MAC's Best Defense vs. MAC's Best Offense, Wednesday Night, 7 p.m. at CMU on ESPN3

Wednesday, February 4

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Central Michigan

Tickets

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

MAC's Best Defense vs. MAC's Best Offense, Wednesday Night, 7 p.m. at CMU on ESPN3

February 03, 2015 | Men's Basketball

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Bowling Green (13-6, 5-3 MAC) vs. Central Michigan (15-4, 5-3 MAC)
Wednesday, February 4, 2015; 7:00 p.m. ET
McGuirk Arena (5,300) / Mount Pleasant, Michigan
LIVE STATS
LIVE AUDIO
ESPN3
Radio: WFRO-FM 99.1
Twitter: @BGSUMHOOPS
COMPLETE GAME NOTES (PDF)

2014-15 MAC STANDINGS
EAST TEAMS	MAC	OVERALL
Akron	6-2	15-6
Kent State	6-2	15-6
Buffalo	5-3	14-6
Bowling Green	5-3	13-6
Miami	3-5	8-13
Ohio	2-6	7-12
WEST TEAMS	MAC	OVERALL
Central Michigan	5-3	15-4
Toledo	5-3	13-8
Western Michigan	4-4	13-8
Eastern Michigan	3-5	14-7
Northern Illinois	2-6	8-11
Ball State	2-6	7-12

LAY UPS
* Both BGSU and CMU are 5-3 in MAC play thus far this season.
* Central Michigan is 12-0 at home in McGuirk Arena this year.
* Bowling Green is only 4-4 on the road overall and only 1-2 in MAC road games.
* BGSU leads the MAC in scoring defense at 58.6 points per game allowed.
* BGSU ranks 20th in the nation in points allowed per game at 58.6 per contest.
* CMU leads the MAC in scoring offense averaging 81.8 points per game.
* CMU ranks 5th in the nation in points per game at 81.8 points per contest.
* The Falcons are 5-0 this season in games following a loss in the previous contest.
* Richaun Holmes has scored in double figures in each of BGSU's last 8 games.
* Bowling Green is in its 100th season of basketball this year.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
You can follow the Falcons in many different ways this 2014-15 season. You can follow BGSU via twitter by following @BGSUMHoops and at @BGAthletics. You can also follow BGSU on instagram @bgfalcons and on facebook at BGSU Athletics. As always you can get all your BGSU Athletics information at www.BGSUFalcons.com.

SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS OF CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan will look to remain unbeaten at home on Wednesday night, as the Chippewas are 12-0 at home in McGuirk Arena this season. The Chippewas are 15-4 overall and 5-3 in the MAC play, sitting in a tie with Toledo at the top of the MAC West Division. CMU leads the MAC in scoring offense with an average of 81.8 points per game and also ranks first in the MAC in field goal percentage (48.5 percent) and three-point field goal percentage (40.4 percent) on the season. The Chippewas, who are coming off a 74-69 home win over Ohio last Saturday, are led by Chris Fowler. Fowler leads the team in scoring (14.4 points per game), assists (6.1 assists per game) and in steals (1.5 steals per game). The Chips also rely on John Simons, who is averaging 11.5 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game, as well as Braylon Rayson and his 10.4 points per game. CMU loves to share the ball, as the Chippewas lead the MAC with an average of 15.3 assists per contest as a team. CMU also ranks third in the league in rebounding at 36.3 boards per contest.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS CMU
The Falcons lead the overall series versus Central Michigan 38-33. The series has been tight throughout, yet CMU has won six of the last 10 games over BGSU. However, the Falcons defeated the Chippewas 67-57 last year in the Stroh Center. The last time BGSU won at Central Michigan was back in 2009, a 67-61 road win over the Chippewas on Feb. 7, 2009.

BATTLE OF THE MAC'S BEST OFFENSIVE VERSUS THE MAC'S BEST DEFENSE
Wednesday night's MAC contest will be a showdown of the conference's best offensive team in Central Michigan versus the conference's best defensive team in Bowling Green. CMU leads the MAC in scoring offense (81.8 points per game), field goal percentage (48.5 percent), three-point field goal percentage (40.4 percent) and in assists (15.3 assists per game). BGSU leads the MAC in scoring defense (58.6 points per game) and in three-point field goal percentage defense (29.6 percent). The Falcons also rank second in the league in field goal percentage defense (39.7 percent) on the season.

