Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Northern Illinois
January 07, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2005
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Northern Illinois (5-6, 1-2) at Bowling Green (8-2, 2-0)
Sunday, January 9 - 2 p.m.
Anderson Arena (4,700)
Series Record: Tied 22-22.
Last Meeting: BGSU 69, at N. Illinois 52 (2/18/04)
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 (.574) and fifth all-time in wins with a 124-92 record.
Since NIU returned to the MAC in the 1995-96 season, BGSU has won nine of 11 meetings. The Falcons won both meetings last year, 76-69 at home and 69-52 at NIU.
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.
Since the 1998-99 season, BGSU is 71-15 at Anderson Arena (.826).
The Falcons lead the MAC and are ranked fourth in the country shooting 51.7 % from the field this season. The Falcons rank among the top four teams in the league in 12 major statistical categories (see page 5).
In the last three home games, BGSU is shooting 65.4% from the floor connecting on 106 of 162 field goals against Bluffton, IPFW and Buffalo at Anderson Arena. The Falcons have shot over 50% on the road twice this season (at Detroit and Youngstown State).
BGSU is rated #82 in the latest RPI. BGSU is ranked #85 in the country in the Jeff Sagarin Basketball Ratings. The MAC is the 11th highest rated conference in the country according to Sagarin.
BGSU is 23-1 since the 2000-01 season when holding an opponent to 59 points or less. BGSU is 28-3 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.
Senior Josh Almanson leads the MAC averaging 18.9 points on 62.7% (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 10.9 points per game to his scoring average this season compared to last year.
Senior John Reimold is seventh in the MAC averaging 16.0 points, and ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (57.6%) and first in three-point field goal percentage (49.1%). He has scored 1,405 points as a collegian (1,003 at BGSU and 402 at Loyola-Maryland as a freshman).
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 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 last two 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.
Northern Illinois, 5-6 and 1-2 in the MAC, have a 4-3 record away from home and will play for the sixth time in seven games away from DeKalb. They are coming off a 64-59 loss at Miami and also fell 72-69 at home against Western Michigan last week.
BGSU and NIU shared two non-conference opponents this season. The Falcons lost at DePaul and defeated Bradley at home, while the Huskies won at DePaul and lost at home to Bradley. Five of their 11 games have been decided by six points or less (1-4), including each of their last three games.
NIU has one of the most balanced attacks in the league with eight players averaging six points or more. Sophomore guard Mike McKinney is the lone Huskie who scores in double figures (11.5).
