Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Takes on Central Michigan
January 04, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2001
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C. Michigan (6-3) at Bowling Green (5-5, 1-0)
1 p.m., Saturday, January 6
Anderson Arena (5,000)
Series Record: BGSU leads 31-23
Last Meeting: BGSU 77, at CMU 74 (1/17/00)
Radio: WBVI (96.7)
On the Web: www.bgsufalcons.com
Falcon Probable Starters (* letters earned)
2 Josh Almanson F 6-8 220 Fr. 9.1 ppg., 3.5 reb., 69.4 FG%, 84.6 FT%
10 Trent Jackson ** F 6-4 205 Sr. 12.3 ppg., 3.1 reb., 58.8 FG%
14 Len Matela ** C 6-9 240 Jr. 15.6 ppg., 8.7 reb., 56.0 FG%
20 Keith McLeod ** G 6-2 185 Jr. 15.0 ppg., 3.8 reb., 41.7 3FG%
32 Brandon Pardon* G 6-1 200 Jr. 12.7 ppg., 7.4 assists, 43.6 3FG%
Head Coach Dan Dakich (Indiana `85) 55-39 (4th Year)
BGSU OPENS HOME MAC SEASON
The Falcons begin their 47th season as a member of the MAC. BGSU has a 355-313 record in the league and is third overall among conference schools with eight titles. BGSU has won all three of its conference home openers under Dan Dakich, and six overall dating back to 1994. The Falcons have posted a league-best 27 regular season MAC victories since 1999. BGSU and Kent State each have 27-10 conference records in that time.
LAST YEAR
The Falcons rallied from an eight-point second half deficit and took the lead for good on a three-pointer by Anthony Stacey with 28 seconds remaining to post a 77-74 victory at Central Michigan.
SERIES HISTORY
The Falcons lead the series which began in 1947, 31-23. The Falcons have won the last four meetings overall and nine in a row in Anderson Arena since the Chippewas prevailed, 56-55, in 1989.
ANOTHER FALCON STREAK
With the win against NIU, the Falcons extended their regular season MAC winning streak to seven games and need one win to tie their school record of eight consecutive MAC wins established in 1962 and equaled in 1980. The 1983 squad won seven straight conference games twice during the season.
FALCONS IN 4TH SEASON WITH DAKICH
The Falcons are in their fourth season under head coach Dan Dakich. BGSU is coming off a 22-8 campaign which saw them earn the regular season MAC Championship and a berth in the NIT. BGSU was 14-4 in the conference a season ago. His 58.5 winning percentage is the second highest behind Harold Anderson's 65.5 winning percentage among Falcon head coaches who have spent more than one year at BGSU. Dakich's father, Tom played for Anderson and the Falcons from 1954-56.
2000-2001 NOTES
The Falcons are coming off their best defensive performance of the season allowing just 67 points against Northern Illinois on 39.7 percent shooting.
Since February of 1999, the Falcons have a 34-15 record (.694).
One of the top shooting teams in the country last season (4th, 49.2%) and the current leader in the MAC (50.6), BGSU eclipsed the 50 percent shooting mark, 15 times last season. The Falcons are shooting 57.9 from the floor in their first four home games.
The Falcons shot a season-best 85.3% from the line against Wilmington (29/34). BGSU is 8-1 in the last two years, when they have shot better than 80% from the line. In the last six games, BGSU is shooting 79.8 (123/154) from the line.
BGSU has hit 22 of 44 three-point field goal attempts at home and lead the MAC making 42.9 percent of its long distance calls.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Junior Keith McLeod has scored in double figures in eight of nine games this season. He made a career-best 14 consecutive free throws against Northern Illinois and finished with a game-high 22 points. It was his fourth 20-point point plus effort of the season. He had 22 points and hit three of four three-point attempts against Wilmington. He had 15 points and five assists against Michigan. He scored a team-high 24 points at UNCW also had 20 points, five rebounds and five steals in 38 minutes of action against Evansville. He was the MAC's leading three-point shooter last season and was ranked seventh in the country at 47.1 percent.
Junior Len Matela had his 14th career double-double with an 18-point, 13-rebound effort against Marist. He has 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. He attended the same high school as Coach Dakich (Andrean in Merrillville, Indiana).
Junior Brandon Pardon has played 364 of a possible 380 minutes. In the last three games he is averaging 15.7 points and has shot 57.1 percent from three-point range. The all-time assist leader in Ohio High School history had a team-best 19 points and seven assists against Michigan State. He came back with a 16-point effort against NIU. He scored a career-high 24 points against Urbana. He had a career-high 13 assists to go along with 15 points against Evansville. He is averaging a team-high 37.1 minutes per game. He began his college career at Wright State in Dayton and is one of two players to have started all 10 games.
Senior Trent Jackson also has started all 10 games. He is averaging 18 points and shooting 60.0 from the field (21/35) during the last three games. He had 18 points against NIU and added to his league leading steal total with four thefts. He had 16 points against Michigan State. He tied a school-record with eight steals against Wilmington. He tied a mark set by Joe Faine against Central Michigan in 1981. He had a season-high 20 points against Wilmington, which marked just the second time in his career that he eclipsed the 20-point barrier. He tied a career-high with eight free throws made against Michigan State and Michigan. He also had a 15-point, three steal performance against Duquesne. He has started 32 career games.
Sophomore Cory Ryan is the team's biggest surprise averaging 8.9 points after scoring just 16 points all of last season. He has hit a three-point field goal in all nine games he has played in this season. He led the Falcons in scoring for the second game this season when he netted 18 points against Illinois State. He is second in the MAC in three-point field goals made per game (2.5 per game). He scored a career-high 20 points against Evansville.
Redshirt freshman center Kevin Netter had a career-high 18 points against Urbana, all in the second half. He busted loose with 17 points and five rebounds in 30 minutes of action against Duquesne and had 17 points against Wilmington. He has made 84% of his free throws (21/25) in the last five games. He is tied for the team lead in blocked shots.
Freshman Josh Almanson is averaging 12.7 points over the last seven games and has made 19 of his last 24 field goal attempts in the last three games. A candidate for MAC Freshman of the Year, he had nine points and knocked down his first career three-point shot at Marist. He had a career-best 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven free throws against Wilmington. He scored 22 points and had a team-high nine rebounds against Urbana. He was coming off a game where he scored 14 points and added five rebounds and four blocks in 24 minutes of action at Illinois State. He is a native of Bowling Green.
Freshman Jabari Mattox saw his most extensive action this season with 30 minutes of duty against Urbana. He had nine assists and no turnovers and was lauded for his pressure defense. At Illinois State, he had three assists and scored two points.
Junior forward Brent Klassen has made 15 starts during his career, including six this season. He matched his season-best when he scored six points against Michigan State. He contributed three points and three rebounds in 11 minutes against Michigan. Klassen is a career 49.5 percent shooter from the field and a 71.9 marksman from the line.
Sophomore Kris Gerken scored his first points as a Falcon against Urbana. He played eight minutes and had two rebounds, two steals and an assist. He is a transfer from Wittenberg.
