MAC East Division Title at Stake on Friday Night at Buffalo

Friday, March 6

Buffalo, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Buffalo

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Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

March 05, 2015 | Men's Basketball

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Bowling Green (19-9, 11-6 MAC) vs. Buffalo (20-9, 11-6 MAC)
Friday, March 6, 2015; 7:00 p.m. ET
Alumni Arena (6,100) / Buffalo, N.Y.
LIVE STATS
LIVE AUDIO
ESPN3
TV: TWC Sports Channel
Radio: WFRO-FM 99.1
Twitter: @BGSUMHOOPS
COMPLETE BGSU GAME NOTES (PDF)

2014-15 MAC STANDINGS
EAST TEAMS	MAC	OVERALL
Buffalo	11-6	20-9
Bowling Green	11-6	19-9
Kent State	11-6	20-10
Akron	9-8	18-12
Miami	8-9	13-17
Ohio	4-13	9-19
WEST TEAMS	MAC	OVERALL
Central Michigan	12-5	22-6
Toledo	11-6	19-11
Western Michigan	9-8	18-12
Eastern Michigan	7-10	18-12
Northern Illinois	7-10	13-15
Ball State	2-15	7-21

LAY UPS
* At least a share of the MAC East Title is on the line on Friday night between BG & UB.
* Both BGSU and UB are 11-6 in conference play this season.
* BGSU lost to Buffalo at home 68-56 in Bowling Green, Ohio on Feb. 21.
* BGSU is 9-4 on the road this season and 6-2 on the road in MAC play.
* Buffalo has won five straight games entering play on Friday night.
* BGSU leads the MAC in scoring defense at 60.9 points per game allowed.
* BGSU ranks 43rd in the nation in points allowed per game at 60.9 per contest.
* Richaun Holmes has scored in double figures in each of BGSU's last 17 games.
* The Falcons have had just 35 turnovers combined over their last four 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 BUFFALO
The Buffalo Bulls are on a five-game winning streak and have not lost since Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. Buffalo enters the final contest of the regular season on Friday night at 20-9 overall and 11-6 in the MAC, which has them in a three-way tie for the MAC East Division crown with both Kent State and Bowling Green. The Bulls are 10-2 at home this season, however, both of those losses at home have come in MAC play. Junior forward Justin Moss leads both the Bulls and the MAC at 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while guard Shannon Evans is right on his heels at 15.4 points per contest on the year. UB is ranked third in the MAC in scoring offense at 74.7 points per game, as the Bulls are second in free throw percentage at 73.4 percent and fifth in field goal percentage at 43.6 percent on the year. Buffalo also leads the MAC

THE ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS BUFFALO
The BGSU Falcons hold an 18-12 overall series lead over the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, on the hardwood with the two teams' first meeting back in 1999. The two teams split the regular season series last year with each team winning on its home floor. This season, Buffalo defeated BGSU 68-56 in Bowling Green, Ohio back on Feb. 21. The Falcons have not won at UB since recording a 74-71 win over the Bulls back on Jan. 8, 2011.

VALIANT COMEBACK EFFORT COMES UP JUST SHORT IN HOME LOSS TO UB (FEB. 21)
The Falcons, who trailed by as much as 17 points in the first half versus Buffalo, erased a 14-point halftime deficit to take a lead in the second half over the Bulls before UB knocked down free throws late to hold of BGSU for the 68-56 road win at the Stroh Center. BGSU outscored Buffalo 34-32 in the second half, but was just unable to complete the comeback bid in the loss as the Bulls were 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) overall from the free throw line for the game.

A SHARE OF THE MAC EAST TITLE & TOP-4 MAC TOURNEY SEED ARE ON THE LINE
Both BGSU and Buffalo are playing for the same two things - at least a share of the MAC East Division Regular Season Championship and a top-4 seed in next week's 2015 MAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. The winning team will clinch a piece of the MAC East Division Championship, depending on how Kent State fairs versus Akron, and will receive a top-4 seed and at least a bye to the quarterfinals round on Thursday, March 12.

COACH'S COMMENTS
"This team has responded well every time their backs have been against the wall. We'll push the reset button, we'll regroup. You know, nobody said that this was going to be easy and certainly we are taking the hard route. We've put ourselves in that position now and it's going to be a must win game for us. I expect it to be a high intensity level game."

A WIN WOULD ...
* Give the Falcons a 20-9 record overall on the season, the most wins since 24 in 2001-02.
* Put BGSU at 12-6 in Mid-American Conference play, the most MAC wins since 12 in 2001-02.
* Give the Falcons at least a share of the MAC East Divisional Championship for the first time since finishing tied for the MAC East Championship in 2008-09.
* Put the Falcons at 10-4 on the road overall for the year.
* Snap a two-game losing streak to the UB Bulls.
* Give the Falcons 20 wins on the season for the first time since posting 24 victories back in 2001-02.
* Secure a top-4 seed for BGSU in next week's 2015 MAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.

CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY
The BGSU Falcons control their own destiny as they head into the final regular season game of the year at Buffalo on March 6. With a win, the Falcons can earn a top-4 seed in the 2015 MAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament and at least a share of the MAC East Division regular season crown. With a loss to the Bulls, BGSU will receive the No. 5 seed overall for the conference tournament and host No. 12 Ball State in the first round on Monday, March 9.

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 11-6 in MAC play and have already secured their first plus .500 conference slate for the first time since 2011-12.

ON THE VERGE OF 20 WINS
BGSU's 19 wins this season is already more wins than the Falcons had all of last year (12-20) and are the most wins for the Falcons in a single season since posting 19 victories overall in 2011-12. The last time the Falcons posted 20 or more wins in a season was in 2001-02 (24-9).

WINNING ON THE ROAD
The Falcons are 9-4 overall on the road this season, which are the most true road wins for a BGSU team since the Falcons posted eight in 1999-2000. In fact, the last time the Falcons were over .500 on the road for an entire season was back in 2001-02, when BGSU posted an overall road record of 7-6 on the year.

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 66.8 points per game on the road this year compared to just 64.7 points at home - a difference of 2.1 points per outing. The difference has increased in MAC play as BGSU is averaging 68.1 points per game on road and only 64.7 points at home in conference action this season - a difference of 3.4 points per game. In league play, the Falcons are shooting 44.2 percent from the field overall on the road, 2.1 percentage points higher than their clip of 42.1 percent at home in the Stroh Center.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
The Falcons have been solid on the defensive end all year, as BGSU ranks 43rd in the nation overall in scoring defense at 60.9 points per game allowed. BGSU is also ranked in the top-five in the MAC in scoring defense (1st/60.9 ppg), field goal percentage defense (2nd/40.6%) and three-point field goal defense (4th/31.9%). Richaun Holmes leads the league in blocked shots with 78, an average of 2.8 per game, while Zack Denny is second in the MAC in steals with 50 steals, an average of 1.8 swipes per contest. Holmes ranks 16th nationally in blocked shots per game.

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 194 points (632-438) in bench points this year, an average of 22.6 points per game off the bench compared to their opponents 15.6 bench points per outing.

OVER/UNDER ON 60
This season, the benchmark in points has been the number 60. The Falcons are 16-4 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 7-8 when surrendering more than 60 points in the game to its foe.

40/40
Bowling Green has posted an overall record of 16-4 on the season when shooting over 40 percent overall from the floor as a team. The Falcons are also 11-2 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 five 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, and most recently 50.9 percent at Ball State on Feb. 14. The Falcons are 5-0 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the field for the game.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
In each of the Falcons' last six games, BGSU has taken care of the ball on the offensive end posting an average of just 8.7 turnovers per game during that span. Over the last four games, BGSU totaled only seven turnovers at home versus Kent State (Mar. 3), recorded just 10 turnovers at Miami (Feb. 28) after posting only nine turnovers per contest versus Buffalo (Feb. 21) and at Ohio (Feb. 18). In BGSU's win over Ball State on Feb. 14, the Falcons registered a season-low five turnovers in the road victory.

SCORCHING THE NET
For the first time this season, the Falcons scored 80 points in an 81-80 loss to Kent State at home on March 3. The Falcons' season-high 80 points marked the first time BGSU had posted 80 points ore more in a game since tallying 102 points versus Earlham in the 2013-14 season opener. BGSU last totaled 80 points or more against a Division I opponent versus New Orleans in an 87-56 win at home on Feb. 21, 2013.

JANS MAKES BGSU HISTORY
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.

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 1,050 points, 629 rebounds and 239 career blocks.

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 19 overall wins, the most wins in a single season since 19 victories in 2008-09, and 11 MAC victories, the most for a Falcons' squad since 11 conference wins in 2008-09. The nine road wins are also the most for a Falcons' team since the 1999-2000 team tallied eight road victories on the year.

QUARTET OF 600 POINT CAREER SCORERS
The Falcons currently have a quartet of 600 point career scorers on its roster in Richaun Holmes (1,050), Jehvon Clarke (801), Anthony Henderson (673) and Spencer Parker (659).

WE WILL TAKE THE STAIRS
Bowling Green is 4-0 this season in road games in which the route from the locker room to the court required going either up or down stairs. This includes wins at Detroit (Nov. 30), at Kent State (Jan. 7), at Central Michigan (Feb. 4) and most recently at Miami (Feb. 28).

