Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Face Creighton Wednesday In NIT
March 17, 2009 | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2009
Photo Gallery 
Game #33
No. 8 seed Bowling Green (19-13) at No. 1 seed Creighton (26-7)
NIT Tournament First Round
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 • Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center Omaha) • 8:00 p.m. ET
Radio: Falcon Radio Network • Todd Walker
Television: None
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
SETTING THE STAGE
• Bowling Green plays in the postseason for the first time in seven years as the Falcons travel to Omaha, Neb. to play Creighton in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Creighton received one of the four No. 1 seeds for the 32-team tournament and Bowling Green is a No. 8 seed.
• Bowling Green earned the Mid-American Conference's automatic bid to the NIT by winning the regular season championship. Creighton also won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season crown, going 26-7 overall. The Bluejays were a team on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament after losing to Illinois State in the MVC Tournament.
• Bowling Green has won six of its last seven road games and is 6-8 on the road this year. Along with a 3-1 neutral site record, the Falcons are 9-9 away from Anderson Arena in 2008-09. Creighton is 15-2 at home this year, losing MVC home games to Northern Iowa and Drake.
THE OPENING TIP (STORYLINES)
• Nate Miller has never played better. The senior forward has taken Bowling Green on his back and carried the Falcons into the NIT. He was named a MAC First Team All-Conference selection and then was the only member of the MAC All-Tournament team who did not play in the championship game. He averaged 24.5 points per game in two contests, had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds against Ohio and then scored 25 second-half points to finish with a career-high 27 against Akron. In that contest, Miller made 5-of-8 three-pointers, two more than he had ever made in a single game in his career.
• Bowling Green's 2-3 zone will be severely tested by Creighton's offense. The Falcons rank 13th in the country in three-point percentage defense but the Bluejays have the top three-point shooter in the nation in Booker Woodfox. He has made 86-of-176 (48.9 percent) three-pointers this year for best percentage in NCAA Division I. Not to be outdone, Kaleb Korver (younger brother of former Creighton All-American and NBA player Kyle Korver) shoots 46.3 percent off the bench and Casey Harriman is at 41.9 percent also as a non-starter.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON
• Creighton went 26-7 during the season and shared the Missouri Valley Conference regular season crown with Northern Iowa. The Bluejays were a team on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament but were not selected. The team had won 11 consecutive games before losing to Illinois State in the MVC Tournament.
• Creighton is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, ranking 27th at 38.3 percent. MVC Player of the Year Booker Woodfox leads the country with a 48.9 percent (86-of-176) clip. Kaleb Korver has made 38-of-82 (46.3 percent) three-pointers off the bench and Casey Harriman is 29-of-70 (41.4 percent) from long range.
• The Bluejays rarely turn the ball over and rank 12th in the country with a +3.9 turnover margin. Creighton is also 18th in free-throw shooting and ranks in the top 50 in the country in scoring margin, three-point field goals per game, steals, and turnovers.
COACHING PEDIGREE
Bowling Green State University men's basketball coach Louis Orr was named the 2008-09 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year by vote of the MAC News Media Association. In just his second year at Bowling Green, Orr has led the team to a 19-13 overall record, a share of the MAC Eastern Division championship, the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament, and a trip to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
Orr's defensive philosophy has helped the team win six more games in 2008-09 than it did a year ago, including four more MAC wins. The Falcons finished fifth in the Eastern Division a year ago and were picked to finish third in the preseason poll but exceeded those expectations by taking on coach Orr's philosophy and leading the conference in field goal percentage defense and blocked shots. In the year prior to his arrival, Bowling Green went 13-18 overall and finished last in the Eastern Division with a 3-13 conference mark. Last year the team went 13-17 and finished 7-9 in the MAC.
Over the course of the season, Orr has developed a tough-minded team that made a remarkable transformation. The team opened the year by losing seven consecutive road games. But the Falcons persevered and, after beating Ohio on the road, won six consecutive MAC road games, the longest streak in the conference since Kent State won seven in a row away from home in the 2001-02 season.