FALCONS VERSUS THE MAC WEST IN 2015
BGSU has fared well versus the MAC West Division so far this season in cross-divisional match ups. The Falcons, who have played a team from the MAC West in four of their last five contests, are 3-1 versus the West Division thus far this season with wins over Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. However, the Falcons' lone lost to a MAC West team was on the road at Toledo on Jan. 24.

COACH'S COMMENTS
"All games are long games. You just try to play better than your opponent for a longer period of time. You've got to execute at all times, but you certainly got to execute in the last two, three, four minutes of the game if you want to win."

A WIN WOULD ...
* Give the Falcons a 14-6 record overall on the season.
* Put BGSU at 6-3 in Mid-American Conference play.
* Move to 6-0 on the season in games following a loss in the previous contest.
* Make the Falcons 5-4 in road games on the season.
* Put the Falcons at 2-2 in road games in MAC play for the year.
* Snap a two-game road losing streak for BGSU (lost at Akron (1/14/15) & at Toledo (1/24/15))
* Place BGSU at 1-0 to start the month of February.
* Give the Falcons a two-game winning streak over the Chippewas of CMU.
* Put BGSU at 4-1 on the year against the MAC West Division.

BGSU UNDEFEATED FOLLOWING A LOSS THIS SEASON
With the Falcons' 56-46 win over Northern Illinois on Jan. 27, head coach Chris Jans' squad improved to 5-0 in games following a loss in their previous contest. After a loss at Western Kentucky (52-62), the Falcons beat up on Alabama A&M (64-47). Following the tough loss at Dayton (52-56), BGSU bounced back to defeat Cleveland State by double digits (67-57). BGSU would then go and upend USF (79-70) after suffering a loss to Ferris State (68-82) at home on Dec. 21, prior to stifling Ball State (58-46) at home on Jan. 17 following a loss at Akron (50-67) just three days before on Jan. 14. The most recent win over NIU on Jan. 27 came after a loss on the road at Toledo (71-67) on Jan. 24.

JANS IN UNUSUAL TERRITORY
The MAC loss to Akron on Saturday night, Jan. 31, was the first home conference loss for Coach Chris Jans in nearly two years (23 months). He last experienced a home conference loss on the sidelines as part of the staff at Wichita State back on Feb. 27, 2013 when the Shockers loss at home to Evansville in Missouri Valley Conference play.

13 AND COUNTING
BGSU's 13 wins this season is already more wins than the Falcons had all of last year (12-20) and matches their season win total of the 2012-13 season (13-19). In fact, the Falcons have posted more than 14 wins on the season only three times over the last 10 years (2004-05, 18-11; 2008-09, 19-14; 2011-12, 16-16).

STRONG MONTH OF JANSUARY
The Falcons had a strong month of JANSuary, as BGSU went 6-3 overall for the first month of the year. Coach Jans' squad posted wins over Chicago State, Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois for the month.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
BGSU has posted an overall record of 9-2 at home in the Stroh Center this season. However, the Falcons have not fared as well on the road this year, posting an overall road record of 4-4 on the season. In fact, the Falcons are only1-2 on the road in MAC play and have lost each of their last two MAC road contests - at Akron on Jan. 14 (50-67) and at Toledo on Jan. 24 (67-71).

TOP-FIVE CROWD AT THE STROH ON SATURDAY NIGHT, JAN. 31
In the Falcons last home contest, a 69-68 loss to Akron, BGSU and the Zips played in front of a crowd of 3,859 fans. The huge crowd is the third largest crowd to watch a BGSU men's basketball game in the Stroh Center's four year history.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
The Falcons have been solid on the defensive end this season, as BGSU ranks 20th in the nation overall in scoring defense at 58.6 points per game allowed. BGSU is also ranked in the top-five in the MAC in scoring defense (1st/58.6 ppg), three-point field goal defense (1st, 29.6%) and field goal percentage defense (2nd/39.7%). In fact, Bowling Green's Richaun Holmes leads the league in blocked shots with 48, an average of 2.5 per game, while Zack Denny leads the MAC in steals with an average of 2.0 swipes per contest and 38 on the season.

