BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — The Bowling Green women's basketball team will have their hands full on Tuesday when they take on the number one team in the country.
The Falcons will welcome South Carolina (10-0) to the Stroh Center for the program's first-ever matchup against the nation's top-ranked team.
It will also mark a special game for first-year Falcons head coach, Fred Chmiel. He spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at South Carolina under Dawn Staley.
"She's always helped me out throughout my entire career and this is just another olive branch she's reached out to try and help us elevate our program and bring the number one team in the country to the Stroh," said Chmiel.
The contest against the Gamecocks is part of a tough four-game stretch for the Falcons that began on the road against Caitlin Clark and No. 4 Iowa and will end against No. 15 Indiana on Dec. 22.
"I think we're just going to prepare just like any other game," said senior guard Lexi Fleming. "We play so many top-ranked teams and since we already played Iowa, we already know what it's like to play a top-ranked team and to be in that environment."
Coming into the game against South Carolina, the Falcons have a record of 5-37 against teams ranked in the Associated Press or USA Today Top 25 polls, but hold a record of 3-4 at home.
Of BGSU's wins over nationally ranked teams, three came against Vanderbilt, with the other two wins over Purdue and Dayton.
"That's a great team with great coaching and we're going to have to play our best basketball," said Chmiel. "But I look forward to the challenge."
"We're so excited about it," said junior guard Amy Velasco. "It's going to be such a cool experience and I'm just excited we get to do it here in the Stroh. Hopefully, it's a packed house."
Bowling Green's game versus unbeaten South Carolina can be watched on ESPN+ at 7 p.m.
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