Bowling Green won its first division crown since 2000 and, by virtue of the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament, qualified for the NIT Tournament for the first time since 2002. The Falcons need one more win to reach 20 for the first time since that 2002 campaign.
Orr has a career record of 132-110 and had a pair of 20-win seasons in his prior seven years as a head coach. He took Seton Hall to the NCAA Tournament in both 2004 and 2006 and also took the Pirates to the NIT Tournament in 2003, being named Big East Coach of the Year that season. He is the third Bowling Green coach in league history to receive the award, joining John Weinert in 1978 and Jim Larranaga in 1997.
THE M&M BOYS (MILLER AND MOTEN)
Bowling Green senior Nate Miller has been named to the All-MAC First Team and senior Brian Moten has been named to the All-MAC Honorable Mention team. Miller was named to the honorable mention team each of the past two years, while Moten was named the MAC's Sixth Man of the Year in 2007-08 but has not been named to the all-conference team before.
Miller was named a preseason All-MAC selection and lived up to the billing by leading the Falcons in scoring (13.5 points per game), rebounding (7.4 rebounds per game) and steals (2.03 per game). He ranks in the top 10 in the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, while leading the MAC in steals. He closed the year strong, posting six double-doubles in the last 12 games as Bowling Green went 8-4 during that stretch, including 7-2 in regular season conference play.
Miller was named MAC East Player of the Week Feb. 9 after back-to-back double-doubles in wins over Western Michigan and Central Michigan. He went over 1,000 career points by scoring 22 against Canisius and is one of only four players in program history with 1,000 career points, 500 career rebounds and 125 career steals. Miller has a pair of long active streaks of 18 consecutive games with at least five rebounds and 20 consecutive games with at least seven points.
Moten was named to the honorable mention team and is one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the conference, ranking third in the MAC in three-pointers made per game. He is seventh in career three-pointers made in Bowling Green history with 129 made three's. When the Falcons lost starting forward Chris Knight to an injury, Moten stepped up his game the most, scoring at least 14 points in each of the next four games.
He made six three-pointers as the team won at Buffalo and added five more in a victory at Akron in a battle of teams tied for first place. Moten also knocked down five three-pointers in an earlier victory at Central Michigan. In the Falcons' six-game MAC road winning streak, Moten made 21-of-44 (48 percent) three-pointers.
MILLER NAMED MAC ALL-TOURNAMENT
Bowling Green senior forward Nate Miller was named to the 2009 Mid-American Conference All-Tournament Team after leading the Falcons to the semifinal round and breaking his career high. His career-high was 22 points heading into the MAC Tournament but he averaged 24.5 in the two games.
Miller had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the team's win over Ohio in the quarterfinals. He had 12 of the team's first 14 points as Bowling Green built an eight-point halftime lead, shot a season-best 61 percent from the floor, and rolled to a 74-61 victory. Miller made 9-of-11 shots in the contest.
Although Bowling Green lost to eventual MAC Tournament champion Akron 63-55 in the semifinals the next night, Miller did his best to lead the team. He scored 25 second-half points, finishing with a new career-high 27 on the game, and made 5-of-8 three-pointers. Miller had never made more than three three-pointers in a game prior to that outing and he added three rebounds and a steal in 35 minutes.
ROAD WARRIORS
Bowling Green has made an amazing transformation over the course of the 2008-09 season from a team that could not win on the road to one that has become tough to beat away from Anderson Arena. The Falcons have won six of their last seven road games, winning six in a row during one stretch for the first time ever since joining the MAC for the 1953-54 season. Overall, the six straight road wins were the most since the 1948-49 team won the same in a row. That six game conference road winning streak was the longest in the MAC since the 2001-02 Kent State team won seven in a row on the road.
BLOCK PARTY, HOSTED BY OTIS
Junior Otis Polk broke the school record for career blocked shots with the first of his two blocks against Akron. He now has 121, surpassing the mark set by Tom Hall, with 117 from 1989-92. This year alone, Polk has 40 blocks, ranking as the fifth-best total in program history. He set a career-high with five blocks against Western Michigan earlier this year. Cornelius Cash set the BGSU single-season mark with 59 blocks in 1973-74 and Polk had the second-highest total, with 51, a year ago.
