Big Men Lead Falcons to 67-61 Road Win over Morehead State

Sunday, December 15

Morehead, Ky.

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

5-5

Morehead State

7-5

Bowling Green

Morehead State

December 15, 2013 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)
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Coach Orr Postgame Audio

Morehead, Ky. – The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team recorded a first in 2013 on Sunday afternoon, as the Falcons posted a 67-61 road win over the Morehead State Eagles at the Johnson Arena in Morehead, Ky.

With the win, BGSU improves to 5-5 on the year, while the loss drops Morehead State to 7-5 overall for the season.

The road win was the first non-conference road win for BGSU since a 61-53 win at FIU on Dec. 22, 2011 and is the first overall road win for the Falcons since last year, a 57-41 road win at Northern Illinois on Feb. 6, 2013.

BGSU recorded a season-high 14 blocked shots, the third straight game that the Falcons have recorded 10 or more blocks as a team, and held the Eagles to 30.6 percent (22-of-72) shooting for the game.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Falcons for the third time this season, led by senior center Cameron Black's double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, his third of the year. Black also tallied a career-high five blocked shots, while Richaun Holmes, who had a game-high 17 points, matched his career-high with seven blocks for the second straight game.

Forward Spencer Parker and guard Jehvon Clarke each added 12 points apiece, while Anthony Henderson was the fifth Falcon in double digits with 11 points and four steals in the win.

Morehead State guards Brent Arrington and Angelo Warner led the Eagles with 16 and 15 points apiece, respectively, while off the bench center Billy Reader had 11 points and nine rebounds. Starting center Chad Posthumus had 11 rebounds, but was only 1-of-9 from the floor in 19 minutes of play.

The short-handed Falcons got an early jump-hook from Black on the right block to get on the scoreboard first to start the game, while a jumper from Parker minutes later gave the visitors a 6-2 lead with 17:36 to go before the halftime break.

The Eagles then took advantage of a cold spell from the Falcons on the offensive end, as the home team used a 16-4 run over the next eight minutes of the contest to take an eight point lead at 18-10 on a fast break layup from Warner with 9:09 on the game clock.

Turnovers fueled the Morehead State run, as the Falcons committed 14 over the first 20 minutes of play, which included three offensive foul calls.

The fouls continued to mount up for both teams as well, as the Falcons were forced to pull off the full-court pressure midway through the half, yet refused to quit, as BGSU battled back from down double digits to end the half on a 13-8 run to cut the Morehead State lead to four at 38-34.

During that spurt, the Falcons got free throws from JD Tisdale, Clarke and Parker, as well as layups from Henderson and Clarke to put the visitors in orange back into the contest down just four at 38-34 at the halftime intermission.

In the second half of play, the BGSU defense increased its intensity, as the Falcons registered 10 blocked shots and held the Eagles to only 9-of-35 shooting (25.7 percent) over the final 20 minutes of play en route to the win
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The defense led to a quick four points out of the halftime break, as the visitors tied the game up at 38-38 less than a minute into the final half of play.

The next several minutes saw the Falcons tie the score on three separate occasions, only to see the home team score the next basket to keep the visitors from taking over the lead.

A layup by Parker at the 10:32 mark of the second half finally pushed the Falcons into the lead at 49-48, only to see a free throw minutes later from Warner retie the contest up at 49-49 with 8:34 to go in regulation.

On the ensuing possession, BGSU's Holmes took the ball strong to the basket and picked up an and-1 on the shot attempt, completing the old-fashion three-point play with a free throw to put the Falcons in front by three at 52-49 with just over eight minutes to play.

The play proved to be a difference maker, as the Falcons would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.

After a three-pointer from the right corner from Henderson at the 7:03 mark increased the Falcons lead to six at 55-49, the Eagles were able to cut the BGSU lead back to two at 55-53 on consecutive buckets with just over five minutes to go in the game.

Henderson would hit another three-pointer from the right wing on the next Falcon offensive series to push BGSU lead back out to five at 58-53.

Following a MSU three-pointer on their next time down, BGSU saw Holmes put the game away with nine straight points, including seven from the free throw line, as the Falcons' defense held the Eagles to only two made baskets over the final four minutes of the game.

The Falcons were 16-of-23 (69.6 percent) from the free throw line and shot 48.9 percent (23-of-47) for the game.

BGSU was outrebounded 47-34 and was outscored 30-28 in points in the paint by the Eagles in the win.

The win was the fourth straight for the Falcons over Morehead State, as BGSU improves to 6-3 overall versus the Eagles.

Bowling Green (5-5) will play its final home contest of the 2013 calendar year next Sunday, Dec. 22, as the Falcons will host Detroit-Mercy at 2 p.m. in the Stroh Center.

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