Men's Basketball Visits Kent State

Jan. 25, 2001

Bowling Green, Ohio -

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SERIES HISTORY

This will be the 123rd meeting in a series which began during the 1916-17 season. The Falcons have a 74-48 advantage. The Falcons will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak in the M.A.C. Center, having last defeated the Golden Flashes on the road, 70-69, in 1997. KSU has won three of the last four meetings.

CLOSE GAMES

The Falcons are coming off of three straight three-point losses to Toledo, Akron and Ball State. Last year, the Falcons were 7-0 during the regular season in road games decided by six points or less. In each of their four MAC losses, BGSU has led with under seven minutes to go in the game.

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 return home to take on Western Michigan, January 31 and will visit Miami, February 3.

CAREER NOTES

Junior Len Matela is third on the BGSU all-time list in career field goal percentage (58.8). He leads active Falcon players in career starts with 48.

Junior Keith McLeod is second on the BGSU all-time list in career three-point field goal percentage (39.8). He has averaged 30.6 minutes per game during his career.

Senior Trent Jackson has moved into sixth place on the all-time BGSU list in career field goal percentage (52.1).

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES

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

has scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games this season... is averaging 17.7 points per game against the MAC...had a team-high 15 points against Ball State...has gone to the line nearly nine 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

averaging 13.3 points in the MAC...had led the team in scoring seven times and in rebounding 12 times...led the Falcons with 19 points and eight rebounds against Akron...had a team-best 22 points and seven rebounds against Toledo...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

ranks fourth nationally and first in the MAC averaging 7.5 assists...has had 10 assists or more five times this season...has played 552 of a possible 600 minutes...has averaged 11.5 assists in the last two games...had 17 points and 11 assists at Akron...had 17 points in the second half against Buffalo...has 44 assists and 16 turnovers in conference play...has connected on three or more three-pointers in four games this season...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 15 games.

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

has started all 15 games... shooting 57.4 from the field against MAC opponents...has scored in double figures in eight straight games ...averaging 15.7 points per game in that stretch...posted 14 points and a team-high three steals against Ball State...had 11 points against Akron...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 his fourth start of the season against Ball State...had his third double figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points against the Cardinals...popped in his first two three-pointers in three games against Akron...made a career-high three free throws against Toledo...has made three starts...has made a three-pointer in 12 of 14 games he has played in this season...scored 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 19 starts during his career, including 10 this season... is shooting 50 percent from the field in the last four games (8/16)...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

had his top scoring night in the MAC with 13 against Akron...also had seven rebounds...has started three games...averaging 9.1 points in six MAC contests...made all four of his field goal attempts against Toledo...had 11 points and five rebounds against Buffalo..has a team-best 16 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.

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

Freshman guard Jabari Mattox has been declared academically ineligible for the second semester. He played in nine games and scored six points.

The Falcons are 8-6 in their last 14 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 62 points against Ball State.

BGSU leads the MAC in scoring (81.7), field goal percentage (50.0) and assists (16.3).

Since February of 1999, the Falcons have a 35-19 record (.650). In that time, BGSU is 12-6 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 (50.0), 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 outrebounded Ball Sate, 35-33. The Cardinals, the league's top team in that category, were just the second team in the last eight games to be outreboudned by BGSU.

CONFERENCE LEADERS

Senior Trent Jackson leads the MAC in steals (2.3) and is second in field goal percentage (57.5).

Junior Brandon Pardon is tops in the MAC in assists (7.4).

Junior Len Matela leads the MAC in shooting (58.2).

Junior Keith McLeod is third in the league in scoring (17.7) 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)

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