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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels to Buffalo
February 08, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2001
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BGSU (9-10, 5-5) at Buffalo (2-17, 0-10) 4 p.m., Saturday, February 10 Alumni Arena (8,500) Series Record: BGSU leads 5-0 Last Meeting: at BGSU 90, Buffalo 75 (1/10/01) Radio: WBVI (96.7) TV: Empire Sports Network On the Web: www.bgsufalcons.com
FALCONS ON TV
Saturday's game with Buffalo will be televised on the Empire Sports Network. Fans across the country who have a DirecTV or Dish Network system can pick up the regional sports network based in upstate New York.
FALCONS IN FEBRUARY
Since 1999, the Falcons have posted a 17-3 record in the month of February.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the sixth meeting in a series which began in 1999. BGSU has won all five meetings, including two in Alumni Arena. BGSU won 96-90 last year at UB and 62-59 in 1999.
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 their first three-game winning streak of the season. 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 67 points per game in the last five outings (a 14 ppg improvement).
BULLS ARE DANGEROUS
Despite a 12-game losing streak, the Bulls have earned respect from their MAC peers. They have lost five games by a margin of six points or less and have lost two additional overtime contests.
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 79 of 93 attempts (84.9) in 10 league games and was 12-of-12 from the line against Ohio. His 28 points 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 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.
"Hey, what are you doing! The guys the best free throw shooter in the world."
Miami Coach Charlie Coles to a RedHawk player after fouling McLeod late in the Falcons overtime win.
Matela earned MAC Eastern Division Player of the Week after averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds last 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.
UNSUNG HEROES
Sophomore Cory Ryan had 14 points and knocked down three long distance bombs against Ohio.
Freshman Kevin Netter saw his most extensive action in the MAC with 18 minutes against Ohio. He had four points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Junior Brent Klassen had four points, six rebounds and one block in 31 minutes of action at Ohio.
With the Falcons in foul trouble, walk-on Kris Gerken contributed four minutes of playing time at Ohio.
MAC WINS SINCE 1999
Kent (East) 34 Bowling Green (East) 31 Marshall (East) 30 Miami (East) 30 Akron (East) 29 Ohio (East) 28 Toledo (West) 28 Ball State (West) 27 Central Michigan (West) 19 Western Michigan (West) 15 Eastern Michigan (West) 15 Northern Illinois (West) 12 Buffalo (East) 4ACTIVE MAC COACHES
Conference winning pct. (above .500) Gary Waters, Kent St. .602 (50-33) Dan Dakich, BGSU .594 (38-26) Larry Hunter, Ohio .581 (118-84) Charlie Coles, Miami/CMU .573 (98-73) Greg White, Marshall .561 (37-29) Stan Joplin, Toledo .530 (44-39)
KEITH MCLEOD, JR, 6-2, CANTON, OHIO/MCKINLEY
post-season honors candidate...ranks among conference leaders in scoring, assists, steals and free throw percentage...is averaging 18.7 points per game against the MAC, which is the third highest in the league...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...has gone to the line nearly nine times per game in the MAC ...has eclipsed the 20-point mark seven times ...has accomplished that feat 15 times in his career...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
had 19 points and 15 rebounds at Ohio...named MAC East Division Player of the Week after his efforts against Western Michigan and Miami...post-season honors candidate...has 18 career-double-doubles and seven this season...averaging 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds in the MAC...had led the team in scoring nine times and in rebounding 15 times...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...posted his 15th career double-double with a 23-point, 13 rebound performance against Buffalo...made all seven free throw attempts in that game...had 14 boards against Northern Illinois...had his 14th career double-double with 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 7.4 assists...has had 10 assists or more five times this season...has played 699 of a possible 765 minutes..has made 43.8 percent of his three-point attempts in the last five games....had 17 points and 11 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 19 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 19 games... a candidate for MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors...leads the team in dunks with 16 and is the conference leader in steals...has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 12 games...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...has started 40 career games.
CORY RYAN, SO, 6-5, FOUNTAIN CITY, INDIANA/NORTHEASTERN
had a MAC career-high with 14 points at Ohio...has averaged 11 points in the last two games...has started five games...has made a three-pointer in 15 of 18 games...is the team's top three-point threat by percentage (40.8)...had his third double figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points against Ball State...popped in his first two three-pointers in three games against Akron...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 22 starts during his career, including 13 this season... had four points and six boards at Ohio...is averaging one block per game in the MAC...averaged 5.5 boards last week...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...is a career a 73.3 % marksman from the line.
JOSH ALMANSON, FR, 6-8, BOWLING GREEN, OHIO/BOWLING GREEN
a candidate for the All-MAC Freshman team...is averaging 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds...hitting on 68.2 from the floor and 84.2 from the line...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...averaging 9.1 points in six MAC contests...made all four of his field goal attempts against Toledo...had 11 points and five rebounds against Buffalo..has a team-best 16 blocked shots...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
has started three games and is tied for the team lead in blocked shots with 16...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 ...had five blocked shots.
2000-2001 TEAM NOTES
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 (79.2), free throw percentage (76.7) and assists (15.7).
Since February of 1999, the Falcons have a 38-20 record (.654). 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 seven occasions this year. The Falcons have a 19-3 record in the last two years when they make at least half of their field goal attempts.
DEFENSE KEYS STREAK
During the last five games, BGSU has held opponents under 68 points on four occasions.
In the last five games, BGSU opponents are shooting 42.8 from the field and 30.3 from three point range after knocking down 47.3 and 39.4 percent of similar shots in the first 14 games of the season.
During the win streak, Falcon opponents are shooting 22.2 from three-point range (12 of 54).
The 37.1 percent shooting by Ohio was the Falcons best defensive effort of the season.
CONFERENCE LEADERS
Senior Trent Jackson leads the MAC in steals (2.4). He also ranks third in the league in field goal percentage. Against MAC opponents he is averaging 2.6 steals.
Junior Brandon Pardon is tops in the MAC in assists (7.4).
Junior Len Matela is second in the league in shooting (56.4).
Junior Keith McLeod is third in the league in scoring (18.7) during conference play.
REMEMBER THE 80'S
Matela is shooting 81.3 (87 of 107) from the charity stripe overall.
McLeod is making 84.9 (79 of 93) of his free throws in conference play.
Pardon is hitting 80.0 (28 of 35) of his free throw attempts in the MAC.
Freshman Josh Almanson has made 82.5 (33 of 39) of his overall free throw attempts.
Junior Brent Klassen has knocked home 90.0 (9 of 10) of his free throw attempts in the league.
WORKING OVERTIME
Last week's 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 51.
Junior Keith McLeod is second on the BGSU all-time list in career three-point field goal percentage (39.1). 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 (51.9).
