Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO STATE
Buckeyes Pull Away From Falcons
November 24, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -The Bowling Green men's basketball team battled back from a 13-point second half deficit to take a lead over Ohio State late in Monday evening's non-conference game, but the Buckeyes scored eight consecutive points late and held off the upset-minded Falcons 61-57.
After falling behind 40-27 with just over 15 minutes to play, Bowling Green went on a 10-1 run, sparked by three-pointers from Erik Marschall and Brian Moten and a coast-to-coast fastbreak lay-up from Joe Jakubowski that got the Falcons within four points.
BGSU eventually tied the game at 46-46 on a pair of Darryl Clements free-throws with 6:48 to play and took a 48-46 lead after Nate Miller worked inside for a short jumper. Following an Evan Turner three-point play that gave Ohio State the lead again, Clements made two more free-throws with 5:20 to play to put Bowling Green on top 50-49. But that would be the Falcons' final lead of the contest.
Dallas Lauderdale had a three-point play and Jon Diebler added a three-pointer that started Ohio State's eight-point run. Bowling Green did battle back to within three, but Jakubowski missed a three-pointer to tie the game with 32 seconds left and Ohio State made free-throws down the stretch.
For Ohio State, the win barely kept alive a number of streaks. The Buckeyes have now won 52 straight home games against unranked opponents and have posted 88 consecutive home wins against teams considered to come from mid-major or low-major conferences.
Moten led BGSU with 16 points and Darryl Clements added 13 and a career-high nine rebounds. Jakubowski had seven points, six assists, four rebounds and tied his career-high with four steals. Otis Polk played a season-high 30 minutes in a tough match-up in the paint, finishing with seven points, on 3-of-3 shooting, and six rebounds to go with two blocks.
Bowling Green won almost every statistical battle, outrebounding Ohio State 39-34, including 13-8 on the offensive end, and turning the ball over 14 times, one less than the Buckeyes. But Ohio State went to the free-throw line 11 more times than BGSU, scoring eight extra points from the charity stripe.
Ohio State led for most of the first half, using a 10-point streak early in the period to take a 15-8 lead, and held off a handful of Bowling Green runs. Polk played well early, posting six points and five rebounds in the first half to help BGSU stay close. Miller took control with seven points late in the half as the Falcons hung close and trailed 30-24 at the break.
Bowling Green falls to 3-2 on the year with both losses coming against Big Ten opponents (Minnesota and Ohio State), while Ohio State improves to 2-0. The Falcons will attempt to get back in the win column when they play at Savannah State Monday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
