CIT Second Round Hoops on Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. at the Stroh

Canisius (17-14) vs. Bowling Green (21-11)
Saturday, March 21, 2015; 1:00 p.m. ET
Stroh Center (4,347) / Bowling Green, Ohio
LIVE STATS
LIVE AUDIO
LIVE VIDEO
TV: BCSN
Radio: WFRO-FM 99.1
Twitter: @BGSUMHOOPS
TICKETS
COMPLETE BGSU GAME NOTES (PDF)

2015 CIT
Second Round Games
MARCH 20 High Point (23-9) @ Eastern Kentucky (20-11), 7:00 p.m. MARCH 21 Canisius (17-14) @ Bowling Green (21-11), 1:00 p.m. UL-Lafayette (21-13) @ Sam Houston State (26-7), 3:00 p.m. UT Martin (20-12) @ USC Upstate (24-11), 5:00 p.m. Northern Arizona (20-14) @ Sacramento State (21-11), 10:00 p.m. MARCH 23 Cleveland State (18-14) @ NJIT (19-11), 7:00 p.m. Evansville (20-12) @ Eastern Illinois (18-14), 7:00 p.m. Kent State (22-11) @ Texas A&M Corpus Christi (20-13), 8:00 p.m. NOTE: The CIT uses the old NIT model in which there is no set bracket. Future round opponents are determined by the results of the previous round.

LAY UPS
* BGSU is making its first postseason appearance since the 2011-12 season.
* This marks the second time that the Falcons have played in the CIT, first being in 2012.
* This will mark the 21st national postseason appearance in BGSU's history.
* The BGSU men's basketball program is 9-21 all-time in national postseason play.
* BGSU's 21 wins this season marks the first 20-win season since 2001-02.
* Saturday's game will be the first-ever men's basketball national postseason tournament game in the Stroh Center in the building's four year history.
* BGSU is coming off it's first national postseason tournament win since 1975.
* The Falcons defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) 67-64 in the first round of the 2015 CIT.
* Bowling Green is 11-5 at home in the Stroh Center this season.
* Bowling Green State University 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.

COACH'S COMMENTS
"We are pleased to be hosting a second round CIT game this Saturday afternoon at the Stroh Center. Our current goal to finish the season with positive momentum continues after winning Bowling Green's first postseason game in 40 years on Tuesday. We hope our BGSU fans will come out and support these student-athletes who are striving to win a championship."

FALCONS IN THE CIT
BGSU will be making its second appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The Falcons were selected to play in the CIT back in 2012. BGSU is 1-1 all-time in the CIT after posting a 67-64 road win at Saint Francis University (Pa.) in the first round of the 2015 CIT on March 17. BGSU lost to Oakland 86-69 in the first round of the 2012 CIT at the O'rena in Rochester, Michigan on March 14, 2012.

30-SECOND SHOT CLOCK
The CIT, like the NIT, will be experimenting with a 30-second shot clock via NCAA request.

POSTSEASON WIN
With BGSU's 67-64 first round CIT win over Saint Francis (Pa.) on March 17, the Falcons posted their first national postseason tournament win in 40 years. Prior to the 2015 CIT first round win, BGSU had not had a national postseason tournament win since defeating Tennessee in the 1975 National Commissioner's Invitational (NCI). The win also snapped a 10-game national postseason tournament losing streak for the Falcons.

FIRST-EVER POSTSEASON GAME IN BG
Saturday afternoon's second round CIT contest marks the first-ever men's basketball national postseason tournament game to be held at Bowling Green State University. The Stroh Center has hosted NCAA Women's Basketball Championship First Round contests and a number of Women's National Invitation Tournament games, but Saturday, March 21, 2015 will mark the first-ever national postseason game in men's basketball in the Stroh Center's four-year history.

