Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Eastern Michigan on Tuesday
February 05, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2006
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Eastern Michigan (5-14, 2-9) at Bowling Green (8-13, 4-7)
Tuesday, February 7, 7 p.m.
Anderson Arena (4,700)
Series Record: BG leads 42-35
Last Meeting: BGSU 79, at Eastern Michigan 72 (1/18/06)
Radio: BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker and Kirk Cowan)
FALCONS AND EAGLES MEET AGAIN
The BGSU men's basketball team will face an Eastern Michigan team that boasts a two-game winning streak after winning at Ball State, 56-43 on Saturday. The Falcons will be looking to snap a three-game skid after falling in double-OT at home against Ohio, 93-90. BGSU has had five MAC losses by a combined 13 points (NIU (1), BSU (1), UB (3), Akron (5 in OT) and Ohio (3 in 2OT).
AGAINST THE EAGLES
The Falcons won the first meeting 79-72 in Ypsilanti on January 18. Junior Martin Samarco scored a career-high 35 points and BGSU made a defensive stop in the final minute to preserve the win. BGSU has won the last nine meetings in Anderson Arena with EMU with the last Eagle triumph coming in a 65-54 win in 1993.
SOME IMPRESSIVE FALCON NUMBERS
In MAC games only, BGSU is second in the league in scoring (70.5 ppg.), and first in free throw percentage (75.3%) and three-point field goal percentage (40.6%). The Falcons also lead the league in three-pointers made with 95 in 11 games. Individually, Samarco, who leads the MAC in scoring at 19.6 points per game for the entire season, scored 14 points in 1:35 to bring BGSU back from a 69-56 deficit with 2:57 to go and force overtime at 70-70 against Ohio.
PLAYER NOTES
Samarco has averaged 23.4 points on 54.2% (32/59) shooting from three-point range in the last seven games and is averaging 20.6 points in MAC games... he also leads the league overall in three-point field goals made (3.60) and is second in free throw percentage (86.3%) and third in three-point field goal percentage (45.0%)... in league games only, he has made a MAC-best 93.9% (46 of 49) free throws... he has led the team in scoring 13 times this season and had a career-high 35 points against Eastern Michigan, 30 against Buffalo and 28 versus Ohio... he also had 27 in back-to-back games earlier this year against Bradley and Florida State and had 26 against Akron... senior Steven Wright suffered a broken foot in the preseason and missed the first six games of the season ... his play has been better off the bench where he has averaged 16.1 points in seven games off the bench as opposed to 8.7 points per game as a starter... he tied his career-high with 23 points and nine assists against Ohio... he also had three steals against the Bobcats... he had 21 points against Akron and made a career-best five three-pointers... he added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists against Eastern Michigan and 16 points, five rebounds and three assists against Ball State... he is shooting 53.3% from the field in his last five games off the bench... junior John Floyd averaged 21.5 points last week... he had 22 points and seven assists against Ohio after he had 21 points and set a career-high with three steals against Miami... he had 14 points, including 11 in the second half against Kent State... his three-pointer as the shot clock expired late in the game extended a Falcon lead from four to seven points... he had a career-high 23-point effort, making five of seven three-pointers against Western Michigan... he is 10th in the league in assists at 3.24 per game... junior guard Patrick Phillips is proving to be a spark plug off the bench... he had a career-high 10 points and six rebounds against Ohio as he played a career-high 19 minutes... he also provided a huge lift to the Falcons when he scored four second half points against Buffalo... he came off the bench again and had two points and two rebounds in six minutes against Akron... he had a career-high seven points against Notre Dame and added two rebounds and a steal in seven minutes of action... ... senior Mawel Soler posted career-high scoring efforts in three of his last eight games... he had his first career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Kent State and made a career-high 13 free throws in 13 attempts... Soler also had 19 points on eight of nine shooting from the field against Buffalo... has made a team-high 64.4% of his shots from the field and is averaging 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds... he is shooting 68.8% from the floor during his two seasons with the Falcons... he also is second on the team with 53 assists... his play has stepped up in the MAC and he is averaging 8.7 points against the league ... ... freshman Erik Marschall did not play at Miami due to a sprained left ankle... he had two points, four rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes against Ohio... he had six points and tied a season-high with eight rebounds against Akron... he played a season-high 36 minutes... he had five points and made both of his field goal attempts against Kent State... is among the top freshman in the MAC averaging 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds... he has scored in double figures six times this season and leads the team in blocked shots with 14... he had a career-high three steals against Buffalo... junior Matt Lefeld had eight points against Kent State... he is arguably the most improved player in the MAC... last year he scored just 14 points all season, but equaled that in his first game this year against Western Carolina... despite sore feet which limit his practice time, Lefeld is averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds and is shooting 50.0% from the floor in the last 14 games ... freshman Dusan Radivojevic had five points off the bench against Miami... he had eight points against Eastern Michigan making three of five shots, including two of four from long distance... he had a season-high nine points at Troy... he missed the first four games of the season due to a foot injury ... sophomore guard Perrick Robinson is one of the Falcons top defenders... Robinson leads the team with 23 steals and is third in assists with 40... he is the only Falcon to start the season opener in each of the last two seasons ... freshman Brian Moten joined the team against Florida State and played a season-high 21 minutes against Kent State where he had three points... he also had three points in 16 minutes against Akron and five in 17 minutes at Miami... he had four points at Ball State and had a season-high nine points against Central Michigan... freshman Darryl Clements saw his most extensive MAC action with nine minutes against Miami... he is averaging 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds... he had seven points against Oakland... freshman walk-on Brian Guerin returned to game action against Notre Dame after missing more than a month due to mono... sophomore walk-on Alvin Freeman is in his second year with BGSU and had three points against Urbana... he had his longest MAC playing stint when he logged four minutes at Miami.
