Huger & Falcons Head South for a Midweek Contest at SEMO on Tuesday Night

Tuesday, December 8

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

8:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Southeast Missouri

Photo by: Rick De Paiva

Huger & Falcons Head South for a Midweek Contest at SEMO on Tuesday Night

December 07, 2015 | Men's Basketball

By: by Kevin Davis, BGSU Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

Bowling Green (6-2, 0-0 MAC) vs. Southeast Missouri (0-7, 0-0 OVC)
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 * 8:00 p.m. ET
Show Me Center * Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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The Centennial Season

STARTING FIVE
(1) FALCONS LOOKING FOR SIX IN A ROW: BGSU head coach Michael Huger's squad enters Tuesday night's contest on a five-game winning streak, the program's longest since 2008-09. BGSU last won six games in a row back in the 2008-09 season.

(2) IT'S MADNESS I TELL YOU: Over the last two weeks, BGSU has had a Falcon named the Madness Mid-American Player of the Week by College Sports Madness. Senior forward Spencer Parker earned the weekly honor on Nov. 30, while junior guard Zack Denny was recognized by www.collegesportsmadness.com this week on Dec. 7.

(3) OPPOSITES ATTRACT: BGSU and SEMO are currently going in opposite directions heading into play on Tuesday night. Bowling Green has won five straight games heading into its contest versus the Redhawks, while SEMO has lost each of its last seven contests this year.

(4) NEW TERRITORY FOR THE FALCONS: The Falcons will be entering new territory this week, as BGSU has never played at SEMO or at the Show Me Center. In fact, Tuesday night's game is only the second true road contest for the Falcons this season. BGSU is 1-0 in true road contests with a 82-77 road win at FGCU on Nov. 23.

(5) ROAD TRIP: The Falcons will tip-off their longest road trip of the season at SEMO on Tuesday night. BGSU will close out the 2015 calendar year with four straight games on the road at SEMO (Dec. 8), Detroit (Dec. 12), Wright State (Dec. 20) and Cleveland State (Dec. 23).

(6th man) CENTENNIAL SEASON: The 2015-16 is the Centennial Season for the BGSU men's basketball program, which began playing basketball in 1915-16.

SCOUTING THE SEMO REDHAWKS
Picked to finish fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division in the league's preseason poll, the Redhawks are 0-7 to start the season under first year head coach Rick Ray. The Redhawks, who have played shorthanded much of the season due to suspensions, have played six road games compared to just one home game thus far this season. SEMO is led by OVC preseason all-conference selection Antonius Cleveland and his team-high 12.6 points per game, while Trey Kellum is also averaging double digit points with 10.6 per contest in five games this season. The Redhawks have struggled offensively this year, averaging just 60.4 points per game on 37.7 percent shooting from the field, 24.4 percent shooting from behind the three-point line and only 53.8 percent shooting from the foul line. Defensively, the Redhawks are allowing 78.3 points per game, while their opponents are shooting 46.7 percent overall from the field on the year.

FALCONS VERSUS SEMO ALL-TIME SERIES
BGSU is 1-0 all-time versus Southeast Missouri State University in men's basketball action having defeated the SEMO Redhawks 62-54 last season at the Stroh Center on Nov. 25, 2014.

NEW HEAD COACHES SQUARING OFF
Both BGSU and SEMO have new coaches on the sidelines this season. The Falcons' have first-year head coach Michael Huger leading his alma mater this season, while Rick Ray is in his first year as the head coach at SEMO after spending the last three years as the head coach at Mississippi State.

COACH'S CORNER
"We are looking forward to going on the road and facing a hungry SEMO squad. It is always difficult going into an opponent's gym and competing in front of an unfamiliar crowd, but our guys have done a great job of growing together as a team and rallying behind one another so far this season. This will be the first of four consecutive games on the road, but we are eager and ready for the challenge."

UP NEXT FOR THE FALCONS
The Falcons will stay on the road for their next contest, as BGSU will continue its annual rivalry with the Detroit Titans on Saturday, Dec. 12, in Detroit, Mich. Tip-off is slated for a 1 p.m. start time at Calihan Hall.

A FALCON WIN WOULD MEAN ....
* The Falcons would improve to 7-2 overall on the season.
* Give BGSU a six-game winning streak, its longest of the season.
* The six-game winning streak would be the longest for the Falcons since they put together a six-game winning streak back in 2008-09.
* Put the Falcons at 2-0 in true road contests on the year.
* BGSU would start the month of December at 3-0.
* The Falcons are assured a winning non-conference record for the second straight year.
* Bowling Green would move to 2-0 all-time versus the SEMO Redhawks.
* Hand the Falcons a two-game winning streak over Southeast Missouri.

