Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Northern Illinois
January 07, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2002
The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team, 11-1 and 1-0, will play its MAC home opener Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against Northern Illinois University, 4-7 and 1-2, The Falcons have won 10 games in a row, while the Huskies have won three of its last four.
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N. Illinois (4-7, 1-2) at BGSU (11-1, 1-0) 7 p.m., Tuesday, January 8, Anderson Arena (4,700) Series Record: NIU leads 21-18 Last Meeting: BGSU 78, at NIU 67 Radio: WBVI-FM (96.7) Internet: bgsufalcons.comFALCONS OFF TO BEST START UNDER DAN DAKICH
With its 82-81 win at Central Michigan, the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team continued its best start in the five-year tenure of BGSU Coach Dan Dakich with an 11-1 record. BGSU has their longest winning streak (10) since the Falcons won 10 in a row from January 12 to February 9 in 1980. The best start to a season at BGSU was set by the 1943-44 squad which began the year 19-1.
THIS YEAR'S FALCON SQUAD IN RARE COMPANY
The 2001-2002 edition of the the BGSU men's basketball team has given the program its 12th winning streak of 10 games or better. The streak is the longest for BGSU since the 1979-80 season. A victory over NIU would give the Falcons its longest winning streak in 38 years (1962-63).
FALCONS ARE RATED FIRST IN MID-MAJOR POLL
BGSU is currently rated first in the collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
1. Bowling Green (11-1) 2. Gonzaga (12-2) 3. Butler (13-1) 4. Southern Illinois (12-2) 5. Western Kentucky (12-3)
HUSKIES VISIT ANDERSON ARENA
Northern Illinois and first-year coach Rob Judson will visit Anderson Arena, marking the Huskies first visit to BGSU in two years. The Huskies lead the all-time series, 21-18, but BGSU has won the last four meetings and five of the last six. The Falcons rallied from a four-point deficit at halftime last season to post a 78-67 in the 2001 MAC opener. Last year, Central Michigan defeated the Falcons, 92-85, BGSU's conference home opener.
FALCONS ARE 34th (RPI), 40th (COACHES), 42nd (AP)
The Falcons are the34th-highest rated team in the most recent NCAA I ratings percentage index (RPI), the highest ranking for any MAC program. For the sixth time this season, BGSU received votes in the ESPN Coaches Poll. The nine votes for the Falcons ranks them 40th this week. BGSU also received seven votes in the AP poll, a first this season, and are 42nd.
FALCONS UNDER DAN DAKICH
Coach Dakich is 76-49 and is second in BGSU men's basketball history in winning percentage (60.8) and fifth in victories. In addition, he has seen seven of nine seniors earn their degrees and had five players sign professional contracts.
Dakich has the highest conference winning percentage (60.3) among active MAC coaches and has guided the Falcons to three straight winning seasons in the league averaging 18 wins during the last three years. The Falcons have posted back-to-back winning seasons in the conference on the road for the first time since 1962 and 1963. Since February 1999, BGSU is 55-25 (68.8). BGSU won the 2000 MAC regular season title and was invited to the NIT that same year.
EARLY SEASON ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The win against Central Michigan marked the seventh time this season that BGSU has trailed in the second half and won. Last year, BGSU was 3-14 when they faced a deficit in the final 20 minutes.
Against CMU, it marked the fourth time BGSU had rallied from a deficit in the final two minutes (Michigan, Ole Miss, UNCW, CMU). The Falcons also have won twice when down in the final 15 seconds of a game (Ole Miss, UNCW).
SIx times this season, BGSU has made a defensive stop when an opponent had an opportunity to tie or win the game at the buzzer (Ole Miss, Delaware, Marist, UNCW, Duquesne and CMU).
The 55 points allowed against Indiana State was the best defensive effort for BGSU this season. It also marked the fourth time a BGSU opponent has been held to 60 points or less (ISU-55, Detroit-60, Marist-58, Michigan-59). Last year, BGSU never achieved that feat.
Against UNCW, the Falcons won their third straight overtime game dating back to last season (at Miami, vs. Ole Miss, vs. UNCW). It was the first overtime home game in Dakich's tenure and was the Falcons first overtime game in Anderson Arena since January 18, 1994 when they defeated Eastern Michigan, 90-88. The Falcons have won their last seven home overtime games and have not lost a home overtime game since December 12, 1985, when they fell to Defiance, 66-64.
BGSU defeated three teams at home who beat them last year on the road in non-conference play. (Michigan, Marist, UNCW) BGSU has defeated four teams which were in the post-season in 2001. (Ole Miss-Sweet 16, UNCW-NIT, Detroit-NIT, Indiana State-NCAA, 2nd Round) The Falcons also have defeated three defending conference champions (Ole Miss, Indiana State, Central Michigan.) Against Duquesne, the Falcons won their road opener for the second time in three years. They won at Hawaii, 53-49, in 1999-2000.
The Falcons finished with a 6-0 record in December giving them their first unbeaten calendar month since February of 1963 (8-0).
DEFENSE KEYS IMPROVEMENT IN NON-LEAGUE SKED
The Falcons ended the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 10-1 record making them the first MAC team to reach double-digit wins this season. Last year, BGSU was 4-5 entering MAC play and were allowing opponents 82.3 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting. This year, BGSU allowed just 69.9 points on 43.4 percent shooting. The Falcons also finished 3-0 on the road in non-league games after going 0-4 a year ago. BGSU held ISU to one field goal over the final nine minutes of the first half. The Falcons held Detroit to one field goal from the 13:53 mark in the second half to the 1:52 mark, a span of 12:01. With BGSU ahead 51-50 with 13:14 remaining at Evansville, the Falcon defense held the Purple Aces to one field goal for the next 11:39 and outscored Evansville, 29-14.
