Miami Upsets Falcons In MAC Tournament

Monday, March 11

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

13-19

Miami (First Round)

9-21

Miami

Bowling Green

Photo by: Craig Bell, BGSU Marketing and Communications

March 11, 2013 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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

Boxscore
Photo Gallery
A'uston Calhoun Postgame Audio
Louis Orr Postgame Audio

Bowling Green, Ohio – Miami held the Bowling Green men's basketball team to just 28 percent shooting in the second half as the RedHawks defeated the Falcons 63-52 in the first round of the MAC Tournament Monday night in the Stroh Center. Miami, the No. 11 seed in the tournament, improves to 9-21, while Bowling Green, the No. 6 seed, ends its season at 13-19.

Bowling Green jumped out to an early lead and held the advantage for much of the first half but Jon Harris kept the RedHawks in the game by making four three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and scoring 14 points. His final trifecta of the period came from the top of the key and started a 7-0 run after which Miami never trailed again.

He followed that three-pointer with a jumper that put Miami ahead 30-28 and Geovonie McKnight had a steal and lay-up that put the RedHawks up four. Luke Kraus answered with a three in the corner with 2:20 to play but Miami went into the halftime break with a 34-31 lead.

That Kraus three-pointer was the last BGSU point for almost nine minutes as Miami opened the second half with nine straight points to take a 43-31 lead. Bowling Green missed its first seven shots before Kraus knocked down another three to bring the Falcons back within single digits.

A'uston Calhoun brought Bowling Green to within seven at 47-40 as he completed an alley-oop from Chauncey Orr. After Orr altered a shot inside on Miami's next possession, Jordon Crawford dribbled around a screen and buried a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four.

On Bowling Green's next possession, Calhoun received another pass from Orr for a dunk to bring the Falcons within two at 47-45. Miami's Allen Roberts banked home a runner in the paint but Holmes answered inside and the Falcons trailed 49-47 with 4:35 to go.

However, that's when Miami's Reggie Johnson took over. Johnson, who made just eight three-pointers in 16 MAC games, connected on two in a row, the second of which banked home from the top of the key to put the RedHawks ahead 55-49 with 1:40 to play. From there, Bowling Green was forced to chase and foul and Miami made its final eight free-throws for the 63-52 victory.

Crawford, Calhoun and Orr each finished with 10 points for the Falcons with Calhoun adding six rebounds and three assists. Orr had five rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Crawford points four assists, three rebounds and three steals. Kraus, in his final game at BGSU, had nine points, making three three-pointers. Holmes came off the bench for eight points and six rebounds. With one block, he finished the year with a school-record 73 on the season.

Bowling Green shot just 38 percent for the game and was outrebounded 33-30. The Falcons had seven turnovers in the first half but ended with only 10, still one more than Miami finished with.

With the loss, the careers of four BGSU players come to a close. A'uston Calhoun, Jordon Crawford, James Erger and Luke Kraus all played four seasons for the Falcons. Calhoun and Crawford rank among the top 30 scorers in BGSU history.