TEAM TRENDS
The Falcons scored a season-high 90 points against Ohio (previous high was 85 against Urbana)... the Falcons also tied a season-high with 30 made field goals and attempted a season-high 61... BGSU also racked up a season-high 22 assists... In the last four games, BGSU has shot 45.2% from three-point range (42/93) and made 79 of 100 free throws (79.0%)... the Ohio game was the first double-overtime game for Bowling Green since playing at Detroit on November 29, 1995... it marked the first back-to-back overtime home games since BGSU defeated Kent State (83-81) on February 2, 1977 and lost to Ohio (69-68) on February 5 of that season... it was the first home double-overtime tilt since February 1, 1969 when the Falcons lost to Western Michigan, 88-87... when BGSU fell to Akron last week, the Falcons lost a home overtime game for the first time since December 12, 1985 against Defiance when it fell 66-64... BGSU has won on three of its last four trips at Kent State where the Flashes are 36-6 at home in MAC play since 2002... BGSU is 4-5 in road games this season... BGSU also has led in every MAC game this season... the Falcons improved to 36-7 since 2000-01 when making half of its shots or better in a game... against Buffalo and Kent State, BGSU shot 50.0% from the field in back-to-back games for the first time this season... the Falcons also shot 53.8% from three-point range at KSU, the third time this season they have made more than half of their long distance shots this season (NIU and Urbana)... Kent State was held to a 29.4% effort from three-point range, the eighth team this season to shoot below 30% from beyond the arc against the Falcons this year... BGSU is 82-23 at home since the 1998-99 season... BGSU improved to 9-0 in home openers under Dan Dakich... BGSU has played six one-point games in the last year and are 4-2 in those contests.. BGSU also is 7-2 in MAC openers under Dakich... BGSU is 28-3 since the 2001 season when holding an opponent under 60 points... the Falcons are 17-2 over the last three-plus seasons when scoring 80 points or more... against Virginia Tech, the Falcons won their road opener for the third time in Dakich's nine seasons (1999-00 at Hawaii; 2001-2002 at Duquesne)... BGSU is 23-4 when it has had to play defense with a one possession lead in the final minute since the 2001-02 season... four teams have shot below 30 percent from the field against BGSU including Urbana (25.5%), CMU (26.2%), Troy (27.8%) and Western Carolina (28.9%).
WRIGHT STATE ADDED TO SCHEDULE
When BGSU was not selected to play in the 2006 Bracket Buster, Wright State was added to fill the remaining game on the schedule which will be played in Bowling Green on February 18 at 3:30 p.m. BGSU will play at Wright State next season. BGSU holds a 5-3 lead in the series. The teams last met on December 10, 1997 with WSU taking home a 76-67 win in Anderson Arena.
BACK TO THE EAST DIVISION
After spending three years in the MAC West Division, BGSU will return to the MAC East following the loss of Marshall to Conference USA. BGSU was in the East Division from 1997-2002. The East Division has proven to be the dominant side this season as they have posted a 29-8 record against MAC West opposition. BGSU is 3-3 against the West this year.
SAMARCO LOOKING TO JOIN GOOD COMPANY
Junior Martin Samarco could become the fourth Falcon in 10 seasons to lead the MAC in scoring. He is averaging 19.6 points per game.
Falcons Who Have Led the MAC in Scoring
2004-05 John Reimold, 18.5
2001-02 Keith McLeod, 22.9
1996-97 Antonio Daniels, 23.5
1969-70 Jim Penix, 19.5
1966-67 Walt Piatkowski, 22.3
1964-65 Bob Dwors, 23.1
1963-64 Howard Komives, 36.7
1959-60 Jim Darrow, 29.4
1953-54 Al Bianchi, 25.0
