Men's Basketball Visits Akron

Jan. 15, 2001

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Bowling Green (6-7, 2-2) at Akron (5-8, 2-2)

7:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 20

JAR Arena (5,942)

Series Record: BGSU leads 18-9

Last Meeting: BGSU 73, at Akron 72 (2/24/00)

Radio: WBVI (96.7)

On the Web: www.bgsufalcons.com

BGSU AND THE MAC

The Falcons are in their 47th season as a member of the MAC. BGSU has a 356-315 record in the league and is third overall among conference schools with eight titles. The Falcons have a 28-12 MAC record since 1999 and captured their eighth MAC Championship with a 14-4 record, last season. They also won titles in 1997, 1983, 1981, 1968, 1963, 1962, and 1959.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the 28th meeting in a series which began during the 1947-48 season. The Falcons have an 18-9 edge and have won 13 of the last 16 meetings since 1993. Last year, BGSU defeated Akron, 88-77, in Anderson Arena, and 73-72, in Akron. The Falcons have won the last two meetings in JAR Arena.

CLOSE TIES

BGSU coach Dan Dakich was an assistant at Indiana when Zips assistant Pat Knight was a player for the Hoosiers. Akron coach Dan Hipsher is a native of Fostoria, a 1977 graduate of BGSU and a former Academic All-MAC player for the Falcons.

UP NEXT

The Falcons are in a stretch where they will play six of eight on the road from January 13 to February 10. They will host Ball State at 1 p.m., January 20, and will visit Kent State at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 27.

CAREER NOTES

Junior Len Matela is third on the BGSU all-time list in career field goal percentage (59.0). He leads active Falcon players in career starts with 46.

Junior Keith McLeod is second on the BGSU all-time list in career three-point field goal percentage (40.3). He has averaged 30.6 minutes per game during his career.

Along with McLeod, junior Brandon Pardon is shooting 38.8 for his career from three-point range and sophomore Cory Ryan is knocking down 40.9 percent of his three-point attempts.

Senior Trent Jackson has moved into sixth place on the all-time BGSU list in career field goal percentage (52.4).

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES

KEITH MCLEOD, JR, 6-2, CANTON, OHIO/MCKINLEY

has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games this season... is averaging 19.8 points per game against the MAC...has gone to the line an average of 9.7 times per game in the MAC...has eclipsed the 20-point mark five times ...has accomplished that feat 13 times in his career...had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists against Toledo...had a MAC career-best 25 points against Central Michigan...made a career-best 14 consecutive free throws against Northern Illinois and finished with a game-high 22 points... had 22 points and hit three of four three-point attempts against Wilmington...had 15 points and five assists against Michigan... scored a team-high 24 points at UNCW...had 20 points, five rebounds and five steals in 38 minutes of action against Evansville... was the MAC's leading three-point shooter last season and ranked seventh in the country at 47.1 percent.

LEN MATELA, JR, 6-8, MERRILLVILLE, INDIANA/ANDREAN

averaged 22.5 points and 10 rebounds last week against Toledo and Buffalo...made 72.7 of his shots from the floor (16/22) and shot 85.7 from the line (12/14), last week...had a team-best 22 points and seven rebounds against the Rockets...posted his 15th career double-double with a 23-point, 13 rebound performance against Buffalo...made all seven free throw attempts in that game...had 14 boards against Northern Illinois...had his 14th career double-double with an 18-point, 13-rebound effort against Marist... accomplished that feat two other times this season, with his 25-point, 17-board performance against Duquesne and an 18-point, 11-rebound performance against UNCW...one of the top shooters in the country a year ago (61.9 percent), Matela was an honorable mention All-MAC performer a year ago...attended the same high school as Coach Dakich (Andrean in Merrillville, Indiana).

