Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Fairfield
Bowling Green Edged By Fairfield
December 28, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec 29, 2003
HONOLULU (AP) - Deng Gai scored 17 points to lead four players into double figures as Fairfield defeated Bowling Green 70-60 Sunday night in the first round of the Rainbow Classic. BGSU will play American, an 82-69 loser to Pepperdine, in a consolation semifinal, Monday at 6:30 p.m. EST.
"It was a hard fought game, a four-point game with three minutes to go," said BGSU Coach Dan Dakich. "Give them credit they made the shots to win the basketball game. They got the ball to their guys and they made free throws. They hit two big three's in the last four minutes to control the basketball game."
Rob Thomson scored 16 points for Fairfield (6-1), Terrence Todd had 13 and Tyquawn Goode added 12 off the bench and hit two clutch 3-pointers down the stretch to hold off the Falcons (3-6).
Goode knocked down a 3-pointer from the left baseline with 3:40 left to extend Fairfield's lead to 57-51. He hit another 3 with less than two minutes left to give the Stags a nine-point lead.
Josh Almanson scored 19 points off the bench for the Falcons and Ron Lewis added 16.
Almanson's basket to start the second half tied the game at 26 and the score was tied again two minutes later at 29. The Stags then scored the game's next five points to give them the cushion they needed to hold off Bowling Green.
"Our guys battled. We had good looks and couldn't make a shot, but we played hard and we have to come back tomorrow," added Dakich.
