Zips Hit Buzzer-Beater To Hand Falcons 56-55 Defeat

Wednesday, January 11

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

7-8, 1-1MAC

Akron

10-6, 2-0MAC

Akron

Bowling Green

January 11, 2012 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: by BGSU Athletic Communications

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Cam Black Postgame Audio
Louis Orr Postgame Audio

Bowling Green, Ohio – Nick Harney's floater in the lane with 0.5 seconds left gave Akron a 56-55 win over the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team Wednesday night in Mid-American Conference action in the Stroh Center.

Bowling Green did not trail until the final 32 seconds of the game but Akron overcame a 10-point second half deficit by outscoring the Falcons 17-6 over the final eight minutes of play. Both teams entered the game at 1-0 in MAC play and the Zips now stand as the only unbeaten team left in the East Division.

Six different players scored at least seven points for Bowling Green as the Falcons used balanced scoring and a strong bench effort to lead throughout. A'uston Calhoun and Scott Thomas scored five points each in the early going as BGSU scored the first eight points of the game and build a quick 14-3 lead.

Akron stormed back to tie the game at 18-18 but Bowling Green closed the half with an 8-2 run to take a 26-20 lead into the half.

The Zips could get no closer than four through most of the second half and Craig Sealey scored back-to-back baskets followed by a Dee Brown fastbreak lay-up with 8:05 to go to give the Falcons a 49-39 lead. Akron bounced back with nine straight points to make it close once again.

Harney's three-pointer with 1:33 to go finally tied the score at 53-53 and Quincy Diggs made 1-of-2 free-throws with 32 seconds to play to give Akron its first lead at 54-53. On the ensuing possession, Calhoun was unable to convert inside but Calhoun rebounded the miss and scored with 12 seconds left. He was fouled but missed the free-throw and Akron corralled the rebound and called timeout with nine seconds left.

On the inbounds, Harney drove down the lane and lifted a floater over Black, who was attempting to take a charge. His shot bounced around the rim and finally fell through with less than a second remaining. Dee Brown's three-quarter court heave hit off the back iron as time expired.

Black had a strong game inside, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go with a game-high seven rebounds. He also had a blocked shot in 27 minutes and kept Akron 7-footer Zeke Marshall from making an impact. Marshall ended with just seven points, four rebounds, and no blocked shots.

Brown also finished with 10 points and added four rebounds and three assists. Thomas and Calhoun finished with nine points each and Sealey came off the bench for seven points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.

Akron improves to 10-6 overall and 2-0 in MAC play with the win. Bowling Green falls to 7-8 and 1-1 in conference action. The Falcons will play at Kent State Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Golden Flashes are 11-4 overall and 1-1 in MAC play.