BRANDON PARDON, JR, 6-1, Middle Point, Ohio/Lincolnview

has played 480 of a possible 520 minutes...had 17 points in the second half against Buffalo...has 23 assists and nine turnovers in conference play...has connected on three or more three-pointers in four games this season...has 42 assists and 17 turnovers in the last six games...had 17 points and eight assists against Central Michigan...had 16 points and five assists against Northern Illinois.... the all-time assist leader in Ohio High School history had a team-best 19 points and seven assists against Michigan State...scored a career-high 24 points against Urbana... had 10 points and 12 assists against Duquesne...had a career-high 13 assists to go along with 15 points against Evansville...is one of two players to have started all 13 games.

TRENT JACKSON, SR, 6-4, ROCHESTER, NY/FRANKLIN

has started all 13 games... shooting 62.2 from the field against MAC opponents...has scored double figures in six straight games...is averaging 16.8 points over his last six games...had 16 points against Toledo...posted his best shooting night for the season (7/9)... had a season-best 20 points against Buffalo...had 11 points against CMU...made all seven of his free throw attempts...had 18 points against NIU and added to his league leading steal total with four thefts...had 16 points against Michigan State... tied a school-record with eight steals against Wilmington...tied a mark set by Joe Faine against Central Michigan in 1981... had a season-high 20 points against Wilmington...tied a career-high with eight free throws made against Michigan State and Michigan...also had a 15-point, three steal performance against Duquesne...has started 34 career games.

CORY RYAN, SO, 6-5, FOUNTAIN CITY, INDIANA/NORTHEASTERN

made a career-high three free throws against Toledo...has made three starts...has made a three-pointer in 10 of 12 games he has played in this season...is averaging 7.4 points after scoring just 16 points all of last season...had a season-best six steals against Wilmington...led the Falcons in scoring for the second game this season when he netted 18 points against Illinois State...scored a career-high 20 points against Evansville.

BRENT KLASSEN, JR, 6-8, KIMBALL, NEBRASKA/KIMBALL HS

has made 18 starts during his career, including nine this season... is shooting 53.8 percent from the field in the last three games (7/13)...had six points and five rebounds against Buffalo...had a career-high 10 points against Central Michigan... matched his previous season-best when he scored six points against Michigan State...contributed three points and three rebounds in 11 minutes against Michigan...is a career 49.1 percent shooter from the field and a 73.2 % marksman from the line.

JOSH ALMANSON, FR, 6-8, BOWLING GREEN, OHIO/BOWLING GREEN

has started two games...averaging 8.3 points in four MAC contests...made all four of his field goal attempts against Toledo...had 11 points and five rebounds against Buffalo...has made 30 of his last 36 field goal attempts (83.3) in the last six games...shooting 73.8 from the floor and 86.2 from the line...has a team-best 14 blocked shots...had nine points and knocked down his first career three-point shot at Marist...had a career-best 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven free throws against Wilmington...scored 22 points and had a team-high nine rebounds against Urbana...scored 14 points and added five rebounds and four blocks in 24 minutes of action at Illinois State.

KEVIN NETTER, FR, 6-10, Richmond Dale, Ohio/Southeastern

has started three games and is second in blocked shots with 13...had a career-high 18 points against Urbana, all in the second half...busted loose with 17 points and five rebounds in 30 minutes of action against Duquesne... had 17 points against Wilmington...made eight of nine FT attempts against Urbana and six of seven against Michigan ...also made seven of nine charity tosses against Wilmington ...had five blocked shots against Wilmington.

JABARI MADDOX, FR, 6-0, BLOOMINGDALE, ILLINOIS/ST. JOSEPH'S

saw his most extensive action this season with 30 minutes of duty against Urbana...had nine assists and no turnovers and was lauded for his pressure defense...he had three assists and scored two points against Illinois State.

KRIS GERKEN, SO, 6-3, HAMLER, OHIO/PATRICK HENRY HS

a walk-on transfer from Wittenberg...scored his first points as a Falcon against Urbana...played eight minutes and had two rebounds, two steals and an assist.

