Falcons Lose To Akron 79-68 As Brown Reaches 1,000 Career Points

Wednesday, February 22

Akron, Ohio

7:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

14-13, 7-6MAC

Akron

20-8, 12-1MAC

Bowling Green

Akron

February 22, 2012 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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

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Akron, Ohio – Dee Brown became the 39^th player in Bowling Green State University men's basketball history to score 1,000 career points but the Falcons lost to Mid-American Conference leader Akron 79-68 Wednesday evening. Brown had 11 points and now has 1,002 career points.

Akron used a strong offensive effort, particularly in the first half, to build a double-digit lead and then stave off a late comeback by Bowling Green. The Falcons cut it to a one-possession game with two minutes left but Akron made free-throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Bowling Green shot 55 percent in the first half but Akron shot at a 61 percent clip and scored 32 points in the paint over the first 20 minutes to take a 43-36 halftime lead. All nine Zips players who saw action in the first half scored at least one basket and Akron held a 16-12 rebounding edge while committing just four turnovers. The Falcons stayed within striking distance by turning it over only five times and getting 10 first-half points from A'uston Calhoun.

Akron's lead ballooned to 12 at 62-50 with 9:33 to play and the Zips still led 66-55 with 5:36 to go. The Falcons, though, scored seven in a row, capped by a Calhoun lay-up to make it 66-62. After Zeke Marshall made 1-of-2 free-throws with 2:58 left, Cam Black scored on a putback with 2:17 left to make it 67-64.

On Akron's next possession, Marshall got called for three seconds in the lane. Jehvon Clarke tried to force up an off-balance shot on the baseline, but it was blocked and Akron turned it into a transition lay-up for a 69-64 lead. From there, the Zips made all eight of their free-throw attempts down the stretch to get the win.

Calhoun finished with a game-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting and added seven rebounds. Jordon Crawford added 13 points, three assists and two steals, while Thomas had nine points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Clarke came off the bench to post nine points and three assists.

Bowling Green shot 45 percent for the game and had twice as many shots as Akron in the final 20 minutes, 34-17. But the Zips had a 35-25 rebounding advantage and shot 56 percent for the game. Akron also went to the free-throw line 14 more times than Bowling Green and made 19-of-22. The Falcons had a season-low eight turnovers.

Brown became the second BGSU player to score his 1,000^th career point this season, joining Thomas, who reached that total at Duquesne. It is just the seventh time in school history that two players have reached the milestone in the same season and the first time since 2004-05.

Akron improves to 20-8 overall and 12-1 in MAC play, while Bowling Green falls to 14-13 overall and 7-6 in conference action. The Falcons will return home to host Kent State Saturday at 6 p.m. in a game televised by SportsTime Ohio. Bowling Green still has hopes for one of the top four spots in the league standings and a double-bye, but Saturday's game will be critical to those chances.