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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Win Fifth Straight
January 07, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2003
Bowling Green, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team used a smothering defense and clutch free throw shooting to defeat Ball State, 61-57, in a key MAC West contest Tuesday night at Anderson Arena. The Falcons have won five straight games and are 7-4 on the season, but more importantly, 3-0 in the MAC.
BGSU used its best effort of the season on defense to hold the visitors to 23.8% shooting in the first half and 33.9% for the game. The Falcons led at half, 27-18.
"BGSU is the best team we have played all year that buys into what their coach is trying to teach them," said Ball State Coach Tim Buckley.
The Cardinals, who scored 104 points in their last game at Akron, used an 18-4 run over the first 10 minutes of the second half to post their biggest lead at 38-33 with 9:56 remaining. Senior Chris Williams, the MAC's leading scorer, scored 23 of his 26 points in the second half to ignite the visitors who were looking for their first road win of the season.
With the game tied at 45-45 with 5:02 remaining, John Reimold sank two free throws to give BGSU the lead for good. Reimold followed that with a back-breaking three-pointer with 3:56 left to give BGSU a 50-45 advantage. The Falcons would add a layup by Kevin Netter with 2:18 remaining and two free throws by freshman Ron Lewis with 1:16 to go to extend the lead to 54-45.
"I'm happy to win," said BGSU Coach Dan Dakich. "It was a hard fought game on both sides. We have a lot of pride with our basketball program. We just would not quit."
Netter led the Falcons with 17 points and Lewis added 14 as BGSU starts 3-0 in the MAC for the third time in four seasons. BGSU, which was outrebounded by 21 on Saturday at Northern Illinois, gained the edge on the boards 39-34. Six players had five or more rebounds for the Falcons.
Defensively, BGSU limited Ball State to just two for 18 from three-point range (11.1%), lowering BGSU's three-point field goal defense at 27.0% for the season.
"Jabari Mattox played as well defensively on one kid (holding Williams to three first half points) as I have ever seen," added Dakich.
BGSU improved to 16-0 since 2000 and 33-3 during Dakich's tenure when holding an opponent to 60 points or less. In two MAC home games, the Falcons are allowing just 58 points per game.
"They (BGSU) played hard defense," said Buckley. "BGSU always plays hard defense and did a great job of disrupting our offense all night."
