MAC Leader Kent State Too Strong For Falcons In Second Half

Wednesday, February 24

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

February 24, 2010 | Men's Basketball

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

Boxscore
Otis Polk Postgame Audio
Louis Orr Postgame Audio
Photo Gallery
Todd Walker Recaps Men's and Women's Basketball Games (.mp3 audio)

Otis Polk Postgame Video

Louis Orr Postgame Video

Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green State University senior center Otis Polk had 21 points and nine rebounds but the Falcons were unable to hold on to a 12-point halftime lead and lost to Mid-American Conference leader Kent State 75-69 Wednesday night at Anderson Arena.

Polk was 8-for-9 from the field and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line but foul trouble, turnovers, and an amazing second-half shooting performance by Kent State was too much to overcome. Polk and Erik Marschall both fouled out late and Scott Thomas played most of the second half with four fouls.

The game actually turned when Thomas picked up his fourth foul with 16:41 to play in the game. The Falcons led 45-34 but the offense got stagnant with Thomas on the bench and Kent State went on a 14-2 run over the next 5:10, capped by a Mike McKee three-pointer with 11:31 left, to give the Golden Flashes a 48-47 lead.

Bowling Green came right back and took the lead back on a James Erger three-pointer, just his second successful long range shot of the year, but McKee came right back with another three and Kent State never trailed again.

The Falcons were as close as three points on several occasions down the stretch but Kent State made 15-of-20 shots (75 percent) in the final 20 minutes and Bowling Green was never able to get the defensive stops it needed to recapture the lead. Joe Jakubowski hit a three-pointer and then knocked down a pair of free-throws with 24 seconds left to make it 73-69, but Kent made 2-of-4 free-throws the rest of the way and BGSU missed a pair of desperation threes.

Other than Polk, Thomas was the only Bowling Green player in double-figures in scoring with 14 points. He added a team-high five assists. Marc Larson had six points and six rebounds off the bench and the Falcons got solid production from the second unit. Erger, Luke Kraus and Jordon Crawford all made three-pointers and Danny McElroy had two points and three boards in seven minutes.

Bowling Green was hurt by turnovers as the Falcons had 17 and forced just six. Kent turned that into a 10-point advantage with a 16-6 edge in points off turnovers. The Falcons' big advantage came on the boards where BG held a 38-23 stranglehold and 12-6 on the offensive glass. But those six extra offensive boards only accounted for a 10-7 lead in second-chance points.

After Kent State took an early 4-0 lead, Bowling Green got its efficient offense rolling, shooting 64 percent in the first half. The Falcons scored the next six points, pushed the lead to seven on a Polk jumper with 11:14 to go and took the team's first double-digit lead on a Kraus three-pointer with 7:59 to go that made it 27-17.

Thomas' jumper with 3:11 to go gave the Orange and Brown a 35-24 lead and Polk's lay-up with 1:27 to go was the final points of the first half and gave the Falcons a 38-26 halftime lead.

Kent State improves to 21-8 on the year with the win and 11-3 in MAC play. Bowling Green falls to 14-13 overall and 6-8 in league action. The Falcons will host Akron for Senior Day Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in a game televised on FS Ohio. Bowling Green's 425 student-athletes will also be accepting donations and non-perishable goods throughout the game to assist in the Haiti Relief Efforts.