Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Travel To Eastern Michigan
January 11, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2005
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Bowling Green (9-2, 3-0) at Eastern Michigan (9-4, 3-1)
Wednesday, January 12 - 7 p.m.
Convocation Center (8,824) - Series Record: BGSU leads 42-35
Last Meeting: at Eastern Michigan 78, BGSU 75 OT (3/6/04)
The Opening Tip
The Falcons are in their eighth season under head coach Dan Dakich. Dakich is second all-time at BGSU in winning percentage (.576) and fifth all-time in wins with a 125-92 record. He and his family were honored by the Red Cross prior to the NIU game for raising $1,777 for victims of the recent tsunami disaster overseas.
With a 74-55 MAC record, he ranks 11th all-time in conference game winning percentage and is 11th in MAC history in overall winning percentage. He also is one of just 19 MAC coaches to ever win 125 games at his institution and his 74 league wins are the 15th most in the history of the conference.
Senior John Reimold was named MAC West Co-Player of the Week after averaging 21.5 points in victories against Marshall and Northern Illinois. It was the second time in his career that he was honored. He is sixth in the MAC averaging 16.5 points, and ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (58.7%) and first in three-point field goal percentage (51.6%). He has scored 1,426 points as a collegian (1,024 at BGSU and 402 at Loyola-Maryland as a freshman).
Senior Josh Almanson leads the MAC averaging 19.1 points on 61.9% (9th in the nation) shooting from the field. He has scored in double figures in every game this season after never scoring in double-digits in more than three straight games prior to this season. He has added 11.1 points per game to his scoring average this season compared to last year. He also is seventh in the league in blocked shots with 11. Twice this season, he has been named MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week. He holds a 3.14 GPA in integrated social studies.
The Falcons lead the MAC and are ranked fourth in the country shooting 51.7% from the field this season. BGSU also leads the league in free throw percentage (74.9%) and assists (18.6).
BGSU is rated #72 in the latest RPI. BGSU is ranked #81 in the country in the Jeff Sagarin Basketball Ratings. The MAC is the 11th highest rated conference in the country according to Sagarin.
Junior Steven Wright has more than doubled his scoring average from last season averaging 13.4 points per game, after contributing 6.5 ppg., last season.
Junior Mawel Soler had a season-high 10 points and seven rebounds against Northern Illinois.
Junior John Floyd is second in the league in assists averaging 5.5 assists per game.
Junior Germain Fitch scored the winning basket against Marshall with 50 seconds left. He has three key field goals in the final minutes of recent games when the game was tied or the Falcons had a one-point lead.
Senior Cory Eyink had a season-high 14 points at Marshall.
About The Eagles
Eastern Michigan is 6-0 at home this season and has four players averaging in double figures. Junior John Bowler is averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds and freshman Darryl Garrett is contributing 14.3 points per game. Senior Markus Austin and senior Michael Ross are contributing 12.1 points and 11.8 points respectively.
The Eagles have won the last two meetings in Ypsilanti. Last year, despite making all 25 free throws, BGSU fell, 78-75, in overtime.
Numbers Watch
BGSU is 3-0 in the MAC for the fifth time in eight seasons under Dan Dakich. BGSU is 23-1 since the 2000-01 season when holding an opponent to 59 points or less. BGSU is 29-3 when shooting over 50% in a game since the 2000-01 season. BGSU is 18-0 when scoring 90 points or more since the 1997-98 season. BGSU also is 15-1 over the last two-plus seasons when scoring 80 or more. Over the last three-plus years, BGSU is 15-3 when it has had to play defense with a one or two-point lead in the final minute of a game. BGSU outscored Marshall, 9-4, in the final minute to post a 59-54 road victory on Thursday. This year, BGSU is 8-0 when outrebounding its opponent, 6-0 when its opponent has committed more turnovers and 9-1 when leading at the half.
