Falcons Pick Up First MAC Win Over Kent State 76-70

Sunday, January 17

Kent, Ohio

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

January 17, 2010 | Men's Basketball

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Boxscore
Coach Louis Orr Postgame Audio

Kent, Ohio – Sophomores Scott Thomas and Dee Brown each posted career scoring highs and junior Joe Jakubowski handed out 11 assists as the Bowling Green men's basketball team came back from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Kent State 76-70 Sunday.

Thomas set a career-high for the second consecutive game, finishing with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 at the free-throw line. Brown finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 5-of-8 three-pointers. Jakubowski's 11 assists was just one shy of his career best – a 12-assist game against the same Kent State program as a freshman.

Bowling Green jumped out to a quick 11-0 lead but Kent State battled back and took a 35-28 lead at the half, seemingly in control. When Chris Singletary connected on a three-point play just 13 seconds into the second half, the Golden Flashes had a comfortable 10-point lead. But the Falcons answered with eight straight points in a span of 2:35 and the contest was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way.

Justin Greene's lay-up with 3:40 to go gave Kent State a 64-58 lead but Bowling Green came right back with one of Brown's five three-pointers to cut the lead in half. After Kent State missed a three-pointer, Brown grabbed a rebound and was fouled. He made both free-throws to make it 64-63. After Singletary's jumper put the Golden Flashes back on top by three, Thomas made two free-throws to cut the lead to one again. Kent State came up empty on its next possession and Dee Brown knocked down a rainbow three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:04 left to put Bowling Green on top 68-66.

Erik Marschall came up with possibly the biggest defensive play of the game on Kent State's next possession when he tipped a ball away, dove on the floor for the loose ball and pushed it ahead to Thomas for a breakaway lay-up and a 70-66 Bowling Green lead. The Falcons went 6-of-6 at the free-throw line the rest of the way to close out the victory.

Bowling Green shot 51 percent from the field and made 8-of-16 three-pointers as well as 16-of-18 free-throws. In fact, the Falcons made all 13 of their free-throw attempts in the second half. Bowling Green also held a 37-32 rebounding edge and held Kent State to 36 percent shooting, including 32 percent in the second half.

While Thomas and Brown were the only Falcons to score in double figures, Marschall finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists. Otis Polk added eight points and five boards and Marc Larson had six points in 16 minutes off the bench.

The win gave the Falcons the lead in the Centennial Cup Challenge, an all-sports competition with Kent State. Bowling Green entered the weekend behind 3.5-2.5 but with a women's basketball win Saturday and the men's basketball win, the Falcons now lead 4.5-3.5.

Kent State falls to 10-7 on the year and 1-2 in MAC play with the loss. Bowling Green improves to 8-7 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Falcons will host Ohio Wednesday at 7 p.m. in an attempt to get back to .500 in conference action.