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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
BALL STATE
Falcons Top Ball State, 67-57
January 31, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
Bowling Green, Ohio - Senior Martin Samarco and sophomores Brian Moten and Nate Miller combined for 52 points and BGSU committed just nine turnovers as it defeated Ball State, 67-57, Wednesday night in Anderson Arena. BGSU improved to 11-10 and 2-6 in the MAC, while Ball State fell to 7-14 and 3-5 in the league.
BGSU showed tremendous improvement in taking care of the ball. In their 71-68 loss at Central Michigan on Saturday, they turned the ball over a season-high 24 times. Tonight, they had just nine turnovers, their second lowest total of the season.
"The game tonight for us was decided by lack of turnovers," said BGSU Coach Dan Dakich. "The guys who handled the ball for us did a great job of being careful with the ball and doing what they were capable of."
BGSU scored the first five points of the game and trailed just twice early in the first half, 6-5 and 8-7. The Falcons built a 16-10 lead on a three-pointer by Samarco, who finished with a team-high 21 points.
Ball State would tie the game at 21-21 on a three-pointer by Steve Horton with 7:18 to go, but Moten, whose 16 points was a career-high against MAC competition, started a 15-4 run with a three-pointer and a jumper to give the Falcons a 26-21 lead with 5:55 to go in the half.
Four Moten free throws at 1:37 and 1:11 allowed BGSU to build a 34-25 advantage and then his layup with 28 seconds to go on a fast break pass from junior Ryne Hamblet allowed the Falcons to go into the intermission with a 36-25 lead at the half. BGSU's defense also was solid holding the Cardinals scoreless for the final 3:25 of the half.
"We have a lot of guys who want to lead and win, and they told me that I need to focus on doing all the little things," said Moten. "I needed to do what I was recruited to do here and that is, put the ball in the basket. Samarco and Miller really pushed me this week, and I think that really paid off."
In the second half, Ball State would attempt to make a run, but each time BGSU was able to hold and maintain a multiple possession lead.
The Cardinals had cut the lead to 44-39 when sophomore Brain Guerin found senior Matt Lefeld inside for a layup. The Falcons would extend the lead to double digits when Samarco hit a layup and was fouled with 7:43 to go to make it 52-42.
BGSU led by as many as 12 when sophomore Erik Marschall hit two free throws to make it 55-43 with 5:55 remaining. The Cardinals cut it to 56-50 with 3:50 left but Miller, who scored 15 points and had nine rebounds, hit two charity tosses and Marschall added a layup to make it 60-50 with 2:42 remaining.
Ball State again got within six points on a jumper by Horton, but two free throws by Hamblet, who also had eight assists, gave BGSU a cushion and two more free throws by Samarco with 29 seconds to go and a conventional three-point play by Moten with 14 ticks on the clock iced the game for the Falcons.
BGSU will visit MAC West leader Toledo on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
