Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Czech Republic Select
BGSU Wins Exhibition Opener, 84-67
November 09, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Senior Cory Ryan had 27 points as the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team opened the exhibition season by beating the Czech Republic Select squad, 84-67, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 9) at Anderson Arena.
Sophomore Germain Fitch had a double-double, with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while freshman Ronald Lewis also had 11 points in the victory.
The Falcons opened up a 14-0 lead, with Ryan scoring 10 of those points, before the visitors finally got on the board after 4:26 had elapsed. The Czech Republic was 0-of-5 from the field with three turnovers on the team's first seven possessions of the game.
The Czech team closed the gap to 10 points on a three-point play by Jan Sitar with 6:29 left in the half, but a Ryan three-point field goal began a 10-0 BG run, and the Falcons upped the lead to 23 points (45-22) at the half.
The visitors got no closer than 13 points in the second stanza, as the Falcons led from wire to wire.
"From 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock I think we played well, and from 2 to 3 o'clock we didn't," said BGSU sixth-year head coach Dan Dakich. "I was pleased for 20 minutes. In the first half, I thought we got after them well, defensively."
BGSU shot .492 from the field and .526 from three-point land, making 10-of-19 long-range tries. Ryan was 9-of-13 from the floor, including a 7-for-10 performance from beyond the arc.
"Cory's shot the ball well," said Dakich. "His play is important and his leadership is important."
The Czech Republic Select squad was led by Sitar and Rah-Shun Roberts, with 14 points apiece. Roberts also led the team in rebounding, with eight, and assists, with four. Jan Wiedner had 10 points and four steals.
The Falcons had a 42-27 advantage on the boards, with Fitch getting four of his 10 rebounds at the offensive end. Fitch had three assists to tie Lewis and junior Jabari Mattox for the team lead in that department, and the sophomore had a BG-best three steals.
BGSU held the visitors to a .375 field-goal percentage for the first half and a .429 effort for the game.
"We came out strong, willing to play," said Ryan. "But, we didn't keep it going in the second half."
The Falcons have one more exhibition game scheduled, a 1:00 p.m. home contest vs. Shawnee State on Sunday, Nov. 17.
