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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Akron
February 22, 2001 | Men's Basketball
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Feb. 22, 2001
AKRON (11-13, 8-7) at BGSU (12-11, 8-6) Noon, Saturday, February 24 Anderson Arena (5,000) Series Record: BGSU leads 18-9 Last Meeting: at Akron 83, BGSU 80 (1/17/01) Radio: WBVI (96.7) On the Web: www.bgsufalcons.com TV: ESPN Plus (WTVG-13 in Toledo)
NO TIME FOR PRACTICE
The Falcons will begin a stretch that will see them play their final four regular season games in a span of seven days. BGSU will host Akron, Toledo, and Miami and visit Marshall as it fights for seeding in the MAC Tournament which begins March 5.
FALCONS IN FEBRUARY
Since 1999, the Falcons have posted an 19-4 record in the month of February.
DEFENSIVE TURNAROUND
After allowing an average of 81 points per game the first 14 games of the season, the Falcons have held the opposition to 70 points or less in seven straight games. The Falcons have allowed just 61.1 points per game in that span and have lowered their overall defensive average to 74.1 points per game. BGSU also is holding opponents to 41.3 percent from the field and 24.6 from three-point country since January 31.
MCLEOD TOPS 1,000
Junior Keith McLeod is making a bid for first-team All-MAC honors. He is the second leading scorer in conference games (19.0) and became the 31st player in BGSU history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark against Kent State. He is 30th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,012 points.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 28th meeting in a series which began during the 1947-48 season. The Falcons have an 18-9 edge and have won 13 of the last 17 meetings since 1993. Last year, BGSU defeated Akron, 88-77, in Anderson Arena. Akron captured the first meeting, this season,83-80, on January 17, on the Zips home floor.
IN THE LAST SEVEN GAMES
The Falcons have won six of seven, including four straight on the road.
BGSU has made 77.4 percent (123/159) of its free throw attempts.
BGSU has hit 41.5 (34/82) of its three-point attempts.
The Falcons are outrebounding their opponents 33.7 to 30.1.
Junior Keith McLeod is averaging 20.6 points and has hit 61 of 72 free throws.
Junior Len Matela is averaging 17 points and 8.4 rebounds. He also has made 33 of 40 free throws.
Sophomore Cory Ryan has been the Falcons third leading scorer averaging 8.4 points.
Junior Brandon Pardon has dished 54 assists and committed just 27 turnovers.
Pardon and Ryan have combined to hit 20 of 42 three-point field goal attempts (47.6).
Junior Brent Klassen is averaging seven points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and hitting on 51.3 percent of his field goal attempts.
McLeod and senior Trent Jackson have combined to average 4.6 steals per game.
DYNAMIC DUOS
Highest scoring teammates in MAC play
McLeod (19.0)/Matela (15.4), BGSU 34.4 Webber (20.3)/Pleiness (13.0), CMU 33.3 Slay (17.1)/VanHoose (15.7), Mar. 32.8 Powell (18.1)/Reynolds (14.1), WMU 32.2 Huffman (16.9)/Massey (13.3), KSU 30.2 Rodgers (16.4)/Brown (13.1), NIU 29.5
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 (13th), free throw percentage (5th), assists (12th) and steals (1st).
McLeod, an 80.7 percent marksman from the free throw line, has made more free throws (109) than any other MAC player has attempted in MAC action. He has made 101 of 126 attempts (83.2) in 14 league games. 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 and 21 points at Eastern Michigan. 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.
I WANT TO BE A COWBOY
Junior Brent Klassen has started the last seven games and had a career-high 13 points against Marshall. He has had six steals and five blocks in the last two games. "Cowboy" has averaged 30.7 minutes of playing time in the last seven games.
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 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 (58.1). He leads active Falcon players in career starts with 56.
Junior Keith McLeod is second on the BGSU all-time list in career three-point field goal percentage (40.7). 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 (51.3).
BGSU WINNING MAC ROAD RECORDS
With the win at Eastern, the Falcons will have posted back-to-back winning seasons in the MAC. The Falcons were 5-4 a year ago and are currently 5-3 on the road this season. This marks 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 rank seventh in the country 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 10 times this season. He is averaging 36.9 minutes per game and has played every minute of a game four times this season.
THE HOUSE THAT ROARS
Since the 1998-99 season, the Falcons are 31-5 at home overall, 20-4 against the MAC, and 11-2 against East Division rivals.
MORE THAN 4,000
Tuesday night's game against Kent State brought out a season-high 4,057 fans to Anderson Arena. Last year, BGSU drew 4,000 fans or more at home against Toledo, Miami, Akron, Kent State and Eastern Michigan.
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 won four straight MAC games by 10 points or more for the first time since 1964.
With the exception of the first Kent State game, BGSU has led late in the second half in each of its MAC losses.
