Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Heads to Green Bay
December 23, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2006
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Oneida Casino Holiday Classic (Green Bay, Wisconsin) December 27, 29, and 30 Bowling Green (7-3), Michigan Tech (7-4), Jacksonville State (3-7), UW-Green Bay (5-6) Resch Center (9,705) Series Record: First Meeting with MTU and JSU, UWGB leads 3-1 Radio: BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker) Internet Video: 12/30. 8:30 p.m. vs. UWGB (Horizonleague.org) Up Next: Buffalo at BGSU, January 7, 2 p.m.TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
12/27: BGSU vs. MTU, 6 p.m.; JSU vs. UWGB, 8:30 p.m. 12/29: BGSU vs. JSU, 6 p.m.; MTU vs. UWGB, 8:30 p.m. 12/30: MTU vs. JSU, 6 p.m.; BGSU vs. UWGB, 8:30 p.m. *All times are Eastern
QUICK HITS
The Falcons have won six of its last seven after winning at Marshall, 79-78, Friday night. BGSU has won its last three games at a Horizon League facility after beating Wright State, 59-56 last week. BGSU also won at Detroit and YSU in 2004. UW-Green Bay is 5-6 after losing at Michigan State, 76-64 on Saturday. They are 4-0 at home, including an 89-71 win over Central Michigan. Jacksonville State is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and is 2-6 in games decided by three points or less. Their last three losses (Samford, UT-Martin and at Murray State) all have been by one point. Michigan Tech, a Division II member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a last minute addition after another Division I school dropped out of the field. They are 7-4 under 13th year Coach Kevin Luke. This will be the Falcons first meeting against a GLIAC school since defeating Findlay in November of 2003.
BGSU VS. UWGB
1998-99 (L, 64-58 at UWGB); 1997-98 (W, 65-51, at BGSU); 1994-95 (L, 69-62, at UWGB); 1993-94 (L, 52-49, at BGSU)
SAMARCO IS THE MAC'S TOP SCORER, EIGHTH IN THE NATION IN SCORING
BGSU senior Martin Samarco was MAC East Player of the Week (12/18) and is the top scorer in the MAC and eighth in the country averaging 22.6 points per game. He has scored 20 points or more in six of the last seven games. He has shown marked improvement in other phases of the game besides scoring averaging 4.1 assists in the last five games. He also had a career-high five steals against Arkansas State. He had 24 points and six assists against Marshall, including 16 points in the first half. He had 22 points, 17 in the second half, against UNC. He had 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists at Wright State. He is the top returning scorer in the MAC after he finished second in the league averaging 18.9 points per game. He also is fourth all-time in three-point field goals made at BGSU with 127. He had a school record 100 last season.
IN THE MAC
The Falcons lead the league in steals averaging 9.1 per game, in field goal percentage defense (39.1) and in turnover margin (+3.3) and are second in assist/turnover ratio (1.1). BGSU is third in assists (16.6) and in three-point field goals made (7.6). Freshman Ryan Sims leads the MAC in three-point field goal percentage (52.6). Junior Ryne Hamblet leads the MAC in assists (5.1), is second in defensive rebounds (5.2), third in steals (2.1), eighth in blocks (.80) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.42). Senior Matt Lefeld is sixth in the league in free throw percentage (76.9) and Samarco is seventh (75.4.). Samarco also is third in three-point field goals made per game (2.7) and ninth in assist /turnover ratio (1.43).
DAKICH WINS 150TH, HAS SECOND BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE IN SCHOOL HISTORY
BGSU Coach Dan Dakich is in his 10th season with the Falcons and was the second fastest men's basketball coach in school history to win 100 games. He is 150-125 (54.6) overall (second-best in BGSU history) and is 86-76 (53.0) in the MAC. He ranks 12th all-time in MAC history in league wins and is 11th in overall victories by a coach. BGSU is 35-7 at home against non-conference foes under Coach Dakich. His four 18+win seasons are tied for second most by a Falcon coach as he notched those in his first eight seasons after BGSU had posted just four 18+win seasons in the previous 14 seasons prior to his arrival. Since the 2001 season, BGSU is 31-3 when allowing 60 points or less, including 3-0 this season. With the defensive stop at Marshall, BGSU is now 28-5 since the 2001-02 season when holding a one possession lead in the final minute of a game.
MILLER COMES UP BIG AGAINST MARSHALL
Sophomore Nate Miller had a huge game against Marshall when he finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three steals. He had 17 points in the second half and had seven during the decisive 16-0 run that was key in the Falcon victory. He made his Falcon debut against Northern Colorado earlier in the week. He had a point and three rebounds in 11 minutes of action. The Springfield South product joined the Falcons last January after playing his first semester of college at UNC-Wilmington. He averaged 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds for the Seahawks last year and averaged 20.2 points and 12.4 rebounds as a senior in high school.
