Versatile Honegger fortifies BG

Liz Honegger has collected 1,031 points for the Falcons, even though she's only a junior, and has rejected 134 shots.

BOWLING GREEN - In a sequence of plays Sunday against the University of Toledo, Liz Honegger perfectly demonstrated how she contributes to the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team.

Early in the game Honegger, a junior from Lafayette, Ind., was defending UT freshman Diana Reindl in the post. Honegger blocked Reindl's shot attempt and grabbed the rebound, pushing the outlet pass to Carin Horne.

Honegger ran down the court, Horne fed her on the wing and Honegger hit a 3-pointer.

Honegger has modeled her game around versatility, and done it better than almost anyone in Mid-American Conference history. She's the only player in league history to make 125 3-pointers and have 125 blocks in her career. Going into the Falcons' game against Northern Illinois tonight, Honegger has hit 128 3s and rejected 134 shots.

"Versatility is the name of her game," BGSU coach Curt Miller said.

She leads the league in blocked shots, averaging 1.7 a game, and is second in rebounding with eight per contest. Her 3-point shooting percentage is tops on the team and she is second on the Falcons in scoring at 13.2.

At 5-11 and a sizable presence down low, Honegger discovered her initial talent for 3-pointers outside of practice.

"I think it's because I'm a gym rat," Honegger said. "Growing up I was always in the gym so I started shooting 3s one day."

She was a wing player for part of her career at Jefferson High School, and when she did play post it wasn't in a typical fashion.

"I had to guard big people, so I liked to get them away from the basket and start shooting 3s," Honegger said.

She ended high school shooting 60 percent from the floor and 42 percent from long range. Honegger was the first player of the now-celebrated 2003 recruiting class of seven to commit to the Falcons.

"With that big class, we said, we don't know how good Honegger will be down the road, but we do know she'll always make shots for us," Miller said.

"What she has really developed through her time here, is becoming a much more physical player, and much more talented in the low block than people give her credit for."

A second-team All-MAC selection last year, Honegger is second on the all-time BGSU list for blocked shots with more than a season left in her career. She has a 6-foot-3 wingspan.

"Everybody calls me 'Go-Go Gadget Arms,'●" Honegger said. "That's how I do it; everybody knows I can't jump."

Honegger also participates in track and field for the Falcons, winning the MAC championship in the discus her freshman year. After taking last season off, Honegger plans to rejoin the team for spring competition.

Last month Honegger scored her 1,000th point as a Falcon. She and Ali Mann are two of the players in BGSU history to reach the mark fastest.

"She's proven to be an unbelievable player and one of the best players not only in the conference, but with conceivable continued success, will go down as one of the best players in BG history," Miller said.

If anything, she's one of the most versatile to play for the Falcons.

Contact Maureen Fulton at:

mfulton@theblade.com

or 419-724-6160.