MILLER NAMED NABC ALL-DISTRICT
Bowling Green senior forward Nate Miller was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District team, recognizing the nation's best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes.
Miller has had a fantastic season, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and steals. He leads the MAC in steals and ranks in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.
By scoring a career-high 22 points against Canisius, Miller became the 37th player in program history to reach 1,000 for his career. He is one of only four players in school history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 125 steals, doing all of that in just three seasons after transferring from UNC-Wilmington after his freshman campaign. Most recently, he scored 12 points, grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds and added five steals in the team's overtime loss to Miami.
Miller is the first Falcon to be selected to the NABC Division I All-District team since Josh Almanson was a second-team selection in 2005. The last first-team selection was Keith McLeod in 2002.
BASKETBALL U.
Bowling Green fans have had the opportunity to see some of the best basketball in the Mid-American Conference this year. The combined record of the men's and women's basketball teams is 47-17, including a 26-6 mark in conference play. The overall record is eight games better than Kent State and Ball State, the second-best schools combined, and the MAC record is five games better than Ball State, the school with the second best conference marks. Bowling Green was the No. 1 seed for both the men's and women's tournament, the first time that has occurred in the MAC since Kent State was the top seed for both tournament in 2002. It also marks the first time both the Bowling Green men's and women's teams have qualified for postseason play (both have earned automatic bids to the NIT Tournament) since 1990.
TRACKING FALCON MILESTONES
A number of BGSU players are closing in on career milestones or have recently reached them:
• Darryl Clements played in his 100th career game against Toledo. With classmate Brian Moten, the pair is the first Falcon teammates to have played in 100 games since Brent Klassen, Len Matela and Keith McLeod all reached the mark in the 2001-02 season. He needs three rebounds to reach 300 for his career.
• Joe Jakubowski started a game for the 50th time in his two-year career against Akron. With eight assists against Ohio, he went over 200 for his career and sits at 201. He needs 15 more points for 500 in his career.
• Nate Miller scored a career high 22 points against Canisius to become the 37th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. With four steals against Ohio, he moved into eighth place in program history and needs two more for 150 in his career. He also picked up his 200th career assist against Ohio and needs 13 rebounds for 600.
• Brian Moten became the 10th player in program history to make 100 career three-pointers with the first of two against Northern Illinois and moved into seventh place all-time in that category with two made three's against Canisius. He needs three more to move into sixth place. With his first action in the MAC Tournament, he played in his 113th game, the most since Josh Almanson played in 127 from 2000-05.
• Otis Polk had two blocked shots against Akron to become the all-time blocked shot leader at Bowling Green. With 120, he has surpassed Tom Hall, who had 117. He went over 400 points in his career in the MAC Tournament loss to Akron.
DEEP THINKING
Although injuries have shortened Bowling Green's bench lately, depth has been critical to success in 2008-09 and the Falcons' bench has contributed in a big way this year. BGSU's bench scored in double-figures in 23 consecutive games before being held to six points against Canisius, scoring at least 40 points twice (in wins over Wayne State and Buffalo). The Falcons are averaging 21.1 points per game from their bench this year, compared to just 16.5 points per game for opponents. The Bowling Green bench outscored its opponent in 15 consecutive games at one point this year and 20-of-32 contests overall.
QUADRUPLE THREAT
Bowling Green has four active players who have scored at least 500 points in their career, the most on a BG team at one time since the 2003-04 team also had four. Nate Miller, Brian Moten, Darryl Clements, and Erik Marschall have all scored 500 career points with Marschall reaching the mark against Northern Illinois. BG has three other players -- Chris Knight, Joe Jakubowski and Otis Polk -- who have passed 400 career points. The last time Falcon fans watched four players with 500 career points all play in the same game came March 11, 2004 against Kent State when Ron Lewis, Kevin Netter, John Reimold, and Josh Almanson all saw action.
