Falcons Close Out Miami On Senior Night, 56-51

Wednesday, February 29

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

16-13, 9-6MAC

Miami (Ohio)

9-19, 5-10MAC

Miami

Bowling Green

Photo by: BGSU Photography

February 29, 2012 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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

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Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team swept the season series from Miami (Ohio) for the first time since 2001-02, defeating the RedHawks 56-51 Wednesday night in the Stroh Center on Senior Night. The Falcons honored seniors Torian Oglesby, Dee Brown, and Scott Thomas in their final regular season home game.

The win closed out a successful month for the Falcons, as the team went 7-2 in February. Bowling Green has won six consecutive home games to improve to 12-3 in the Stroh Center in the first year of the arena's existence. Despite the win, the Falcons have been eliminated from contention for a bye to the MAC Tournament quarterfinals thanks to Kent State's victory over Ohio.

That event means Bowling Green, now 16-13 overall and 9-6 in MAC play, will finish the year as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed and will host a MAC Tournament First Round game on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Stroh Center. That game will be a Dollar Day game with tickets costing just $1.

The Falcons will face one of the bottom two seeds in the Mid-American Conference for the right to advance to the second round in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday, March 7.

Although Bowling Green's seniors struggled to find their rhythm in their final regular season home game, the class came up big down the stretch. Olgesby, Brown, and Thomas were just 8-of-25 shooting but made big plays after Miami had gone on a 14-0 run to erase a 12-point deficit.

Bowling Green led 41-29 before Miami held the Falcons scoreless for more than seven minutes before a Jordon Crawford three-pointer broke the stretch. The RedHawks built a 47-44 lead with 5:34 to go, but A'uston Calhoun scored on a tough lay-up inside to get the Falcons within one. On Miami's next possession, Thomas posted his 73^rd steal of the year and Brown knocked down his only three-pointer of the night on the ensuing possession.

With the game tied at 49-49 with 2:55 to play, Crawford scored on a pull-up jumper 30 seconds later and Miami's Brian Sullivan missed a three-pointer to give the RedHawks the lead. On the next possession, Cam Black found Calhoun for an inside basket to make it 53-49. Miami turned it over on the next trip down the floor and Brown converted it into a basket to give the Falcons a 55-49 lead with 1:15 to go that iced the contest.

Bowling Green took care of the basketball, turning it over just nine times on the evening. The Falcons also held a 30-26 rebounding edge, which including 10 offensive rebounds. That combination allowed Bowling Green to attempt five more shots and overcome a night when Miami shot 47 percent from the floor compared to 44 percent for the Falcons. The RedHawks were also just 4-of-10 at the free-throw line to compound the problems.

Crawford led the way with 16 points and added four assists and a steal. Calhoun had 15 points, on 7-of-13 shooting, and four rebounds. Thomas was just one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. Brown had 11 points and four rebounds.

Miami was led by Julian Mavunga, a MAC Player of the Year candidate, who ended with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jon Harris had 11 points, all in the first half, making three three-pointers. Drew McGhee came off the bench to score 13 points.

Bowling Green had a nine-point first-half lead but Miami stormed back to get within three at the break at 30-27. The Falcons responded by scoring the first nine points of the second half to go ahead by 12 before the RedHawks stormed back.

Miami falls to 9-19 with the loss and 5-10 in MAC play. Bowling Green will close out the regular season at Buffalo Saturday night at 6 p.m. in a game televised on SportsTime Ohio.