Simone Eli (Genoa) is now two-for-two. 

In her first two years as a walk-on player on the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team Eli has cut down the nets at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland after winning back-to-back Mid-American Conference championships and made two trips to the “Big Dance”, the affectionate referral for the NCAA post-season tournament. 

The BGSU Falcons, who were seeded 12th, recently succumbed 69-58 to the tenacious defensive play of fifth-seed Georgia Tech in the opening round of the tournament on the hallowed hardwoods of St. John’s Arena in Columbus. 

It was the seventh-straight national postseason tournament appearance for the Falcons – five NCAA bids and two WNIT (2008 and 2009) bids and eleventh overall.

Simone Eli (Press photo by Scott Grau)

“Coming out of a very small high school you try to wrap your mind around getting to go to the NCAA,” exclaimed Eli.  “I have had the great opportunity to get to do it two times.  It’s been phenomenal.”

Bowling Green will bid farewell to six seniors most notably guard Lauren Prochaska, BG’s all-time leading scorer.  Their departure will open up opportunities for players such as Eli who have been waiting, watching, learning, and supporting at the end of the bench with their fingers tightly crossed hoping for their own opportunity to shine on the court.

“I am an underclassman.  I don’t get a whole lot of playing time but I am learning – learning a lot from the six seniors that are going to graduate [and] especially from the wing guard position watching Lauren (Prochaska) do what she does,” stated Eli.  “She is so successful as a player.”

“With [Prochaska] leaving there is the opportunity to pick up more playing time but we have five great freshmen coming in,” explained Eli.  “Everyone is attacking. Everyone is working hard to get more playing time.”

Eli played in 13 games this season with the Falcons for a total of 23 minutes and scored five points.  During her freshman season she also saw action in an equal number of contests logging  27 minutes of playing time and six points.

During her record-setting high school career at Genoa, Eli surpassed the 1,000 point mark in her senior year and established a new school benchmark for shots beyond the arc netting 176 three-pointers.  She garnered numerous awards and accolades including Suburban Lakes League Player of the Year, Division III Northwest District co-Player of the Year, and second team All-Ohio.  Eli’s Lady Comets also captured two SLL titles and two runner-up finishes in her four-year stint.

In her senior year Eli averaged 20.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 steals.

Eli knew that playing at the college level would be challenging and would require dedication and hard work.

“It’s been a lot different,” she said.  “In high school I was a more offensive player.  I didn’t focus a lot on defense.  When you come to college everyone is just as good as you are.  You have to play with players that are just as good as you.  You have to play on both ends of the floor both offensively and defensively as well.  Adjusting to that has been kind of slow.”

Eli understands her role on the team and what her coaches expect of her. 

“Everyone has a role on the team whether that is fitting in, getting the bench to get into the game or inspiring your teammates.  Whatever it is it is always significant,” explained Eli.  “I talk to the coaches all of the time and they say that ‘your role is important.  Your role is getting the team together and keeping the team family-oriented’”

Eli went on to say, “When Coach Miller recruits you and the coaching staff recruits you they tell you one thing: ‘Championships are built in the locker room’”.  She revealed that Miller reiterated this mantra in the locker room after the Falcon’s loss to Georgia Tech and emphasized that the team must keep their tremendous chemistry going  especially with the loss of their senior leadership because that is what wins games and championships.

“That’s what brings players up when there are difficult times in a game or in life for that matter,” Eli added.  “That’s what makes us such great friends.”

Anyone who has had the pleasure of watching the Lady Falcons in action cannot be anything but impressed with the sense of oneness that the team exhibits.  With every basket that is scored the players on the bench explode to their feet and cheer on their teammates.  Every time there is a time-out called the entire team rushes onto the court to greet those players that are in the game.

“That’s not for show.  That’s truly us,” declared Eli.  “That is what is in our heart.  We want to get up for our players.  We want to get excited.  We want to jump around and clap and get crazy and get the fans into it.  It’s all part of BGSU’s history.  It’s what we have built here.”

Eli also understands that basketball is a means to an end.  She is a broadcast journalism major and proudly declares that her grades “are great”.  She said that this summer she will be working with a local television station learning what it like to be behind the camera and microphone instead of in front of it.  Currently Eli is working with BGRSO (Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization), the university’s student-run radio station hosting two sports-themed talk shows.

“I would love to be on TV.  That’s my dream right now;” She said with a smile.

When asked if she misses her prep playing days at Genoa, Eli responded, “I miss the memories.  It’s been two years and I am kind of over by now.  But I think back to those times every now and then.”

Eli is quick to point out that she is looking forward to next year and working hard on her game during the summer. “Hopefully someday I can work myself into the system and get more playing time and contribute more to the team,” she said.

Was coming to Bowling Green the right thing to do?

Eli enthusiastically answered, “I couldn’t ask for better teammates.  I couldn’t ask for a better coaching staff.  I couldn’t ask for a better time than I have had here for the past two years.  You get to experience what it is like to be on a team.  Wonderful players.  Wonderful friends. A coaching staff that is second to none.  You could not ask for a better atmosphere.”

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