Falcons Dominate Defensively To Win First Game In Stroh Center

Friday, November 11

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

1-0

Howard

0-1

Howard

Bowling Green

Photo by: BGSU Photography

November 11, 2011 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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

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Boxscore (.html)/Boxscore (enhanced)
Scott Thomas/Craig Sealey Postgame Audio
Louis Orr Postgame Audio

Bowling Green, Ohio – Playing in front of the largest home crowd to witness a Bowling Green State University men's basketball game in more than six years, the Falcons held Howard to 38 percent shooting in a 63-48 win over the Bison Friday night. BGSU opened the Stroh Center by winning its home opener for the 20^th consecutive season in front of 3,476 fans.

Bowling Green held Howard scoreless for more than six minutes and held the Bison without a field goal for more than 10 minutes as the Falcons scored the first 13 points of the game. Howard did get as close as three points on two occasions but Bowling Green answered both times and held a comfortable double-digit lead for much of the second half.

The 3,476 fans were the most for a BGSU home game since 3,868 watched the Falcons play Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 27, 2005.

The Falcons forced 19 Howard turnovers and turned those into 20 points as four different players had two steals each. Bowling Green was able to get out and run and was affective in transition. The Falcons, though, struggled at times in the half court set and shot only 35 percent in the first half.

After jumping out to that early lead, Howard used a nine-point run, capped by a Dadrian Collins three-pointer, to get within three. It was at that point, though, that sophomore Craig Sealey took over for a short stint with a jumper and then a defensive rebound and an assist on a Dee Brown fastbreak basket. That stretch helped the Falcons take a 26-17 lead into the break.

Howard again got to within three points as the Bison scored the first six points of the second half but Brown knocked down a three-pointer and Luke Kraus followed with a pair of free-throws to make it 31-23 four minutes in. Jordon Crawford's lay-up with 13:29 left gave the Falcons a 37-27 lead and Bowling Green used a three-point play from Sealey followed by a Luke Kraus three-pointer to build a 43-30 advantage.

Scott Thomas knocked down a jumper with 9:28 to go that made it 45-30 and Howard never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.

As has come to be expected, Thomas just missed a double-double with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal. Sealey began his second year with the Brown and Orange in strong fashion, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. He also had a high-flying alley-oop late in the game that put an exclamation point on the win.

Jordon Crawford was solid in 33 minutes at point guard, ending with 13 points, four assists and two steals. Brown added 11 points and two steals, while Kraus finished with eight points, making two of his three three-point attempts.

After shooting just 35 percent in the first half, Bowling Green did find some offensive flow in the final 20 minutes, shooting 52 percent from the floor and committing only three turnovers. Howard held a decisive 38-27 rebounding edge but the Falcons were 17-of-23 (74 percent) from the free-throw line.

The win avenges a 54-52 loss to Howard on the road a year ago and makes the Falcons 1-0 heading into a nationally televised game Sunday. Bowling Green will play at Georgia, a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.