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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Ball State
February 26, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2004
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Ball State (11-13, 8-7) at Bowling Green (13-13, 8-7) 1 p.m., Saturday, February 28, Anderson Arena (4,700) Series Record: BGSU leads 34-30. Last Meeting: at BSU 76, BGSU 63 (1/7/04) Local Radio: WPFX-FM 107.7, WCWA-AM 1230
FALCONS ARE IN A FOUR-GAME HOMESTAND
Saturday's game with Ball State will be the third game of a four-game homestand. The Falcons are tied for their longest win streak of the season at three games and are coming off a 79-76 overtime win over Toledo. The Falcons will look to avenge early season losses to Ball State (76-63) and Western Michigan (88-73) to conclude the homestand. The Falcons end the MAC regular season at Eastern Michigan, March 6. If the MAC Tournament were to begin today, BGSU would be in a three-way tie for the fifth seed with Buffalo and Ball State.
THE SERIES WITH THE CARDINALS
BGSU holds a 34-30 lead in a series which began during the 1965-66 season. Ball State defeated BGSU, 76-63 earlier this year, but the Falcons won last year's meeting in Anderson Arena, 61-57. Since the 2002 MAC Tournament, BGSU has won three of the five meetings. Ball State is coming off a 79-78 road win at Marshall.
ALMANSON COMES UP BIG AGAIN
Another reason for the recent Falcon surge is the play off the bench of junior Josh Almanson. His offensive rebound and conventional three-point play with nine seconds left against Toledo rallied the Falcons to victory. In the last three games, he has averaged 13.3 points, six rebounds and is shooting 71.4% from the field and has made all four of his three-point field goal attempts. In addition, he has made 16 of 18 free throw attempts and has five blocked shots.
BETTER DEFENSE HELPS FALCONS WIN FOUR OF FIVE
In the last five games (which has led to four BGSU wins), the Falcon defense has been at its best this season. In those games, opponents are shooting 39.5 percent from the field (115/291) and 31.2 percent from three-point range (29/93). Against Northern Illinois, the Falcons held the Huskies scoreless for the final 9:20 of the first half and limited them to one for 17 shooting from two point range in the first 20 minutes of the game. BGSU also held Toledo scoreless over the final 1:37 to rally from a four-point deficit. Over the last three years, BGSU is 13-3 when it has had to play defense with a one or two-point lead in the final 20 seconds of a game.
EYINK AND WRIGHT ARE CONTRIBUTING MORE
Since both junior Cory Eyink and sophomore Steven Wright returned to the starting lineup against Ohio, the Falcon fortunes have moved upward. In the last five games, Eyink is averaging 11.2 points and is shooting 46.2 percent from three point range (12/26). Wright is averaging 8.5 points, six rebounds and five assists in that same span and is shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 55.6 percent (5/9) from three-point range.
