Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Creighton
Falcons Season Comes To A Close In NIT
March 18, 2009 | Men's Basketball
March 18, 2009
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Omaha, Neb. - The Bowling Green men's basketball team went down swinging Wednesday night, ending its season with a 73-71 loss to Creighton in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Falcons were a No. 8 seed and Creighton, a team many thought should have been in the NCAA Tournament, was a No. 1 seed.
Bowling Green's three seniors played with emotion and intensity and each finished with at least 12 points. Nate Miller, Darryl Clements and Brian Moten combined for 53 of the team's 71 points, including all of the first 15.
The quick start by the seniors helped Bowling Green jump out on top early. The Falcons went on an 11-2 run to take an early 12-7 lead and extended it to 14 points on a Clements lay-up with 8:27 left in the first half that made it 32-18. Creighton began to chip away at the lead and closed to within eight at the half on a P'Allen Stinnett jumper with nine seconds left that made the score 39-31.
The Falcons did a fantastic job defensively in the first half, holding Creighton without a three-pointer in the first half on 11 tries. Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Booker Woodfox did not make a field goal and scored just three points in the opening 20 minutes.
In the second half, Creighton tried to claw back into the game but Bowling Green made big shots throughout the early stages to keep the Bluejays at bay. Brian Moten made three free-throws with 8:46 to go that gave the Falcons a 61-53 lead but Creighton followed that up with a 14-4 run to finally take a lead on Woodfox's second three-pointer of the second half at 67-65 with 4:44 to go.
Bowling Green answered back as Clements knocked down a jumper with 3:31 to go to tie it and Miller scored on a lay-up with 3:04 left to put the Falcons back on top. Justin Carter put Creighton back in the lead on a three-pointer and Stinnett made two free-throws with 35 seconds left that gave the Bluejays a 72-69 lead.
The Falcons quickly pushed the ball up the floor and Miller scored on a lay-up to cut the deficit to one with 30 seconds left and Scott Thomas immediately fouled to put Creighton's Antoine Young at the line. Young missed the front end of the 1-and-1 but Miller missed a lay-up with 19 seconds left and the Falcons were forced to foul again.
Woodfox made 1-of-2 free-throws with 17 seconds left, giving the Falcons the opportunity for one last possession to tie the game. Bowling Green put the ball in Miller's hands but Creighton defended him well and he was forced to give it up. Clements' long three-pointer as time expired just rimmed off and the Bluejays dodged the upset bid.
Clements ended his career with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Miller's career also came to a close with his third consecutive 20-point game, finishing with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Moten had 12 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Creighton shot 64 percent in the second half and made 5-of-11 three-pointers to end the game at 46 percent. Bowling Green shot 45 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Bluejays 36-31. The Falcons had just nine turnovers, one more than Creighton.
Creighton improves to 27-7 on the year and will move on to host Kentucky in the second round of the NIT. Bowling Green's season comes to a close with a 19-14 record. The Falcons won the Mid-American Conference regular season championship and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2002.
