Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Host Ball State in Key League Matchup
January 06, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2003
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Ball State (5-6, 0-1) at Bowling Green (6-4, 2-0) 7 p.m., Tuesday, January 7 Anderson Arena (4,700) Series Record: BGSU leads 32-28 Last Meeting: BGSU 69, Ball State 57 (2002 MAC Tournament Semifinal) Radio: WBVI-FM (96.7)/WLQR-AM (1470) Internet: bgsufalcons.com
FALCONS LOOK TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK
Despite playing with just seven scholarship players for most of the last month, the BGSU Falcons have posted a four-game winning streak after a near-upset over the nation's #1 team, Alabama. Sophomore Germain Fitch, who will apply for a medical hardship, suffered a season-ending knee injury early in December and underwent knee surgery on Monday. Junior forward Josh Almanson, who suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle and has missed six games this year, returned to the lineup at NIU and contributed 11 points and made the game-saving defensive play at the end of the game.
THE FALCONS AND THE CARDINALS
BGSU holds a 32-28 lead in the series which began during the 1965-66 season. The Falcons snapped a six-game losing streak against the Cardinals with their 69-57 win over BSU in the 2002 MAC Tournament Semifinals. The two teams last played in Anderson Arena in 2001 with Ball State coming away with a 62-59 victory.
EYINK LAYUP GIVES BGSU FIRST MAC ROAD WIN OF THE SEASON
Sophomore Cory Eyink's layup with 6.5 seconds left off an inbounds pass from senior Cory Ryan gave BGSU a 64-63 win in their MAC road opener at Northern Illinois. It marked the second straight year that BGSU has won its MAC road opener by a single point (BGSU won at Central Michigan, 82-81, last season). For the Falcons, it marked the first time this season, but eighth time in the last two years, that BGSU made a defensive stop in the final seconds of the game to preserve a win. The Falcons are 8-2 over the last two years in games they have led by one or two points in the final 30 seconds.
DURING THE FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK
The Falcons are holding opponents to 41.7% shooting from the field and 30.5% accuracy from three-point range... the Falcons are shooting 39.7% from three-point range (25/63)... the Falcons are forcing an average of 20 turnovers per game...BGSU is averaging 11.3 steals... the Falcons shot a season-best 53.7% from the field (22/41) at Northern Illinois...BGSU shot a season-high 85.3% from the line (29/34) against Cleveland State... the Falcons had a season-best five blocked shots against Cleveland State...sophomore John Reimold leads the Falcons averaging 16.5 points... Reimold's 11 straight free throws made during the CSU game, matched the 2001-2002 top Falcon effort by Keith McLeod who also made all 11 shots against Evansville... senior Cory Ryan has 13 assists and 11 steals in four games.
