Falcons Tangle With Temple Sunday

Bowling Green Falcons (3-2) vs. #RV/RV Temple (3-1)
Nov. 27, 2011 • 2:00 p.m. • Bowling Green, Ohio • Stroh Center (4,347)
Radio: Falcon Radio Network • Todd Walker (Play-by-Play)/Kirk Cowan (Color)
Television: BCSN • Greg Franke (Play-by-Play)/Kevin Brechmacher (Color)
Live Stats: http://www.bgsufalcons.com
Online: Stretch Internet (audio)/America One (video)
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
PURCHASE TICKETS

FALCONS HOST NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED TEMPLE IN STROH
Playing their fourth game in seven days, the Bowling Green men's basketball team faces arguably its highest-profile non-conference home opponent of the year as the Falcons face Temple Sunday. Temple is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. The Owls were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, earning an at-large bid out of the Atlantic 10.

THE SERIES
Temple is 2-0 all-time against Bowling Green and the two teams last met just two years ago in Philadelphia on Dec. 28, 2009. The Owls built a 32-13 halftime lead in that contest and rolled to a 63-39 victory. Dee Brown led the Falcons with 10 points in that game.

SCOUTING TEMPLE
Temple is off to a 3-1 start to the 2011-12 season and is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. The Owls already have one win over a Mid-American Conference school on the docket, with a 69-55 victory over Western Michigan. Temple excels with a defense that allows opponents to shoot just 42 percent fromt he field and 29 percent from three-point range. Ramone Moore, a 6-feet-4 senior guard, leads the team with 20.0 points per game and 6-4 senior guard Juan Fernandez is averaging 15.0 points. Those two have combined for 17 three-pointers so far.

G. WASHINGTON PULLS AWAY FROM FALCONS IN SECOND HALF
George Washington made 10 of its first 11 three-point attempts and the Colonials pulled away from Bowling Green in the second half for a 77-56 win on the final day of the Progressive CBE Classic Bowling Green Subregional. BGSU trailed by just one point at the half but George Washington made its first five three-point attempts of the second half to build a double-digit lead. Scott Thomas was the Falcons' only double-figure scorer, posting all 15 of his points in the first half. Craig Sealey finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

STAT STUFFER
Senior forward Scott Thomas is one of the most versatile players in the Mid-American Conference. A two-time All-MAC honorable mention player, Thomas was the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in both rebounding and assists a year ago. This year, Thomas leads the team in scoring, steals, and three-pointers made, while ranking second in rebounding. He has scored in double-figures in all five games this year.

THOMAS IMPROVING HIS EFFICIENCY
While Scott Thomas does just about everything on the floor for the Falcons, the area in which he most needed to improve coming into the 2011-12 season was shooting from three-point range and the free-throw line. A year ago, Thomas shot 29 percent on three-pointers and 59 percent from the charity line. This year, he is shooting 44 percent from three-point range and 75 percent on free-throws.

RACKING UP THE MILESTONES
Against George Washington, Scott Thomas recorded his 500th career rebound. He has also scored 930 career points, leaving him just 70 from 1,000. He also needs one more three-pointer for 100 in his career and 13 more steals for 150.

CRAIG'S LIST
Craig Sealey is beginning to fulfill the potential he flashed a year ago as a freshman. In the first two games of the season, he posted consecutive double-digit scoring efforts for the first time in his career. In the past two games, he has been crashing the boards hard and had nine points and nine rebounds against Detroit. He followed that up with nine points and eight rebounds against George Washington. Sealey also played a career high 30 minutes in that contest against George Washington.

BALANCED PRODUCTION
Bowling Green is getting offensive production from its entire lineup as nine players or more have scored in each of the Falcons' last three games. Against both Austin Peay and Detroit, 10 different Falcons scored. Against George Washington, nine different players got into the scoring column.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Senior Dee Brown has taken on a new role this year, serving as the point guard when starter Jordon Crawford is getting a breather. A shooting guard for his first three years, Brown continues to start and play most of the minutes in that role. Against Georgia, Brown played point guard for much of the second half and scored all 15 of his points in the final 20 minutes, leading the Falcons' charge back from 16 points down. Against Detroit, Brown posted a career high eight assists without a turnover as the Falcons won the contest.

SAY WHAT?
Bowling Green shot 66.7 percent from the field in the first half against Central Michigan a year ago but still lost the game. In fact, the Falcons have lost the last five games when they have shot at least 61.5 percent from the floor in a half.

A NEW HOLIDAY TRADITION
BGSU men's basketball will play on New Year's Day for the second consecutive year as the Falcons play at Texas San Antonio on Jan. 1. The Falcons are 4-1 all-time when breaking in the new year, including last year's 67-61 win at St. Louis. Bowling Green is just one of eight NCAA Division I programs playing on New Year's Day in both 2011 and 2012 (joining Syracuse, DePaul, Marquette, Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, and Evansville).

THE BIG APOSTROPHE
A'uston Calhoun's junior season has begun much like his sophomore campaign did, but if he finds his form like he did a year ago, the rest of the Mid-American Conference had better be prepared. Calhoun averaged just 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds over the first 10 games in 2010-11, shooting 31 percent from the field. But in the last 23 games, he averaged 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds, while shooting 47 percent from the floor. Through two games this year, Calhoun averaged just 2.5 points per game. He then averaged 11.7 points per game over the three games of the Progressive CBE Classic, including 19 points against Austin Peay and 14 against Detroit.

