KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Interstat) — The Bowling Green Falcons built a large third-quarter lead and withstood a late surge to defeat the Western Michigan Broncos 61-54 in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at University Arena.

Bowling Green led 27-26 at halftime but used a 21-point third quarter to create a 15-point advantage. Western Michigan’s 20-point fourth-quarter rally fell short. Kaia Woods and Lauren Gerken each scored 15 points for the Falcons. Western Michigan’s Kailey Starks led all scorers with 20 points.

Bowling Green improved to 10-6 overall. Western Michigan fell to 5-10. The Falcons forced 22 turnovers, converting them into key transition opportunities to secure the road victory before an announced crowd of 659.