Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
AKRON
Falcons Grind Out Win In Battle Of First Place Teams
March 01, 2009 | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2009
Akron, Ohio - Brian Moten's 25-foot three-pointer with 63 seconds remaining gave the Bowling Green men's basketball team a lead it would not relinquish as the Falcons won a battle between two of the three teams tied for first in the Mid-American Conference 50-46 over Akron Sunday. The win was Bowling Green's sixth consecutive road win, all coming in conference play, tying the second longest streak in MAC history.
More importantly, Bowling Green kept pace with Buffalo, a 68-66 winner against Ohio, for first place in the conference. BG swept Buffalo in the season series and holds the tiebreak advantage, meaning the Falcons would be the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament if it were to start today and will win the conference championship by winning its final two games. The conference champion automatically receives a bid to the NIT if it does not make the NCAA Tournament.
As a side note, junior center Otis Polk became Bowling Green's all-time blocked shot leader with one in each half. He now has 119, surpassing Tom Hall, who had 117 from 1989-92.
In the game itself, Bowling Green had to battle back from a double-digit deficit after an abysmal shooting performance in the early going. The Falcons scored just three points in the first 12 minutes and fell behind 16-5.
Polk made 1-of-2 free-throws to break the drought and BG went on a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to tie the game. Two Akron free-throws put the Zips back on top but Marschall tied the game back up with a lay-up and Clements added back-to-back baskets as the Falcons took a 24-22 lead into the half.
Bowling Green did not relinquish the lead until the final four minutes of the game when Darryl Roberts made two free-throws and Nate Linhart scored inside to put the Zips on top 46-45 with 3:44 to play. Both teams struggled to score on a handful of possessions over the next two minutes until Moten's long three-pointer put the Falcons on top.
Akron's Brett McKnight missed a lay-up with 30 seconds left to tie the game but the Zips got the rebound and Hitchens missed a wide open 12 foot jumper with 23 seconds left. Chris McKnight got the offensive rebound for Akron but missed a lay-up with 14 seconds left. Nate Miller grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Darryl Clements, who found Moten leaking out. Moten's dunk with seven seconds left iced the contest and gave the Falcons their sixth straight road win.
Moten finished with a game-high 17 points, adding a career-high seven rebounds. He made 5-of-12 three-pointers and was the only Falcon to make a three-ball during the contest. Clements ended with 12 points, three assists and two steals, while Miller had nine points, eight rebounds and two steals.
For Akron, no player scored in double-figures as Roberts and Nikola Cvetinovic led the team with eight. The Zips were held to 30 percent shooting and BG outrebounded Akron 34-31. Bowling Green shot 43 percent for the game, overcoming a 5-of-18 three-point night and a 3-of-11 performance from the free-throw line.
Akron falls to 18-11 overall and 9-5 in the MAC, while Bowling Green improves to 17-11 overall and 10-4 in conference play. The Falcons will play at Miami Thursday at 7 p.m.