THIEVERY
A year after ranking 19th nationally in steals with 8.6 per game, Bowling Green has shown little drop-off in the first five games of the 2011-12 season. The Falcons had nine steals and forced 19 turnovers in the opener against Howard and is averaging 7.6 steals per contest. Scott Thomas ranks fourth in the MAC with 2.2 steals per game and Jordon Crawford also ranks in the top 10.

1,000 POINT SCORERS
In BGSU basketball history, 37 different players have scored 1,000 points in their careers. This year both Scott Thomas and Dee Brown could reach that plateau. Only six times in BGSU history have two players reached 1,000 career points in the same year.

THE STROH CENTER
BGSU played its first regular season game ever in the Stroh Center against Howard. After 51 years in venerable Anderson Arena, the Falcons opened one of the newest facilities in the country.

DOWN LOW
Head coach Louis Orr's philosophy is always to play inside-out and the Falcons have done that well during his tenure. This year, the Falcons have scored at least 20 points in the paint in 4-of-5 games with a season-high 40 against Austin Peay. Over the past two seasons, the Falcons scored 20 or more points in the paint in 57-of-63 games.

PARKER/HOLMES SIGN WITH THE FALCONS
Louis Orr announced the signing of Spencer Parker and Richaun Holmes during this year's early signing period. Parker is from West Bloomfield, Mich. and is playing for Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Va. this year. He will have four years of eligibility remaining. Holmes is from Lockport, Ill. and is playing this year at Moraine Community College. As a full qualifier out of high school, he will transfer to Bowling Green and be able to play immediately with three years of eligibility remaining.

FOREIGN TOUR
The BGSU men's basketball team got the opportunity to travel to Toronto for a summer foreign tour and play three games. The Falcons went 2-1 on the trip, gaining experience and the opportunity for extra practices.

50 PERCENT PROVIDES BETTER THAN A 50/50 CHANCE
When Bowling Green shoots at least 50 percent from the floor, the Falcons have an excellent chance of winning the game. The Falcons went 8-1 a year ago in such instances and are 29-5 in head coach Louis Orr's four years when make at least half of their shots.

THE NEW HOUSE
Anderson Arena provided BGSU with an excellent home court advantage as the Falcons went 466-190 (.710) all-time in The House That Roars. Bowling Green will attempt to build a new home court advantage after going 10-5 in Anderson Arena a year ago. This year, the Falcons are 3-1 (.750) in the Stroh Center.

FALCONS TO PLAY ON REGIONAL/NATIONAL TELEVISION
BGSU will play a minimum of four games on ESPNU or SportsTime Ohio this year. The Falcons played on ESPNU at Georgia on Nov. 13 and will play three games on STO (Jan.7 vs. Ohio, Jan. 28 at Eastern Michigan, Feb. 4 vs. Northern Illinois). On top of those contests, there are approximately a dozen other opportunities for STO or ESPN to choose the Falcons for television games.

DEFENSE WINS
Over the course of the past three years, Bowling Green has held its opponent to 45 percent shooting or worse in 27 of the Falcons' 31 wins. A year ago, Bowling Green went just 2-12 when an opponent shot at least 45 percent, posting victories against only Manhattan (48.9 percent shooting) and Ohio (45.8 percent). This year, the Falcons are 1-2 when an opponent shoots over 45 percent but Bowling Green did when a game over Austin Peay when the Governors shot 51 percent. It is the first time in the Louis Orr tenure that the Falcons won a game when the opponent shot at least 50 percent.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?
Head coach Louis Orr was an All-American at Syracuse and he will have the opportunity to help his son, freshman Chauncey Orr, grow into a strong collegiate player. Chauncey was a first team all-state player at Bowling Green High School.

FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE
Bowling Green has brought in an Associated Press Division I First Team All-State player Ohio first team all-state player for three consecutive years. Junior Luke Kraus was named first team all-state at Findlay High School in 2008-09. Redshirt freshman Anthony Henderson earned the honor at Toledo Start High School in 2009-10 and Chauncey Orr was named to the team from Bowling Green High School in 2010-11. BGSU is the only school in the country with three players from the AP Division I First Team All-State teams from the past three years on the roster. Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State each has two.

SHOTS FROM THE HEART
Assistant coach Dennis Hopson is competing in the second annual Shots From the Heart Tournament, benefitting the Skip Prosser Foundation. Hopson is competing in a 64-person, bracket-style single elimination free-throw shooting tournament with 63 other NCAA Division I assistant coaches. His first round opponent is Michigan's LaVall Jordan. Each coach will shoot 25 free-throws at their convenience and report the results. First round competition will be complete at the end of November.

FALCONS PICKED SIXTH
Bowling Green was picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference East Division in the preseason media poll. Defending MAC champion Kent State was selected to win the East while Western Michigan was selected to win the West.

MAC Preseason Media Poll
East Division - 1. Kent State (132 points/16 first-place votes), 2. Akron (104 points/8 first-place votes), 3. Ohio (94 points), 4. Miami (80 points), 5. Buffalo (62 points), 6. Bowling Green (32 points)
West Division - 1. Western Michigan (128 points/14 first-place votes), 2. Ball State (111 points/9 first-place votes), 3. Central Michigan (92 points/1 first-place vote), 4. Toledo (76 points), 5. Northern Illinois (59 points), 6. Eastern Michigan (38 points)
Tournament Champion - Kent State 12, Akron 6, Ball State 3, Western Michigan 2, Central Michigan 1

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