Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Visits Kent State
February 11, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2005
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Bowling Green (13-7, 7-5) at Kent State (16-7, 8-4)
Saturday, February 12
2 p.m. (Fox Sports Ohio)
MAC Center (6,327)
Series Record: BGSU leads 75-61
Last Meeting: KSU 79, BGSU 66 (3/11/04)
The Title Chase
BGSU enters Saturday's game at Kent State as one of four teams with five losses at the top of the MAC West Standings with three weeks left in the season. Western Michigan (8-5) is joined by BGSU, Ball State and Toledo who have 7-5 league marks.
The last two games at the MAC Center have been very interesting for the Falcons. In 2003, BGSU rallied from a 24-point deficit in the second half to post a 78-74 win snapping the Golden Flashes MAC record 17-game league winning streak. Last year, BGSU jumped out to a 15-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game, but KSU rallied to post an 80-72 victory in front of a nationally televised audience.
The Falcons are in their eighth season under head coach Dan Dakich. Dakich is second all-time at BGSU in winning percentage (.571) and fifth all-time in wins with a 129-97 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 78-60 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 or more at his institution and his 78 league wins rank 12th all-time in MAC history.
The Falcons lead the MAC and are ranked ninth in the country shooting 49.6% from the field this season. BGSU also ranks sixth in the nation and leads the league in assists at 17.5 per game. BGSU also is sixth nationally and leads the league in free throw shooting at 76.7%. The Falcons are second in the league in blocked shots at 4.0 per game. The Falcons have taken a league-low 344 free throw attempts (17.2 per game).
Senior Josh Almanson is third in the MAC averaging 17.2 points on a league-best 61.5% (ninth in the nation) shooting effort from the field. He also is seventh in the league in blocked shots (1.0). He had 16 points and made all seven of his field goal attempts against Ohio. He is the ninth most improved player in the country in scoring average adding 9.1 points per game to his total from a year ago. He has scored 980 points in his career and is looking to be the 34th player in BGSU history to score 1,000 points or more in a career.
Senior John Reimold is fifth in the MAC averaging 17.0 points and ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (54.3%) and in three-point field goal percentage (48.7%). He had 16 points against Ohio. His three-point field goal percentage was sixth nationally last week. He has scored 1,584 points as a collegian (1,182 at BGSU and 402 at Loyola-Maryland as a freshman).
Junior Steven Wright, coming off a career-high 23-point night at Toledo, is averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in the last three games. He had a season-high 15 points last year at Kent State.
Is This A Record Year For The MAC?
As of right now, nine teams in the MAC have winning overall records. If this were to remain, it would mark the first time in league history that this feat would be accomplished. During the 1995-96, 1998-99, 1999-00 and 2000-2001 seasons eight MAC teams all finished with overall records above .500.
Miami 15-5 .750 Kent State 16-7 .696 Buffalo 14-7 .667 Western Michigan 15-8 .652 Bowling Green 13-7 .650 Akron 13-7 .650 Ball State 12-8 .600 Ohio 12-8 .600 Toledo 11-10 .524