FIRST ROUND RECAP
The shorthanded Falcons, who played without senior Richaun Holmes and junior Delvin Dickerson, overcame a slow start and an early eight-point first half deficit to erase a three-point Saint Francis (Pa.) halftime lead in a 67-64 road win on March 17. BGSU shot 57 percent from the three-point line and 90 percent from the charity stripe in the second half to score 37 points over the final 20 minutes of play in the road win.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIFFINS
Canisius College advanced to the second round of the CIT for the second time in three years by defeating Dartmouth 87-72 on Wednesday night, March 18, in the Koessler Athletic Center. The win, Canisius' 15th national postseason victory in school history, improved the program to 2-2 all-time in the CIT. Junior Jamal Reynolds was one of five Griffs to record double-digits in the scoring column after he posted a career-high 22 points while also recording a game-high 10 rebounds. The Griffs are 17-14 overall on the year and suffered a 60-54 loss to Monmouth in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinal round on March 7. Canisius ranks second in the MAAC in scoring defense at 62.6 points per game and ranks fourth in league play in both field goal percentage defense at 41.2 percent and three-point field goal percentage defense at 32.8 percent. The Golden Griffins take care of the ball on the offensive end, as they are ranked first in the MAAC in turnover margin at +2.1, second in assists at 14.1 per game and second in assist/turnover ratio at 1.2 on the season. The duo of Zach Lewis and Josiah Heath led the Griffs, as Lewis is averaging a team-high 12.8 points, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while Heath is tops on the team in rebounds at 6.9 per contest and blocks with an average of 1.1 rejections per game.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS CANISIUS
Bowling Green State University holds a 9-5 advantage over the Canisius Golden Griffins all-time. The two teams have not met on the hardwood since the 2009-10 season when the Falcons defeated Canisius 58-54. In fact, the two teams have played only four times, splitting the contests at 2-2, since playing each other at least once every year from 1955-1965.

OLD FOES
While the Falcons and Griffs have only played four times in the past 50 years, the two programs have a history against one another. From 1955 to 1965 the two programs played each other 10 times and at least once every single season during that 10-year span.

LONE FALCON
Only one current Falcon on the BGSU roster has ever suited up in a game versus Canisius in redshirt-junior Josh Gomez. Gomez, who transferred in to BGSU from Iona, played for the Gaels against Canisius in 2011-12. As a true freshman, Gomez posted one rebound and one block in two minutes of play against the Griffs.

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE; ALSO MOVE TO OVER .500 IN CIT
Both BGSU and Canisius are looking for a win to survive and advance to the quarterfinals of the 2015 CIT. The winning team on Saturday will continue its 2014-15 season and move to over .500 in the CIT tournament all time. Currently, the Falcons are 1-1 in the CIT, while the Golden Griffins are 2-2 overall in the CIT postseason tournament. The loser on Saturday will have it season come to an end.

A WIN WOULD ...
* Keep the Falcons' season alive and move BGSU on to the third round of the 2015 CIT.
* Hand BGSU its second-ever win in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) (1-1).
* Extend the Falcons' winning streak in national postseason tournament play to two games.
* Give the Falcons a 22-11 record overall on the season, the most wins since 24 in 2001-02.
* Put the Falcons at 12-5 at home in the Stroh Center this season.
* Be BGSU's 10th win over the Canisius Golden Griffins all-time (9-5).

HOLMES NAMED THE MAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BGSU's all-time career blocked shots lead Richaun Holmes was named the 2015 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, voted on by both the league's head coaches and media outlets. Holmes, who leads both the MAC and the Falcons with 80 total blocks and an average of 2.7 swats per contest, ranked in the top-25 nationally among all NCAA Division I basketball programs all season long in blocked shots. Holmes was the backline of defense for the Falcons defense finished the regular season ranked in the top-five in the MAC in scoring defense (1st/61.4 ppg), field goal percentage defense (2nd/40.7%) and three-point field goal defense (4th/32.5%).

RICHAUN EARNS ALL-MAC FIRST-TEAM HONORS
Senior forward Richaun Holmes was named to the All-MAC First-Team, voted on by both the league's head coaches and the league's media outlets. Holmes, who became the only Falcon in BGSU history to record 1,000 career points, 600 career rebounds and 200 career blocks, finished the regular season ranked 10th in the MAC in scoring at 14.7 points per game and tied for third in rebounding at 8.0 boards per contest for the year. The BGSU senior also ranked second in the MAC in field goal percentage at a stellar 55.7 percent on the season. The 6-8 forward also led the MAC in blocked shots per game at 2.7 per outing, which placed him in the top-25 nationally all season long.