SUB!!!!!!!!!!!
Coach Jans has proven early that he is not afraid to go to his bench, as 15 different players have already seen time on the floor for the Falcons this season, while eight different players are averaging 15 minutes or more of playing time per game this season. In fact, the Falcons have outscored their opponents by 143 points (431-288) in bench points this year, an average of 22.8 points per game off the bench compared to their opponents 15.1 bench points per outing.

QUARTET OF 500 POINT CAREER SCORERS
The Falcons currently have a quartet of 500 point career scorers on its roster in Richaun Holmes (899), Jehvon Clarke (700), Anthony Henderson (593) and Spencer Parker (564).

RETURN TO SENDER
Falcon senior Richaun Holmes has posted a block in all but three games thus far this season and has totaled a season-high five blocks in four different games this year on his way to a team leading 48 blocks on the year. Holmes totaled a new BGSU school record for the most blocks in a single season last year with 88. In just his first two seasons at BGSU, Holmes became the Falcons' all-time career blocks leader and now has 209 career swats. He currently leads the MAC with 2.5 blocks per game this season.

CHARGE!
BGSU junior Delvin Dickerson seemed to be all over the place in the Falcons' 56-46 home win over NIU on Jan. 27. The forward took not one, not two, not three, but four charges on the NIU offense in the game, which is presumed to be a BGSU record (charges are not an official statistic).

BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DENNY
After posting his first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 58-46 win over Ball State on Jan. 17, sophomore guard Zack Denny followed with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the home rout of Eastern Michigan, 74-58, on Jan. 21. Denny is the first Falcon to post a double-double in two consecutive games since Cameron Black did it on Nov. 26 & 27 of 2013-14 at the Cancun Challenge.

MAKE IT THREE FOR HOLMES
Senior Richaun Holmes was tabbed the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 12, his third MAC weekly award this season. The 6-8 forward also earned the award on Dec. 1 and then again on Dec. 29. Holmes, who led BGSU to a 2-0 record last week with wins at Kent State and over Ohio, averaged 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 blocks per game on the week while shooting 60 percent from the field, 75 percent from the three-point line and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.

COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS RECOGNIZES RICHAUN HOLMES
On Jan. 12, senior Richaun Holmes was named the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com) for the second time this season. He also received the weekly honor on Dec. 29.

BLOCK NUMBER 200 FOR HOLMES
Senior forward Richaun Holmes tallied his 200th career block in the second half of the Falcons 58-46 win over Ball State on Jan. 17. Holmes, who currently has 209 career swats, is the all-time career blocks leader in BGSU history.

DENNY'S FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Sophomore guard Zack Denny posted his first career double-double in the Falcons 58-46 home win over Ball State on Jan. 17. Denny posted 17 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the win.

STROLL DOWN THE MAC MEMORY LANE
Last season in 2013-14, the Falcons posted a 6-12 record in the MAC and finished sixth in the East Division. Since winning the MAC East in 2008-09 with an 11-5 conference record, the Falcons have been over .500 in MAC play just once, going 9-7 overall in league play in 2011-12, coming into this season. Over the last five seasons, since 2009-10 and prior to this season, Bowling Green went just 36-46 in MAC play. This year the Falcons are 5-3 in MAC play.

NON-CONFERENCE SEASON IS OVER
BGSU went 8-3 over its 11 non-conference games this season. The eight non-conference victories is the most by a Falcons' team since both the 2009-10 and 2008-09 teams each posted eight non-conference wins on the year.

HOLMES HAULS IN 500TH REBOUND
In the Falcons' 58-35 home win over Chicago State on Saturday night, Jan. 3, senior Richaun Holmes pulled down five rebounds for the game. While that is not a game-high in rebounds for the 6-8 forward, it was enough to give him his 500th career rebound during his time at BGSU.

NEW STROH CENTER RECORDS SET TO START 2015
With BGSU's 32 three-point field goal attempts at home versus Chicago State on Jan. 3, the Falcons set a new Stroh Center record for the most three-point attempts by a BGSU team in a single game in the Stroh Center. The previous record was 26 three-point field goal attempts versus Morehead State on Feb. 18, 2012. The Falcons also set a new record in the fewest points allowed in the Stroh Center by holding Chicago State to just 35 points for the game, five points less than the previous low of 40 points by Northern Illinois back on Feb. 4, 2012.

