Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Travel To Western Michigan
January 20, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2003
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Bowling Green (9-5, 5-1) at W. Michigan (10-4, 2-3 MAC) 7 p.m., Wednesday, January 22 University Arena (5,649) Series Record: BGSU leads 65-32 Last Meeting: BGSU 78, at WMU 66 (1/30/02) Radio: WBVI-FM (96.7)/WLQR-AM (1470) Internet: bgsufalcons.com
FALCONS FACE THE BRONCOS
The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team leads the MAC West Division with a 5-1 record, but will face a strong Western Michigan squad which is one of three MAC teams to have already won 10 games. The Broncos have won two straight MAC games after dropping their first three this season and will be the second of four straight opponents to have a week off before playing BGSU.
THE SERIES
BGSU holds a 65-32 lead in a series which began in the 1945-46 season. The Falcons have won the last three meetings, including a 78-66 victory in Kalamazoo last season, its first win in three games at University Arena under Dan Dakich. Three of the six meetings during Dakich's tenure have been decided by six points or less.
DEFENSE AND THREE-POINTERS LEAD BGSU BY ZIPS
BGSU held Akron 33 points below its MAC scoring average of 99 points entering the game and connected on six three-pointers in the second half to post a 74-60 victory over Akron at home. The Falcons trailed 18-9 with 7:51 left in the first half before going on a 16-6 run to lead 25-24 at halftime. Senior Cory Ryan knocked down a season-high five three pointers and scored a MAC career-high 17 points. Sophomore John Reimold led the way for BGSU with 21 points. In three home MAC games this season, BGSU is allowing 58.6 points on 37.7 % shooting from the floor and 18% from long distance. In three MAC home games this season, Reimold (9/18) and Ryan (7/15) have combined to hit 48.5% of their three-point field goal attempts.
DEFENSE FUELS FALCONS
The Falcons are second in the MAC in steals (8.6) and rank third in the conference in scoring defense (65.9), third in field goal percentage defense (42.6), first in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.5), and fourth in turnover margin (+0.8). Since the 2000-2001 season, BGSU is 17-0 when it holds opponents to 60 points or less and 34-3 over the course of Dakich's six-year tenure.
MAKING A STOP
When BGSU made a defensive stop in the final 12.9 seconds to win the game at Kent State, it marked the eighth time in 10 games over the last two seasons that BGSU has won a game on defense when leading by one or two points in the final 30 seconds of a game.
GOOD SHOOTING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The Falcons shot 51.1% from the field against the Zips and improved to 4-0 when they have shot better than 50 percent from the floor. Ironically, all four of those games have come against MAC opponents (Buffalo, Northern Illinois, Kent State and Akron). In the last six games, BGSU has shot 77.9 from the free throw line (131/168).
