Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Faces Marshall
February 12, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2001
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Marshall (14-7, 8-5) at Bowling Green (10-10, 6-5) 7 p.m., Wednesday, February 14 Anderson Arena (5,000) Series Record: BGSU leads 26-21 Last Meeting: BGSU 88, at Marshall 83 (2/26/00) Radio: WBVI (96.7) On the Web: www.bgsufalcons.com
FALCONS READY FOR STRETCH RUN
The Falcons will put their four-game winning streak on the line against Marshall. The Falcons and junior Keith McLeod are playing their best basketball of the season. McLeod is the league's second leading scorer in MAC play (18.8 ppg.) and needs 47 points to become the 31st player in Falcon history to score 1,000 points.
FALCONS IN FEBRUARY
Since 1999, the Falcons have posted an 18-3 record in the month of February.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 48th meeting in a series which began in 1953. The Falcons have won four straight and lead the overall series, 26-21. Last year, BGSU defeated the Herd in Anderson Arena, 85-64.
TURN IT AROUND
In an effort to snap a four-game losing streak, Coach Dan Dakich had his players and staff turn their clothes around at practice and the Falcons have responded with a four-game win streak, including three in a row on the road. Dakich also wears his sport coat on backwards when he comes out for the start of a game.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
After allowing an average of 81 points per game the first 14 games of the season, the Falcons have allowed just 66 points per game in the last six outings (a 15 ppg. improvement).
STREAK FACTS
The Falcons are holding opponents to 61 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting from the field.
Falcon opponents have hit just 15 of their last 72 three-point field goal attempts (20.8).
BGSU has made 79.8 percent (71/89) of its free throw attempts and 39.6 percent (21/53) of its three-point field goal tries.
The Falcons are outrebounding their opponents 34.8 to 31.8.
Junior Keith McLeod is averaging 21.3 points and has hit 35 of 39 free throws.
Junior Len Matela is averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. He also has made 22 of 25 free throws.
Senior Trent Jackson is averaging 11.5 points
Junior Brandon Pardon has dished an average of 7.8 assists per game.
Pardon and sophomore Cory Ryan have combined to hit 12 of 28 three-point field goal attempts (42.9).
Junior Brent Klassen is averaging six rebounds and one blocked shot per game. He also is contributing 5.3 points.
Three of the team's lowest point totals allowed have come during this streak.
Three of the last four opponents have failed to shoot above 38.6 percent from the floor.
MCLEOD AND MATELA The junior duo of Keith McLeod and Len Matela have begun to assert themselves as clutch performers during this recent stretch of success for the Falcons.
McLeod, an 81.3 percent marksmen from the free throw line, has taken more charity tosses than any player in MAC action. He has made 83 of 98 attempts (84.7) in 11 league games and was 16-of-17 last week. His 28 points at Ohio was the best scoring effort for a Falcon this season and his best-ever against a conference foe. Twenty-two of his points came in the second half. He followed that up with a team-best 20-point effort against Buffalo. He also made 11-of-12 free throw attempts against Miami and was seven-of-eight against Western Michigan. He made three free throws in the final 30 seconds in the win against Miami.
Matela earned MAC Eastern Division Player of the Week, February 4, after averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds that week. He grabbed an offensive board and canned two free throws with eight seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime at Miami. In addition, his hustle under the basket allowed BGSU to maintain possession with a one-point lead with 16 seconds remaining in overtime. Matela followed up his award winning performance with 19 points and 15 rebounds against Ohio. He also had 17 points against Buffalo.
JACKSON HOMECOMING
Senior Trent Jackson, a native of nearby Rochester, had 15 points and two steals at Buffalo after missing most of the Ohio game with a sprained ankle. He has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 13 games.
RYAN STEPS UP
In Jackson's absence, sophomore Cory Ryan knocked down a MAC career-best 14 points at Ohio.
KLASSEN'S IMPACT
Junior Brent Klassen had four points, six rebounds and one block in 31 minutes of action at Ohio. He followed up that against Buffalo with eight points and seven boards.