20 WIN SEASON
BGSU's 21 wins this season is a total of nine more wins than the Falcons had all of last year (12-20) and are the most wins for BGSU in a single season since posting 24 wins in 2001-02 (24-9).

JANS = INSTANT TURNAROUND
In just his first season at BGSU, head coach Chris Jans has helped the Falcons turn things around instantly. Under Jans in 2014-15, the Falcons have posted 21 overall wins, the most wins in a single season since 24 victories in 2001-02, and totaled 11 MAC victories, the most for a Falcons' squad since 11 conference wins in 2008-09. The 10 road wins are also the most for a Falcons' team since the the 1947-48 team totaled 11 road wins on the season.

AWAY VS. HOME
On the season, the Falcons have shot the ball better on the road then at home in the Stroh Center. BGSU is averaging 67.4 points per game on the road this year compared to just 66.2 points at home - a difference of 1.2 points per outing. The difference increased in MAC play as BGSU averaged 68.9 points per game on road and only 64.7 points at home in conference action this season - a difference of 4.2 points per game. In league play, the Falcons shot 44.0 percent from the field overall on the road, 1.9 percentage points higher than their clip of 42.1 percent at home.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
The Falcons have been solid on the defensive end all year, as BGSU is ranked in the top-five in the MAC in scoring defense (1st/62.3 ppg), field goal percentage defense (3rd/41.0%) and three-point field goal defense (4th/32.7%). Richaun Holmes leads the league in blocked shots with 80, an average of 2.7 per game, while Zack Denny is tied for third in the MAC in steals with 52 steals, an average of 1.6 swipes per contest. Holmes ranks 18th nationally in blocked shots per game at 2.67 per outing and 25th in total blocks with 80 on the year.

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 over 15 minutes or more of playing time per game this season. In fact, the Falcons have outscored their opponents by 230 points (721-491) in bench points this year, an average of 22.5 points per game off the bench compared to their opponents 15.3 bench points per outing.

OVER/UNDER ON 60
This season, the benchmark in points has been the number 60. The Falcons are 18-6 overall when they score 60 or more points for the contest and just 3-5 when they score less than 60 points. On the flip side, BGSU is 12-1 on the season when holding its opponents to less than 60 points and just 9-10 when surrendering more than 60 points in the game to its foe.

40/40
Bowling Green has posted an overall record of 18-6 on the season when shooting over 40 percent overall from the floor as a team. The Falcons are also 11-3 in games this season when holding its opponent to less than 40 percent shooting for the game.

50 PERCENT SHOOTING = WIN
BGSU has shot 50 percent or better from the floor as a team this season in seven different games. The Falcons shot 51.8 percent at Drake on Nov. 15, 50.0 percent vs. Alabama A&M on Dec. 6, 50.0 percent on the road at USF on Dec. 28, 52.8 percent at Central Michigan on Feb. 4, 50.9 percent at Ball State on Feb. 14 and the Falcons shot a season-high 54.9 percent versus Ball State in the first round of the MAC Championship Tournament on March 9. Most recently, BGSU shot 53.2 percent in a loss to Eastern Michigan in the MAC Tournament second round on March 11. The Falcons are 6-1 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the field for the game.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
This season, the Falcons have posted single digit turnovers as a team in 11 different contests. In fact, BGSU is 9-2 on the season when limiting its miscues to nine or less turnovers for the game. In BGSU's win over Ball State on Feb. 14, the Falcons registered a season-low five turnovers in the road victory. Most recently, BGSU committed just nine turnovers at Saint Francis (Pa.) in the first round of the 2015 CIT tournament on March 17.

HOLMES' EFFICIENCY
Richaun Holmes has filled up the basket at a high rate this season leading the Falcons all season long not only in scoring, but also field goal percentage. Holmes leads the MAC and is ranked 25th nationally overall in field goal percentage, as the senior is shooting 56.4 percent from the floor overall on the season.