BGSU leads the MAC in scoring (77.9), free throw percentage (76.4), steals (7.95), and assists (15.6).
Since February of 1999, the Falcons have a 41-21 record (.661). In that time, BGSU is 14-7 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 nine occasions this year. The Falcons have a 21-3 record in the last two years when they make at least half of their field goal attempts.
During the last nine games, BGSU has held opponents under 70 points on eight occasions.
BGSU AND THE MAC
The Falcons are in their 47th season as a member of the MAC. BGSU has a 362-319 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.
KEITH MCLEOD, JR, 6-2, CANTON, OHIO/MCKINLEY
post-season honors candidate...ranks among conference leaders in scoring, field goal percentage, assists, steals and free throw percentage...moved past the 1,000 point mark in his career with 18 points against Kent State...his 11 free throws marked the third time this season he has made 10 or more free throws in a game...had 21-point effort against Eastern Michigan was his fourth straight 20-plus output....had 20 points, three steals, three assists and made 11 of 12 free throws against Marshall...has eclipsed the 20-point mark 10 times ...has accomplished that feat 18 times in his career...is averaging 19 points per game against the MAC, which is the second highest in the league...scored 20 points against Buffalo...had a MAC career-best 28 points at Ohio...made all 12 of his free throw attempts...had 22 points in the second half...made 11 of 12 free throws, including the game winner with 30 seconds remaining against Miami...had 15 points against the RedHawks... had 22 points and four steals against Western Michigan...had 16 points against Kent State ...had a team-high 15 points against Ball State...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
post-season honors candidate...tied his season-best with 25 points against Marshall...has 18 career double-doubles and seven this season...averaging 15.6 points and 9.0 rebounds in the MAC...had led the team in scoring 10 times and in rebounding 15 times...had 17 points against Buffalo...had 19 points and 15 rebounds at Ohio...named MAC East Division Player of the Week after his efforts against Western Michigan and Miami...had a team-best 19 points and seven rebounds at Miami ...played a career-high 45 minutes...made two free throws with eight seconds in regulation to force OT...had 15 points and 11 boards against Western Michigan...had 17 points and 14 boards against Kent State...led the Falcons with 19 points and eight rebounds against Akron...had a team-best 22 points and seven rebounds against Toledo...had a 23-point, 13 rebound performance against Buffalo...made all seven free throw attempts in that game...had 14 boards against Northern Illinois...had an 18-point, 13-rebound effort against Marist... had a 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 7.6 assists...has had 32 assists and 10 turnovers in the last four games...has had 10 assists or more five times this season...has played 848 of a possible 925 minutes...had a career-high seven rebounds against Eastern Michigan...has made 48 percent of his three-point attempts in the last eight games...had 17 points and11 assists at Akron...had 17 points in the second half against Buffalo...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 21 games.
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.
TRENT JACKSON, SR, 6-4, ROCHESTER, NY/FRANKLIN
has started all 23 games... a candidate for MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors...leads the team in dunks with 18 and is the conference leader in steals...had 15 points against Buffalo...had 13 points and four steals against Miami...had 16 points and five steals against Western Michigan...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 four steals...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.
CORY RYAN, SO, 6-5, FOUNTAIN CITY, INDIANA/NORTHEASTERN
has made 48 percent of his three-point attempts in the last seven games...had his sixth double scoring effort with 11 points against Kent State...had 10 points against Marshall...had a MAC career-high with 14 points at Ohio...has started five games...has made a three-pointer in 16 of 19 games...is the team's top three-point threat by percentage (42.0)...had 10 points against Ball State...made a career-high three free throws against Toledo...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 26 starts during his career, including 17 this season... had seven points, four rebounds and two assists, steals and blocks against Kent State...contributed eight points and a career-high four steals against Eastern Michigan...had a career-high 13 points against Marshall...had eight points, seven rebounds and two steals at Buffalo...had four points and six boards at Ohio...had seven points and seven rebounds against Western Michigan ...played a season-high 32 minutes and added two blocks...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.
JOSH ALMANSON, FR, 6-8, BOWLING GREEN, OHIO/BOWLING GREEN
a candidate for the All-MAC Freshman team...is averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds...hitting on 67.3 from the floor and 82.5 from the line...scored 10 points against Eastern Michigan...had 10 points against Kent State...had his top scoring night in the MAC with 13 against Akron...also had seven rebounds...has started three games...made all four of his field goal attempts against Toledo...had 11 points and five rebounds against Buffalo...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
another All-MAC freshman candidate...has started three games and is second on the team in blocked shots with 17...tied for second on the team with 15 dunks...has averaged six points in the last five games...had six points against Kent State...had four points against Eastern Michigan...had four points against Marshall...had four points, four rebounds and two blocks in his most extensive MAC duty at Ohio...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 .
