A Trio of Falcons Score in Double Digits in 62-52 Road Loss to WKU

Wednesday, December 3

Bowling Green, Ky.

8:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

4-1

Western Kentucky

3-3

Bowling Green

WKU

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

A Trio of Falcons Score in Double Digits in 62-52 Road Loss to WKU

December 03, 2014 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Final Stats: Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
Video: Game Highlights
Audio: Postgame with Coach Jans
Audio: Postgame Radio Show with Coach Jans and Todd Walker
Radio Calls from Todd Walker:
Parker 3pt basket in the first half
Holmes slam in the second half
Henderson 3pt basket in the second half
Clarke rebound and put back in the second half

Bowling Green, Kentucky – A trio of Falcons scored in double figures on Wednesday night, yet it wasn't enough as the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team suffered a 62-52 loss on the road to Western Kentucky at the E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. The loss was the first loss of the season for head coach Chris Jans and the Falcons.

The loss puts BGSU at 4-1 on the young season, while WKU improves to 3-3 on the year with the home win.

"I told our team in the locker room that we probably didn't deserve to win that game. When it comes down to it, most programs at the Division I level are going to have a good system. They're going to have coaches that are scheming against you and it's all about executing the game plan and the system," commented head coach Chris Jans. "I thought for the most part they did a better job than we did of getting their style of play into the game."

The Falcons were led by Spencer Parker's game-high 14 points, while both Anthony Henderson and Jehvon Clarke added 11 and 10 points apiece, respectively. Forward Richaun Holmes hauled in a game-high nine rebounds, however, he was held to just three points on 1-of-5 shooting and failed to record a block for the first time this season. David Joseph led BGSU with four assists and three steals in 16 minutes of play in the loss.

WKU also had three players score in double figures led by George Fant's 14 points. Guard T.J. Price chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Ben Lawson totaled 12 points and seven rebounds in the win. Fant also tallied four blocks and a steal on the defensive end for the Hilltoppers.

Both the size and length appeared to bother the Falcons all game long, as BGSU shot just 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from the field overall for the game and were plagued with foul trouble to forwards Holmes and Delvin Dickerson for most of the contest.

The Hilltoppers also registered six blocks and five steals on the defensive end.

"If you look across the stat line most of the numbers fair towards them. We didn't shoot the ball very well. We didn't guard them in terms of shooting percentage very well – 44 percent. We got outrebounded. We had 10 assists, 17 turnovers. They got to the line 23 times and we got there 13," continued Jans. "That all adds up more times than not, especially when you are on the road against a good team, to a loss."

The Falcons opened up the game connecting on 3-of-4 from the floor to take a 6-4 lead in the opening minutes off the contest on a jumper from Joseph at the 17:17 mark of the first half. However, BGSU would go ice cold from the floor over the next several minutes, missing its next 10 shot attempts and knocking down just one free throw overall.

A three-pointer from the left wing from Parker at the 9:46 mark ended the Falcons' field goal drought at over seven and a half minutes and put the visitors down just two at 12-10.

After a layup by Price put the Hilltoppers up seven at 20-13 with 6:33 to go in the first half, the Falcons traded buckets with WKU over the next four minutes of play until another trey from Parker, followed by a layup from Clarke and two free throws from Parker tied the score up at 24-24 with 1:13 to go before the break.

The final minute would see WKU hit a long two-pointer to give the home team in white a 26-24 halftime lead.

After a first half that saw BGSU score its lowest points total for a half on the season at 24 points, BGSU opened up the second half with back-to-back three-balls from Henderson and Parker in the first three minutes of play to tie the score up once more at 30-30 with 17:25 to go in the game.

Less than a minute later, a slam by Holmes put the Falcons in front for the second time in the early minutes of the second half at 32-30.

Yet WKU refused to go away, as the Hilltoppers used the free throw line and three consecutive three-pointers to pull back out in front by six at 44-38 with 12:02 to go in regulation.

Up for the challenge, the Falcons picked up back-to-back shots from long distance from Parker and Henderson once more to retie the game up at 44-44 with 10:46 on the game clock.

Foul trouble, as well as another cold spell on the offensive end for the Falcons over the next six minutes, saw WKU pull out to a five point lead at 51-46, before a turn-around baseline jumper from Dickerson at the 4:58 mark put the Orange and Brown down just three.

The Falcons trimmed the WKU lead to a single point at 52-51 on a rebound and put back basket by Clarke at the 2:15 mark, yet surrendered two layups to Fant over the next minute as WKU scored the last 10 points of the final 1:17 of the game to pull away for the 62-52 non-conference win.

BGSU outscored the Hilltoppers 20-8 in bench points and 15-13 in points off turnovers; however, WKU held a 30-24 advantage in points in the paint and edged the Falcons 9-8 in second chance points.

The Falcons were outrebounded 37-33 by the Hilltoppers, who also shot 23 free throws compared to only 13 foul shots by BGSU.

"We'll get better. We'll learn from this. We'll get better. It was a good environment. We just got to go back to the drawing board."

Bowling Green (4-1) will return home to host Alabama A&M on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. in the Stroh Center. Immediately after the game, the BGSU men's basketball team will be signing autographs.

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Notes
* The loss is the first loss for the Falcons this season.
* The loss on Wednesday night is head coach Chris Jans' first loss as the leader of the BGSU Men's Basketball program.
* The 24 points in the first half is the lowest points output in a half for BGSU this season.
* The 52 points is the lowest scoring output for BGSU in a game this season.
* The Falcons shot a season-low 34.5 percent from the floor as a team in the loss.
* BGSU is 0-4 at Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky. since 1962.
* Eight different players scored for the Falcons for the fifth straight game this season.