LAST TIME OUT - BGSU 75, DRAKE 63 (DEC. 5)
The Falcons knocked down 11 three-pointers, led by junior guard Zack Denny's four three's and career-high 23 points, to out shoot the Drake Bulldogs in a 75-63 win at home on Saturday evening in the Stroh Center. The win is the Falcons' fifth straight victory and marks the longest winning streak for BGSU since the Falcons won six straight games in 2008-09. The Falcons shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) overall from the field, including going 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) from behind the three-point line. BGSU also out-rebounded the bigger Bulldogs 37-29 for the game and held Drake to just 41.5 percent (22-of-53) shooting and 25 percent (6-of-24) from behind the three-point for the game, both well below the Bulldogs' season averages.

DENNY TABBED MADNESS MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 7)
BGSU guard Zack Denny was tabbed the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com) on Monday, Dec. 7. Denny led the Falcons in both scoring and rebounding over BGSU's two contests last week, as the he averaged 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest to lead the Orange and Brown to a 2-0 week. He shot a stellar 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field overall and an even better 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from behind the three-point line for the week. In the Falcons' win over UMBC on Dec. 2, Denny hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds and scored eight points. He followed up that performance with a career-high 23 points, on 9-of-13 shooting overall and 4-of-5 shooting from behind the three-point line in the Falcons' fifth straight win. He also pulled down seven rebounds and had both a steal and an assist in the win.

BEATING DRAKE AT THEIR OWN GAME
BGSU defeated Drake at their own game with the three-ball. The Falcons held Drake to just six made three-pointers and only 25 percent shooting from long range for the game. The Bulldogs entered the contest shooting 44.8 percent from the three-point line and averaging 8.0 made three-pointers per game. Bowling Green made 11 three-pointers and shot 64.7 percent in the 75-63 win over Drake.

POINTS ON THE UP AND UP
After scoring just 50 points against Cincinnati on Nov. 18 and then 59 points versus North Dakota on Nov. 21, both losses, BGSU has seen its points total on the up and up over its current five-game winning streak. The Falcons scored 79 points in a win over Youngstown State on Nov. 22 in Fort Myers, Fla. Bowling Green then totaled 82 points in a road win at FGCU the following night, Nov. 23, poured in a season-high 96 points against Urbana on Nov. 29 and then tallied 72 points in the win over UMBC on Dec. 2. The Falcons then totaled 75 points in the home win versus Drake on Dec. 5.

SHARP SHOOTING FALCONS
Over its current five-game winning streak, the Falcons have shot over 45 percent from the floor as a team in each contest, including shooting a season-high 55.7 percent overall from the field in the blowout win over Urbana on Nov. 29. In fact, the Falcons have shot over 45.5 percent in all six of their wins this season. On the flip side, BGSU is 0-2 on the year when shooting below 45 percent from the floor.

SHARING THE WEALTH
The Falcons have shared the wealth in all six of their wins this season in terms of the scoring load. BGSU has had three players or more score in double figures in all five wins for the Falcons this season. BGSU had four players score in double digit points in the home win over New Orleans on Nov. 14 and in the road win at FGCU on Nov. 23. The Falcons also had five different players score in double figures in the neutral site win over Youngstown State on Nov. 22 in Fort Myers, Fla. and again in the home win over Urbana on Nov. 29 at the Stroh Center. Coach Huger's squad had three players in double digits in the win over UMBC at home on Dec. 2 and in the win versus Drake on Dec. 5.

SPENCE LEADING BY EXAMPLE
As the most experienced player on the Falcons' roster, senior forward Spencer Parker has been leading by example with career numbers this season. Parker is second on the team with an average of 12.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. He is shooting 48.8 percent from the field overall. He has scored in double figures in six games and has already posted two 20 point games with 22 points at FGCU and 20 points versus UMBC. He also has two double-doubles on the season and leads the team in minutes played with an average of 28.3 over the first eight games for the Falcons this season.

MR. CLEAN
BGSU's 6-1 guard Zack Denny has been cleaning up the backboards this season for the Falcons, as he leads the team with a total of 61 rebounds and an average of 7.6 boards per contest. Over his last five games, Denny has pulled down 11, 11, 8, 11 and 7 boards, a total of 48 rebounds and an average of 9.6 per outing.

GETTING TO THE CHARITY STRIPE
Bowling Green has made it a habit to get to the free throw line, as the Falcons have shot more foul shots than their opponent in six of their eight games this season. BGSU has attempted 20 or more free throws in six games on the season and have made more free throws than their opponents have even attempted in three different contests.