RETURN TO SENDER
Falcon senior Richaun Holmes has posted a block in all but four games thus far this season and has totaled a season-high five blocks in six different games this year on his way to a team leading 80 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 241 career swats. He currently leads the MAC with 2.7 blocks per game this season and ranks 18th overall nationally.

SHARING THE ROCK AT A HIGH CLIP
The Falcons as a team have been sharing the rock at a high clip as of late, totaling 70 assists as a team over their last five games. BGSU has posted double digit assists in each of its last five contests, dating back to March 3 versus Kent State, and are averaging 14.0 assists per game over the last five games of play.

40 YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH
With BGSU's 67-64 first round CIT win over Saint Francis (Pa.) on March 17, the Falcons posted their first national postseason tournament win in 40 years. Prior to the 2015 CIT first round win, BGSU had not had a national postseason tournament win since defeating Tennessee in the 1975 National Commissioner's Invitational (NCI). The win also snapped a 10-game national postseason tournament losing streak for the Falcons.

QUARTET OF 600 POINT CAREER SCORERS
The Falcons currently have a quartet of 600 point career scorers on its roster in Richaun Holmes (1,075), Jehvon Clarke (871), Anthony Henderson (734) and Spencer Parker (682).

HOLMES ETCHES NAME IN THE BGSU HISTORY BOOKS
Senior Richaun Holmes became the 42nd player in BGSU's 100 year history to reach the 1,000 career point mark in the Falcons' 76-65 road win at Ohio on Feb. 24. Holmes became only the 12th Falcon player since 1953-54 to record 1,000 career points and 600 career rebounds. BGSU's career blocks leader also became the first player in Falcons' history to register 1,000 career points, 600 career rebounds and 200 career blocks. He currently has career numbers of 1,075 points, 641 rebounds and 241 career blocks.

JANS #MAKEHISTORYNOW
With the Falcons' 62-57 win over Miami on Feb. 28, head coach Chris Jans became the only head coach in BGSU history to record 19 wins overall in his first year at the helm of the Falcons' program. He surpassed both Hall of Famer Harold Anderson and Bill Fitch, who both had 18 wins in their first years on the bench for BGSU, for the most wins by a first year head coach at BGSU. He now has 21 wins overall in his first year on the BGSU sidelines.

THAT 70'S STROH
BGSU is an impressive 19-1 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 four times - in a 70-55 win versus Wright State on Nov. 19, in a 74-58 win over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 21, an 81-80 loss to Kent State on Mar. 3, their only loss when scoring 70 points or more in the Stroh, and in an 88-75 first round MAC Championship Tournament win over No. 12 Ball State on March 9.

HOME SWEET STROH
BGSU has called the Stroh Center home since the 2011-12 season and has posted an overall record of 41-22 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 went 11-5 at home this year.

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.

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.

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 scored by an opponent 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.

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.

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 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.

TEAM IMPACT - ALEX SCHENK IS THE NEWEST FALCON
The BGSU men's basketball team, in working with Team IMPACT signed Alex Schenk as the newest Falcon! Alex, a 13-year-old from Perrysburg, Ohio, was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot - a defect that involves anatomical abnormalities of the heart when he was born. He has had four open heart surgeries, 15 heart caths, one surgery on his lungs, and had a stroke in 2009 leaving his left side weaker. Additionally, Alex had spinal surgery last month and is currently recovering. With all Alex continues to battle through, he truly epitomizes what it means to be a fighter and is sure to be an inspiration to all his new coaches and teammates. Team IMPACT matches courageous kids with local college athletic teams. Team IMPACT children are drafted onto the team and become an official member of the team from Draft Day through to Graduation. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team.

EXTRA HITS
* 2015 CIT Tournament Central - Click Here!
* BGSU Men's Basketball Commercial - Click Here!
* Follow the BGSU Men's Hoops Team on twitter @BGSUMHoops!
* 2014-15 BGSU Men's Basketball Digital Media Guide - Click Here!

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