MILLER HITS 1,000
Senior Nate Miller got to 1,000 career points in style. Needing 11 against Canisius to get to the milestone, he scored a career-high 22, added 13 rebounds, and connected on a key three-pointer with seven seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game to overtime. Despite the Falcons' loss, he scored all four of the team's points in the extra session. He has scored seven or more points in 21 straight games and has scored 15 or more in 10 of the past 16 contests.
DEFENSE WINS
• Bowling Green has buckled down defensively in 2008-09, holding 26-of-32 opponents to less than 45 percent shooting, allowing less than 70 points 26 times. It is a critical stat because the Falcons are just 3-11 under head coach Louis Orr when an opponent shoots 45 percent or better. BG leads the MAC in blocked shots and field goal percentage defense.
• Bowling Green is on pace to post a historically significant season defensively. The Falcons' .391 field goal percentage defense allowed is the best total since the 1963-64 team held opponents to a .390 clip for the year. As well, the team's 60.8 points per game allowed is the best average since the 1949-50 team allowed 58.3 points per contest.
• Bowling Green's defensive prowess has not been more apparent than in the Falcons' win over Detroit. The Titans scored just 38 points, the lowest point total for a BGSU opponent since an 87-37 Bowling Green win over Western Ontario on Feb. 1, 1964. As well, the Titans shot just 22.7 percent from the field and had just two assists. Both of those stats were the lowest BG opponent totals since game-by-game boxscores have been archived (1987-88 season).
PLAYING FROM BEHIND
Prior to conference play, BG had lost 32 consecutive games when it trailed with 10 minutes to play dating back to a win over Buffalo Jan. 7, 2007 when it was able to overcome a deficit. But three times in the past 15 games, the Falcons have made up a deficit with 10 minutes left. Against Ohio, the Falcons won 52-51 despite trailing by one with 10 minutes left. As well, BGSU came back from a 46-41 deficit against Central Michigan with 10 minutes to play to pick up a 67-61 win. In the team's most recent win over Kent State, the Falcons were behind 53-51 with 10 minutes left.
MAKING THINGS INTERESTING
Bowling Green is 10-7 in games decided by seven points or less this year (and are winners of seven of the past nine such games) with numerous games coming down to the final few possessions. Three of the most exciting of those were a 77-76 overtime win over Georgia State, a 52-51 win on road in front of 10,988 fans over Ohio, and a 62-58 home win over Ball State. Darryl Clements and Brian Moten made three-pointers in the final 15 seconds of regulation to force overtime against Georgia State and Joe Jakubowski knocked down a 25-foot three-pointer as the buzzer sounded in the extra session for the win. Against Ohio, the Bobcats had three possessions in the final 15 seconds but missed three shots, including a blocked shot from Chris Knight with less than four seconds remaining. Clements scored the Falcons' final five points of that game, helping the team overcome a late 47-44 deficit. Knight came up with a critical block for the second game in a row against Ball State, swatting away a fastbreak lay-up late in a 62-58 win.
BLOCKING OUT
The Falcons lead the MAC in blocked shots this year, averaging 3.7 per game. BGSU's 3.3 blocks per game in conference competition is second-best in the league. The team had a season-high 11 blocks at Illinois State and the team has recorded six blocks or more four times. Otis Polk is the school's all-time record holder with 121 career blocked shots, including 40 this year.
WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE (THAT ROARS)
Anderson Arena has always been a difficult place for opponents and the Falcons are 10-4 at home in 2008-09, beating teams by an average of 8.2 points per game. The Falcons are 447-180 (.713) all-time in Anderson Arena and 161-54 (.749) in the past 16 years.
THE TOP OF THE MAC
• A Bowling Green player has been named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week four times this year. Sophomore Chris Knight and senior Nate Miller have each won the award twice. Knight won it twice in a three-week stretch and Miller closed out the regular season with the award after leading the team to the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament.
• Knight won the award after averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in leading the Falcons to a pair of wins over Towson and Eastern Illinois.
