Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Kent State Snaps Falcon Win Streak
February 20, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The BGSU men's basketball team came up just short in a 70-64 defeat to Kent State on Tuesday. The loss snapped BG's winning streak at six games. During the game, Falcon junior Keith McLeod scored 18 points and finished the game with 1,012 points for his career. In doing so, he became the 31st BG men's basketball player to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau.
Bowling Green and Kent State were tied at 64 before KSU's Rashaun Warren made a basket to give Kent the lead at 66-64 with 23 seconds remaining. Brent Klassen had a chance to tie the game with under ten seconds remaining, but his shot was blocked and Kent State clinched the game with four free throws.
Other Falcon double-digit scorers included Len Matela, who had 13 points and added nine rebounds. Sophomore Cory Ryan was the only other Falcon in double figures with 11. Leading the way for the Golden Flashes was Andrew Mitchell, who finished with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
"We knew we couldn't let them get away," said KSU coach Gary Waters. "Even when they were up by 13 (in the first half), we knew we had to get it under double digits and keep it close.
"This is a hostile place to play. I've got to give BG credit. I'm just happy we got the win, because we never win here.
"This (BG) is a better defensive team (than the first time the teams met), they are going inside stronger, and they play better here. This is a team you're gonna have to contend with in the MAC Tournament." The loss drops BG to 12-11 overall and 8-6 in the MAC. With the win, Kent State improves to 19-7 overall with a 12-3 MAC record.
"I give a lot of credit to Kent," said Falcon coach Dan Dakich. "Kent did a great job. They hung in, down 13 in the first half. (Andrew) Mitchell was tremendous, and we didn't execute when we needed to down the stretch.
"Kent did a heckuva job. This is a tough place to come in and win, and they did it. They did a good job, defensively, of taking away what we wanted to do."
The Falcons return to action with a Saturday (Feb. 24) game vs. Akron. That contest will begin at noon at Anderson Arena.