MAGIC NUMBER FOR HOLMES IS 26
The magic number for forward Richaun Holmes has proven to be 26 - in that he has posted a career-high 26 points twice this season. Holmes had 26 points versus Ferris State on Dec. 21, but not before he matched his career-high of 26 points on Nov. 30 in a last second win at Detroit. The 6-8 forward first scored his career-high 26 points last season at Xavier.

RECORD SETTING DEFENSIVE EFFORT FOR BGSU
In the Falcons' 58-35 home win over Chicago State, the 35 points allowed by BGSU was the lowest points total allowed by a Falcons' team in a single game since BGSU held Denison to only 34 points in 1981-82. The 35 points scored by Chicago State is also the fewest points scored by a BGSU opponent in the Stroh Center, five points less than the previous low of 40 points by Northern Illinois back on Feb. 4, 2012.

HOME SWEET STROH
BGSU has called the Stroh Center home since the 2011-12 season and has posted an overall record of 39-19 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 are 9-2 at home thus far this year.

THAT 70'S STROH
BGSU is a perfect 18-0 at the Stroh when scoring 70 points or more in a contest. That means the Falcons have scored 70 or more points in nearly half of their wins in front of the home fans in the Stroh. This season the Falcons have scored 70 or more points at home twice - in a 70-55 win versus Wright State on Nov. 19 and in a 74-58 win over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 21.

LAST SECOND SHOT FALLS SHORT IN ONE-POINT HOME LOSS TO AKRON
The Falcons saw the Zips get an offensive rebound and put back basket with 3.7 seconds left to put the visitors up one. BGSU's last second three-point attempt fell short of the rim, as Akron escaped with a 69-68 win over the Falcons at the Stroh Center. The Falcons led by as much as 14 points, yet struggled to put the game away late as Akron outscored BGSU 16-9 over the final five minutes of the contest.

BGSU TAMES HUSKIES IN HOME WIN
BGSU held Northern Illinois to only 17 made field goals on 36.2 percent shooting for the contest in a 56-46 home win on Jan. 27. The Falcons held Northern Illinois to just 2-of-12, 16.7 percent, shooting from long range over the 40 minutes of play. The BGSU defense held NIU to only 46 points, matching the Huskies lowest scoring output of the season.

FALCONS FALL IN THE BATTLE OF I-75 IN FRONT OF 7,392 FANS
The Battle of I-75 rivalry was all it was supposed to be and more on Jan. 24, as the Falcons and Rockets went back-and-forth in a game that saw 17 lead changes, six ties and the contest go down to the final minutes of play. However, the Rockets were able to use late free throws to hold off the Falcons, 71-67. The difference in the contest was at the free throw line, where the Rockets were 17-of-25 (68 percent) compared to the Falcons 8-of-16 (50 percent), a point differential of nine points for the game.

FALCONS SHOOT DOWN THE EAGLES IN HOME WIN
BGSU as a team shot 25-of-55 (45.5 percent) for the game, including knocking down 11-of-25 (44 percent) from behind the three-point line in a 74-58 home win over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 21. The Falcons, who had six different players make at least one three-ball for the game, hit 11 three-pointers overall to match its season-high. BGSU had four players in double figures in Anthony Henderson (17), Richaun Holmes (13), Delvin Dickerson (12) and Zack Denny (10).

SMOTHERING SECOND HALF DEFENSE VS. BALL STATE
BGSU held Ball State to just 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) shooting and forced the Cardinals into 10 turnovers in the second half of play in the 58-46 come from behind win on Jan. 17. The Falcons held Ball State to just 19 points over the final 20 minutes of the contest, while scoring 35 points of their own in the home MAC win.

VERSUS AKRON ON JAN. 14: BGSU ICE COLD FROM THE FLOOR IN LOSS AT AKRON
In the Falcons first MAC loss of the season at Akron on Wed., Jan. 14, BGSU was ice cold from the floor as a team offensively. BGSU shot a season-low 32.8 percent (20-of-61) from the field overall and scored a season-low 50 points in the 67-50 road loss. BGSU was also just 4-of-20 (20 percent) from three-point land and only 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from the free throw line for the game.

FROM WIRE TO WIRE, FALCONS TAME BOBCATS
The BGSU Falcons led from start to finish in a 69-54 home MAC win over the Ohio Bobcats on Jan. 10. In the win, BGSU led by as much as 21 points late in the second half and outscored Ohio 35-25 over the final 20 minutes of play to secure the double digit win. BGSU controlled the paint for most of the contest, out-rebounding Ohio 41-34 and outscoring the Bobcats 30-14 in points in the paint. The BGSU defense held Ohio to just eight made baskets in the second half (8-of-27), four of which were from behind the three-point line.

