Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Visits Eastern Michigan
February 16, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2001
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BGSU (11-10, 7-5) at E. Mich. (3-19, 1-12) 7 p.m., Saturday, February 17 Convocation Center (8,824) Series Record: BGSU leads 36-33 Last Meeting: at BGSU 86, EMU 75 (2/19/00) Radio: WBVI (96.7) On the Web: www.bgsufalcons.com
FALCONS READY FOR STRETCH RUN
The Falcons will put their five-game winning streak on the line against Eastern Michigan. 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 (18.9 ppg.) and needs 27 points to become the 31st player in Falcon history to score 1,000 points. For the first time in his career, McLeod has scored 20 poins or more in a game in three straight contests.
FALCONS IN FEBRUARY
Since 1999, the Falcons have posted an 18-3 record in the month of February.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 70th meeting in a series which began in 1915. The Falcons have won the last two and lead the overall series, 36-33. Last year, BGSU won at home, 86-75. In their last meeting in Ypsilanti, the Falcons won, 68-66 (12/5/98).
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 five-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. With a win, the Falcons would have won four straight MAC road games in a season for the first time since 1980.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
After allowing an average of 81 points per game the first 14 games of the season, the Falcons have allowed just 62 points per game in the last five outings (a 19 ppg. improvement).
FALCON STREAK FACTS
The Falcons are holding opponents to 62.6 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting from the field.
Falcon opponents have hit just 21 of their last 85 three-point field goal attempts (24.7).
BGSU has made 80.2 percent (93/116) of its free throw attempts.
The Falcons are outrebounding their opponents 33.8 to 31.0.
Junior Keith McLeod is averaging 21 points and has hit 46 of 51 free throws.
Junior Len Matela is averaging 19 points and 9.2 rebounds. He also has made 27 of 31 free throws.
Senior Trent Jackson is averaging 10.2 points
Junior Brandon Pardon has dished an average of 7.9 assists per game.
Pardon and sophomore Cory Ryan have combined to hit 15 of 34 three-point field goal attempts (44.1).
Junior Brent Klassen is averaging 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shot per game. He also is contributing 6.8 points.
Three of the team's lowest point totals allowed have come during this streak.
Three of the last five 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 possible All-MAC performers during this recent stretch of success for the Falcons.
McLeod is the second leading scorer during the conference season. He ranks among conference games only leaders in scoring, field goal percentage (15th), free throw percentage (3rd), assists (11th) and steals (2nd).
McLeod, an 82.1 percent marksman from the free throw line, has made more free throws (94) than any other MAC player has attempted in MAC action. He has made 94 of 110 attempts (85.5) in 12 league games and has made 27 of his last 29 attempts. He has scored 20 points or more in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. His 28 points at Ohio was the best scoring effort for a Falcon this season and his best-ever against a conference foe. He followed that up with a team-best 20-point effort against Buffalo and had 20 points against Marshall. A clutch player, he made three free throws in the final 30 seconds against Miami to give BGSU a road overtime win.
Matela tied his season best with 25 points against Marshall. He earned MAC East 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.
KLASSEN'S IMPACT
Junior Brent Klassen had a career-high 13 points against Marshall. He has shot 50 percent from the floor during the team's winning streak and is contributing 6.8 points per game in that span. He 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.
ACTIVE MAC COACHES
MAC games winning pct. (above .500)
Gary Waters, Kent St. .612 (52-33) Dan Dakich, BGSU .606 (40-26) Larry Hunter, Ohio .588 (120-84) Charlie Coles, Mi/CM .575 (99-73) Greg White, Marshall .544 (37-31) Stan Joplin, Toledo .529 (45-40)
WORKING OVERTIME
BGSU's recent overtime win at Miami was the Falcons' first OT victory since defeating Akron, 80-74, February 27, 1999 in the first round of the MAC Tournament.
The Falcons lost both of its overtime contests last season and had dropped two straight OT contests against Miami. Both of the battles with the RedHawks came in the last two MAC Tournaments.
Junior Len Matela played a career-high 45 minutes and junior Brandon Pardon also equaled his career-best with 45 minutes played.
The Falcons have not played in an overtime game at home since January 18, 1995 when it defeated Eastern Michigan, 90-88. Each of the last 10 overtime games since that time have occurred on the road or on a neutral court.
CAREER NOTES
Junior Len Matela is third on the BGSU all-time list in career field goal percentage (58.2). He leads active Falcon players in career starts with 52.
Junior Keith McLeod is second on the BGSU all-time list in career three-point field goal percentage (39.3). He has averaged 30.9 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 (52.3).
BGSU WINNING MAC ROAD RECORDS
With a win at Eastern or Marshall, the Falcons will have posted back-to-back winning seasons in the MAC. The Falcons were 5-4 a year ago and are currently 4-3 on the road this season. This would mark the first time since 1962 and 1963 that BGSU would have had a winning MAC road record in consecutive seasons.
FREE THROWS
The Falcons have the best free throw percentage in the MAC and ranks among national leaders entering this week. BGSU is 10-3 over the last two seasons when they shoot 80 percent or better from the line.
PARDON THIS
Junior point guard Brandon Pardon has had three turnovers or less in a game nine times this season. He is averaging 36.9 minutes per game and has played every minute of a game four times this season, including three of the last four games.
2000-2001 TEAM NOTES
The Falcons had a season-low seven turnovers against Marshall. The 10 free throw attempts taken by Marshall was the fewest a BGSU opponent has taken this season.
The Falcons will be looking to post its third six-game winning streak in the last six years. BGSU won its first six regular season games last year and its final six regular season games.
The Falcons have outrebounded their opponents in six of the last seven games.
The Falcons have won three-straight games by 10 points or more for the first time since defeating Toledo, Central Michigan and Buffalo in February of 1999.
With the exception of the Kent State game, BGSU has led late in the second half in each of its MAC losses.
Eight players have started at least one game this season.
BGSU leads the MAC in scoring (78.9), free throw percentage (77.0), steals (7.95), and assists (15.7).
Since February of 1999, the Falcons have a 40-20 record (.667). In that time, BGSU is 14-6 in games decided by 10 points or less.
One of the top shooting teams in the country last season (4th, 49.2%) BGSU eclipsed the 50 percent shooting mark, 15 times last season and has done so on eight occasions this year. The Falcons have a 20-3 record in the last two years when they make at least half of their field goal attempts.
During the last seven games, BGSU has held opponents under 69 points on six occasions.
BGSU AND THE MAC
The Falcons are in their 47th season as a member of the MAC. BGSU has a 361-318 record in the league and is third overall among conference schools with eight titles. The Falcons 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.
