Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Howard Pulley
Falcons Top Howard Pulley, 89-81
November 05, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 5, 2003
Bowling Green, Ohio - It took one exhibition game to show one difference that a year makes to the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team. Ten players saw at least 10 minutes of action as a much deeper Falcon squad shot 51.9% from the floor and outrebounded its opponent, 39-28, in an 89-81 victory over the Howard Pulley (Minn.) All-Stars, at Anderson Arena. Last year, BGSU advanced to the MAC Tournament quarterfinals with six scholarship athletes, two football players and a walk-on. It was the lone exhibition game for the Falcons who open the season November 21 at home against Urbana.
Sophomore Ron Lewis led four BGSU players in double figures with 20 points as BGSU cruised to a 44-31 halftime lead and led by as many as 20 (82-62) with 5:09 left in the game before seventh-year head coach Dan Dakich rolled out a lineup that included first-time Falcons Steven Wright, Issac Rosefelt, Matt Lefeld, Austin Montgomery, and Chris Hobson for the majority of the final minutes.
Lewis led all Falcon returnees with 24 minutes played and made 10 of 11 free throws and added five boards, three assists and two steals. Senior Kevin Netter had 14 points in 17 minutes and junior John Reimold added 14 points and knocked down four of five three-pointers.
Wright played 25 minutes and had 11 points, three assists and a team-high three steals. Montgomery, who played a team-high 28 minutes after earning a starting assignment, had nine points, four boards and two steals. Junior Cory Eyink also had nine points, five rebounds and two assists. Junior Josh Almanson, who missed the majority of last year with an ankle injury, had seven points and led the Falcons with six rebounds and two blocked shots.
The Falcons only trailed after Howard Pulley made the opening basket. In the second half, BGSU shot 68.4% from the floor, but held just a 68-60 lead with 8:41 remaining in the game. Eyink then hit a three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run run as BGSU then added another 6-2 run, keyed by back-to-back baskets by Montgomery to build its largest lead at 82-62.