STRONG SECOND HALF PROPELS BGSU TO WIN AT KENT STATE
The Falcons outscored Kent State 40-29 over the final 20 minutes of play to erase a 15-point first half deficit in the 66-64 MAC road win on Wed., Jan. 7. BGSU shot 50 percent (15-of-30) in the second half, including going 6-of-8 (75 percent) from behind the three-point line in the come from behind win. The Falcons also shot a season-high 90.9 percent (10-of-11) from the free throw line in the win, it's largest come from behind win on the season.

PRESEASON LOVE FOR MR. HOLMES
Senior Richaun Holmes received a lot of preseason attention this fall, as the forward was named to a number of preseason teams.
   * 2014-15 MAC East Division All-MAC Preseason Team selection
   * Named to the 2014-15 Preseason All-MAC Team by Athlon Sports
   * Named to the 2014-15 Preseason All-MAC Team by Sporting News
   * Named to the 2014-15 Preseason All-MAC Second-Team by Lindy's Sports
   * Named to the 2014-15 Preseason Mid-American All-Conference
       Second-Team by College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com)

EXPERIENCED GROUP
The 2014-15 Falcons' roster is an experienced group, as the roster has nine upperclassmen, including six players that have played at least two years of NCAA Division I basketball. BGSU returned one redshirt senior in Anthony Henderson, three seniors in Richaun Holmes, Jehvon Clarke and Damarkeo Lyshe, as well as redshirt-junior Josh Gomez. On top of that, junior forward Spencer Parker returns along with three junior college transfers in Delvin Dickerson (Paris JC), Jovan Austin (Paris JC) and David Joseph (Howard College), who all were key parts in winning programs at the JUCO level prior to coming to BGSU.

A HANDFUL OF NEWCOMERS
Coach Chris Jans and his staff brought in a handful of newcomers in 2014-15 - five to be exact. Junior college transfers Delvin Dickerson (Houston, Texas/Paris JC), Jovan Austin (Grand Prairie, Texas/Paris JC) and David Joseph (Queens, N.Y./Howard College (Texas)) all joined the BGSU program over the summer and will have two years of eligibility for the Falcons. Freshmen Rasheed Worrell (Coker, Ala./Sipsey Valley H.S.) and Matt Fox (Maumee, Ohio/Anthony Wayne H.S.) will both have four years of eligibility at BGSU heading into the 2014-15 season.

FALCONS ON ESPN NETWORKS
The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team is slated to play 11 regular season games on ESPN3 with the following games still left to play - Feb. 7 at Northern Illinois at 8 p.m., Feb. 10 vs. Western Michigan at 7 p.m., Feb. 18 vs. Miami at 7 p.m., Feb. 21 vs. Buffalo at 2 p.m., and March 6 at Buffalo at 7 p.m.

FALCONS PICKED FIFTH IN MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference East Division in 2014-15, according to the MAC's annual Preseason Media Poll. The Falcons, who will be led by first year head coach Chris Jans in 2014-15, received 52 total points in the preseason poll, which included one first-place vote.

FALCONS SIGN THREE EARLY
On Nov. 12, BGSU head men's basketball coach Chris Jans announced the signings of Jalone Friday (Oklahoma City Storm HomeSchool/Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Jamir Andrews (Sheridan College/Dublin H.S./Dublin, California) and Malik Hluchoweckyj (Bellevue West H.S./Bellevue, Nebraska) to National Letters of Intent to continue both their athletic and academic careers at Bowling Green State University beginning in the Fall of 2015.

ON TAP FOR THE FALCONS
The Falcons will remain on the road to do battle with Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. ET. The game is slated to be streamed lived by ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App. BGSU will then return home to host the 2014 MAC Defending Champions Western Michigan on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Stroh Center.

EXTRA HITS
* Get your season tickets now - Click Here!
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* Make plans to attend the next BG home game by checking out the 2014-15 schedule here!
* Buy the newest and hottest BG gear available today by clicking here!
* BGSU Men's Basketball Commercial - Click Here!
* 2014-15 BGSU Men's Basketball Digital Media Guide - Click Here!

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