2000-2001 TEAM NOTES

The Falcons are 8-5 in their last 13 MAC road games.

Eight players have started at least one game this season.

The Falcons had their best defensive performance of the season allowing just 67 points against Northern Illinois on 39.7 percent shooting.

BGSU leads the MAC in scoring (83.6), free throw percentage (75.7), field goal percentage (50.8) and assists (16.3).

Since February of 1999, the Falcons have a 35-17 record (.675). In that time, BGSU is 12-4 in games decided by 10 points or less.

One of the top shooting teams in the country last season (4th, 49.2%) and the current leader in the MAC (50.8), BGSU eclipsed the 50 percent shooting mark, 15 times last season and has done so on seven occasions this year, and have a 19-3 record in the last two years when they make at least half of their field goal attempts.

The Falcons have been outrebounded in five of their last six games.

CONFERENCE LEADERS

The Falcons lead the MAC in scoring (83.6), field goal percentage (50.8) and assists (16.3). They are second in the league in free throw percentage (75.7) and steals (7.85).

Senior Trent Jackson leads the MAC in field goal percentage (59.5) and steals (2.1) and junior Brandon Pardon is tops in the MAC in assists (7.1). Junior Len Matela is second in the MAC in shooting (58.7). Junior Keith McLeod is second in the league in scoring (19.8) during conference play.

STRONG DOWN THE STRETCH

Eight times this season the Falcons have shot 60 percent or better in the second half. Toledo, 61.5 (16/26), Buffalo, 70.8 (17/24), Northern Illinois, 60.9 (14/23), Wilmington, 61.3 (19/31), Marist, 65.2 (15/23), Urbana, 67.9 (19/28), Duquesne, 62.5 (20/32), Evansville, 60.7 (17/28)

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS

The Falcons outscored Buffalo 18-2 in the first half on second-chance points and outrebounded the Bulls, 39-26. The 39 rebounds for the Falcons marked their best effort of the season on the glass. At the Falcons end of the court, BGSU had 15 offensive rebounds, while Buffalo corralled only 16 of the Falcon misses. This was a dramatic improvement over BGSU's effort against Central Michigan where they were outrebounded 24-10 in the second half against the Chippewas.

FALCON FACTS

From 1998-2000, the Falcons posted a 40-18 record, the best BGSU two-year record since Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond led the Falcons to a 40-12 mark from 1961-63.

FALCONS PLAY BEFORE LARGEST CROWD

The 22,076 fans to see BGSU face #1 Michigan State at the Palace of Auburn Hills, marked the highest attendance figure to ever watch a Falcon basketball game. It also is the fourth highest attended basketball game in the country this season.

EARLY SIGNEES

Cory Eyink (sounds like EYENK), a 6-7 1/2, 220 lb., forward from Marion Local High School in Maria Stein, Ohio, and Leon Petty, a 6-4,185 lb. guard from Indianapolis Cathedral HS each have signed a national letter of intent to attend BGSU and play basketball for the Falcons next year.

20 PLUS POINTS

Len Matela 25 vs. Duquesne, 23 vs. Buffalo, 22 vs. Toledo, 22 vs. Urbana, 20 vs. Evansville

Keith McLeod 25 vs. Central Michigan, 24 vs. UNC-Wilmington, 22 vs. Wilmington, 22 vs. Northern Illinois, 20 vs. Evansville,

Josh Almanson 25 vs. Wilmington, 22 vs. Urbana

Trent Jackson 20 vs. Buffalo, 20 vs. Wilmington

Brandon Pardon 24 vs. Urbana

Cory Ryan 20 vs. Evansville

10 PLUS REBOUNDS

Len Matela 17 vs. Duquesne, 14 vs. Northern Illinois, 13 vs. Marist, 13 vs. Buffalo, 11 vs. UNC Wilmington

Josh Almanson 10 vs. Wilmington

ASSISTS

Brandon Pardon 13 vs. Evansville, 12 vs. Duquesne, 12 vs. Wilmington,