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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
AKRON
Akron Holds Off BGSU Down The Stretch, 93-87
February 25, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2007
Final Stats | Notes
Akron, Ohio - Despite making a MAC season-high 12 three pointers, the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team couldn't overcome a late surge by Akron as the Falcons fell 93-87 in their final road game of the 2006-07 season.
Senior Martin Samarco scored 25 points, junior Ryne Hamblet had 20 points and 10 assists and sophomore Nate Miller who added 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the Falcons who played the majority of the game without their third leading scorer, Erik Marschall, who played just three minutes before injuring his kneecap in the first half.
Despite the injury and despite facing one of the MAC East co-leaders on their Senior night, the Falcons went toe-to-toe with the Zips.
"The difference in the game to me was that they made no mistakes in the last four minutes of the game and we made mistakes," said BGSU coach Dan Dakich. "I thought our kids battled. It was a heck of a college basketball game."
The Zips used a 20-6 run at the start of the second half to build a 61-44 lead with 14:32 to go. Back-to-back layups by senior Matt Lefeld keyed a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 62-53 with 12:20 to go. Hamblet and Samarco would add back-to-back three's and BGSU had pulled to within 64-59 with 11:13 left in the game.
"I thought we tightened up our defense and we were able to get some baskets inside from Matt Lefeld and when we broke their press we were able to get a couple of three's," said Dakich about his team's comeback from a 17-point deficit in the second half. "We got it down to nine, and sometimes you feel like that's a lot. But tonight, I didn't feel that way for whatever reason. I thought we were able to score and whenever we do that I always like our chances."
The game fluctuated between a three and five-point lead for the Zips before Nate Miller made a layup to tie the game at 75-75 with 5:53 to go. After Akron's Romeo Travis made two of his 16 free throws made, sophomore Brian Moten would tie the game at 77-77 with 4:48 left.
Akron would take the lead for good on a long three-pointer by Dru Joyce with 4:19 to go. The Falcons would cut the lead to 81-80 on a triple by Moten with 3:02 left. After two consecutive unforced turnovers, Akron was able to build an 87-80 lead with 1:35 left capped by a three-pointer by Nick Dials. The Falcons cut the lead to 87-84 with 44 seconds to go on a pair of free throws by Samarco, but could get no closer.
The Falcons came out strong out of the gate hitting their first two three pointers, one by Samarco and one by freshman Ryan Sims. The Zips would lead 15-11 before BGSU came back as the game was tied seven times in the first half.
Hamblet, who knocked in a career-high six three pointers, gave BGSU a 29-26 lead with 5:40 to go in the half with a long range jumper. The Falcons held their biggest lead at 32-27 with 4:17 to go after Miller made a layup and one free throw on back to back possessions.
The Zips led 41-38 at halftime.
The Falcons will close out the regular season with home games against Kent State on Thursday and Miami on Sunday. BGSU will open play in the MAC Tournament on Wednesday, March 7 in Cleveland.