• Knight was awarded again two weeks later after scoring 22 points, including 17 in the first half, in BGSU's 86-82 win over Buffalo in the team's MAC opener.
• Miller won the award after posting a pair of double-doubles in wins over Western Michigan and Central Michigan. He had 21 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots in the win over WMU and the added 10 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks against CMU.
• Miller again won the award after posting a pair of double-doubles. He had 12 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, and five steals in a loss to Miami before posting 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in a win over Ohio that clinched the top seed for the MAC Tournament.
JAKUBOWSKI AND LARSON HONORED FOR ACADEMICS
Junior center Marc Larson and sophomore point guard Joe Jakubowski were both named to the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Among the eight University (NCAA Division I) all-district teams around the country, Bowling Green was one of only four schools to have more than one player listed. To be eligible for the award, athletes must have at least a 3.3 grade point average, be at least a sophomore and have been at their current school for at least a year. Both players will now be placed on the ballot for Academic All-American.
MILLER TABBED TO SOAR
Bowling Green senior Nate Miller was selected to the Preseason All-Mid-American Conference Team, by vote of the MAC News Media Association, as well as the league's 12 head men's basketball coaches. Miller was joined on the East preseason team by Akron's Nate Linhart, Kent State's Al Fisher, Miami's Michael Bramos, and Ohio's Jerome Tillman. A transfer from UNC Wilmington, Miller has 1,062 points in his BG career.
HITTIN' THE BOOKS
Sophomore point guard Joe Jakubowski was named the Mid-American Conference's Male Scholar Athlete of the Week Dec. 18. He had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the team's 58-38 win over Detroit and has maintained a 3.56 grade point average entering the fall semester. The MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week is presented to a male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative gpa of 3.0 or better and performed well during the previous week's competition.
CLEMENTS' CAREER WEEKEND
Senior guard Darryl Clements was named to the NABC Classic All-Tournament team after setting his new career scoring high not just one time, but twice during the season's opening weekend. Clements made a crucial three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining in regulation that helped pushed the season opener against Georgia State to overtime -- a game the Falcons eventually won. He then scored a career-high 19 points in the team's loss to Minnesota, before pumping home 22 in BGSU's win over Concordia St. Paul. He also led Bowling Green in assists, steals and field goal percentage during the weekend.
FRESH FACES
Head coach Louis Orr announced the signing of two players for the 2009-10 season during the early signing period. Luke Kraus, of Findlay, Ohio (Findlay HS), and Danny McElroy, of Cincinnati, Ohio (La Salle HS), will join the Falcons next year. Kraus is a two-time player of the year in the Greater Buckeye Conference and McElroy is a tenacious defender who averaged 14.2 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior. Those two will join transfers Darion Goins and Adrion Graves, both of which are sitting out the 2008-09 season due to transfer rules.
CATCH THE FALCONS
• Bowling Green's men's basketball games can be listened to through the Falcon Sports Radio Network with Todd Walker, the voice of the Falcons, handling the play-by-play duties. Former Bowling Green basketball player Kirk Cowan does the color commentary at all BGSU home games as well. Games can be heard locally on WFRO 99.1 and can also be heard on WONW 1280 AM in Defiance, WCWA 1230 AM in Toledo, and WCSM 1350 AM/96.7 FM in Celina.
• All game broadcasts and the Falcons Nest Coaches Show can be heard via live stream on the official site of Falcon athletics, www.BGSUfalcons.com. Shortly after broadcasts are complete, an archived stream is available to listen to as well.
• BGSU men's basketball coach Louis Orr will talk live on 1470 WLQR "The Ticket" throughout the year. He is scheduled to be on host Norm Wamer's show Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the season.
• Live statistics for all BGSU home men's basketball games are available on the web via Gametracker. Gametracker allows fans to view in-game stats as they occur, and may be accessed by going to www.BGSUFalcons.com. Falcon fans can utilize Gametracker for home events in numerous BGSU sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, hockey, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball.
