three-pointer of the game from the left baseline, making it 38-22 Falcons. Griffs are struggling to come up with much offense.

15:57: Russell makes a pair of free throws after being fouled in the open court. It's 38-24.

12:26: The lighting-quick Russell went coast-to-coast, but missed the layup and then compounded things by taking her third foul on a reach. Bowling Green answered with an inside layup by Nurse to regain it's 15-point lead, 43-28. Timeout.

10:05: A pair of free throws by Canisius' Ashley Durham after some choppy play makes it a 13-point game, 43-30.

9:00: Again, Bowing Green quickly puts to bed any notion of a Canisius rally. This time it's Nurse on a beautiful hard-driving layup to the right. It's 47-30 with less than 10 minutes to go.

8:33: Radke to the line for a pair. She makes both and has seven points on the afternoon, but the Falcons have done a good job of keeping the Griffs' second-leading scorer in check. Radke averages 12.9 per game.

7:59: Steal and breakaway layup for Jessie Tamerlano of Bowling Green extends the lead to 51-32. Griffs call timeout to try and stop the bleeding.

6:34: Teams are trading baskets, which won't do much for Canisius. Whitney Ellenor splits a pair at the free-throw line for Canisius to make it 53-35.

5:08: Russell's quickness is her biggest asset, but she has a tendency to play out of control at times. She did on that possession, driving into the huge Bowling Green frontline with nowhere to go, leading to a turnover. It's 53-36.

4:01: Hennegan catches a long pass and converts the layup while being fouled. It's 55-36 Bowling Green with a free throw to come. Timeout, Griffs.

3:13: Looking for the difference in this one? It can be found down low. Bowling Green's Kelly Zuercher, a 6-foot-1 junior, simply reached over a Canisius player to grab an entry pass and make an easy layup. It's turning into a rout, 58-41.

2:29: Timeout after Nurse cuts through the Griffs defense for another nice layup. She's at the line ... and makes the free throw to make it a 20-point game, 61-41.

1:36: Substitution timeouts being called as it's 65-42 BGU after a breakaway layup by Tamerlano.

0:00: It's over, 67-42. Griffs drop their second straight after a five-game winning streak. Canisius visits Marquette at 8 p.m. Monday in its next game. Off for quotes, some post-game analysis coming later.

---Jay Skurski