MINUTES, MINUTES, EVERYONE GETS MINUTES!
A total of nine players are averaging double digit minutes of playing time on the court thus far this season for the Falcons. In fact, nine different players notched 14 minutes or more of playing time over the 40 minute contest versus New Orleans (11/14), while nine different Falcons logged 13 minutes or more against Cincinnati (11/18). Nine different players also played 10 minutes or more versus North Dakota (11/21) and in the win over Youngstown State (11/22). Eleven different Falcons logged 10 minutes or more in the home win over Urbana on Nov. 29, including nine players playing over 13 minutes.

DENNY DIALING IN FROM LONG DISTANCE
This season, Zack Denny is shooting a career-high 44.4 percent from behind the three-point line and leads the team with 16 made treys on the season. The junior guard is shooting 41.1 percent overall from long distance for his career, as he is 69-of-168 from long range, which has him currently ranked fourth in career three-point field goal percentage at BGSU.

PARKER RECOGNIZED BY COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS (NOV. 30)
Senior forward Spencer Parker was named the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 30 by College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com) for his strong week of play in which he led the Falcons to a 2-0 overall record with wins at FGCU and at home versus Urbana. The 6-7 forward led BGSU with an average of 18.5 points per game on 62.5 percent shooting from the field overall and 83.3 percent shooting from the free throw line. He posted a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds versus FGCU and followed that performance up with 15 points and six boards in only 19 minutes of action in the blowout win versus Urbana.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
The duo of Spencer Parker and Zack Denny have each tallied two double-doubles thus far on the young season for the Falcons. Parker registered 16 points and 12 rebounds versus North Dakota and a season-high 22 points and 10 boards in the win at FGCU. Denny has posted two straight double-doubles with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win over YSU, followed by 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the FGCU Eagles.

THAT 70'S STROH
BGSU is an impressive 23-1 at the Stroh Center when scoring 70 points or more in a contest. BGSU is 4-0 at the Stroh this season when scoring 70 points or more.

HOME SWEET STROH
BGSU has called the Stroh Center home since the 2011-12 season and has posted an overall record of 45-24 at the venue. The Falcons have won seven or more games at home every season since the Stroh's opening for the 2011-12 season and have recorded double digit home wins at the Stroh in three of the last four years. BGSU is 4-1 this season at home in the Stroh with wins over New Orleans, Urbana, UMBC and Drake.

3,411 TAKE PART IN THE SECOND ANNUAL BILL FRACK CHALLENGE
A total of 3,411 fans were in attendance at the second annual Bill Frack Challenge on Nov. 18 versus Cincinnati. The crowd is the fifth largest announced attendance to watch a BGSU men's basketball game inside the Stroh Center in the buildings five-year history.

#MAKEHISTORYNOW
Falcons' head coach Michael Huger recorded his first career win as a head coach in the 79-61 win over New Orleans in the season opener.

A FALCON NOW LEADING THE FALCONS
It seems fitting that a former Falcon would lead the program during its Centennial Season, as former BGSU standout and 1994 graduate Michael Huger returns to his alma-mater as the head coach in 2015-16. Huger, who returns to his alma mater where he was a standout player for the Falcons from 1989-93. While a player at BGSU, Huger helped the Falcons to a pair of NIT appearances. Tabbed the BGSU Team MVP in 1992-93, he earned all-conference honors in his final two seasons, and was a Naismith Award nominee and the runner-up for MAC Player of the Year his senior year.

WATCH ME: BGSU ON ESPN3, BCSN AND THE TWC SPORTS CHANNEL
Every Falcons' home game over the 2015-16 season will broadcast live on ESPN3. A number of road contests will also be video steamed live over the ESPN3 network, while the Falcons will also appear locally on the Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN) on Jan. 6 vs. Miami (Ohio) and Jan. 19 vs. Toledo. BGSU will also be on the TWC Sports Channel on Jan. 12 at Ohio and Mar. 1 at Kent State. A number of BGSU games could be chosen for TV by eight ESPN or the CBS Sports Network throughout the season as wildcard selections.

CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2015-16
The Falcons have three team captains for the 2015-16 season in junior JD Tisdale, junior Wes Alcegaire and redshirt-sophomore Garrett Mayleben.

PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH IN THE MAC EAST IN PRESEASON POLL
With the loss of its top three scorers from last season in Richaun Holmes to the NBA, and both Jehvon Clarke and Anthony Henderson due to graduation, the Falcons were picked to finish sixth in the MAC East Division in the 2015-16 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, which was determined by a 23-member MAC News Media Panel. The Falcons garnered 42 points overall.