FALCONS VERSUS THE MAC WEST IN 2015
BGSU fared well versus the MAC West Division over the regular season slate in cross-divisional match ups. The Falcons went 7-1 versus the West Division this season with two wins each over Ball State and Northern Illinois, as well as at Central Michigan and wins at home versus Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. The Falcons' lone loss to a MAC West team was on the road at Toledo on Jan. 24.

FIRST OT WIN IN OVER TWO YEARS
BGSU's 76-74 overtime win on Feb. 4 at Central Michigan not only handed the Chips their first home loss of the season (12-1), but it was also the first overtime win for a Falcons' team since Feb. 2, 2011. The Falcons last overtime win was a 73-70 OT win at NIU during that 2010-11 season.

COUNT'EM ON ONE HAND
For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the Falcons were able to count the number of turnovers that they committed on one hand with just five total miscues in the 79-65 road win at Ball State on Feb. 14. The last time BGSU coughed up the ball five times or less in a complete game was against Michigan Tech back on Dec. 27, 2006, when the Falcons committed just four turnovers overall for the contest. The five turnovers is also a season-low for BGSU this year.

HOME SWEET STROH
BGSU has called the Stroh Center home since the 2011-12 season and has posted an overall record of 40-22 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 10-5 at home this year.

THAT 70'S STROH
BGSU is an impressive 18-1 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 three times - in a 70-55 win versus Wright State on Nov. 19, in a 74-58 win over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 21, and in an 81-80 loss to Kent State on Mar. 3, their only loss when scoring 70 points or more in the Stroh.

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 six different games this year on his way to a team leading 78 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 239 career swats. He currently leads the MAC with 2.7 blocks per game this season and ranks 16th overall nationally.

A SEASON FIRST - FIVE FALCONS IN DOUBLE DIGITS
The Falcons posted a season first on Feb. 4 in the overtime win at Central Michigan, as five different players scored in double digit points for the game. Anthony Henderson (20), Jehvon Clarke (18), Zack Denny (12), Richaun Holmes (10) and Delvin Dickerson (10) all notched 10 points or more in the 76-74 win. The last time BGSU had five players score in double figures in the same game was in a 67-61 road win at Morehead State on Feb. 15, 2013.

HOLMES SHOWS OUT ON SENIOR NIGHT
Senior Richaun Holmes saved his best for last, as the 6-8 forward scored a career-high 29 points on Senior Night on March 3 in an 81-80 loss to Kent State. Holmes was 11-of-20 overall from the floor and 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line. He also pulled down nine rebounds, a game-high, and swatted away four Kent State shot attempts. His previous career-high in points had been 26, which he had done in three different contests over the last two seasons.

PARKER TALLIES FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF HIS CAREER AT OHIO
Junior forward Spencer Parker recorded his first career double-double as a Falcon in BGSU's 76-65 road win at Ohio on Feb. 24. Parker, who was 7-of-14 shooting from the field for the game overall, scored a team-high 19 points and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of play. The 19 points matched his 2014-15 season-high, while the 10 rebounds tied his career-high.

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.

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 239 career swats, is the all-time career blocks leader in BGSU history and the only Falcon ever with over 200 career blocks.

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 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.

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.

KENT STATE SHOOTS DOWN FALCONS WITH THREE-BALL ONSLAUGHT
Kent State knocked down a Stroh Center record 13 three-pointers made by an opponent and shot 61.9 percent overall from long range to edge the Falcons 81-80 on March 3 in Bowling Green, Ohio. BGSU outscored Kent State 38-18 in points in the paint and 21-6 in second chance points, yet the Falcons could not overcome the Golden Flashes three-point assault. Kent State shot 53.8 percent (28-of-52) from the field overall and was 12-of-15 (80 percent) from the free throw line. BGSU, who had four players in double figures led by Richaun Holmes' career-high 29 points, had chances late to win the game, but couldn't get the go ahead basket to fall, which allowed the Golden Flashes to escape with the win.

FIGHTING FALCONS STEAL WIN ON THE ROAD AT MIAMI
The BGSU Falcons overcame a 9:50 scoring drought to start the second half, survived a 14-0 Miami run in the second period and erased an 11-point second half deficit to post a come from behind 62-57 win on the road over the RedHawks on Feb. 28. Bowling Green outscored Miami 31-16 over the final 10 minutes of the contest, including knocking down 7-of-10 free throws in the final minute of play to steal the road win.

FALCONS SWEEP BOBCATS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2008-09
For the first time since the 2008-09 season, BGSU completed a regular season series sweep of the Ohio Bobcats with a 76-65 road win at Ohio on Feb. 24. The Falcons led by as much as 23 points in the road win in which BGSU out-rebounded Ohio 45-31 and outscored the Bobcats 42-26 in points in the paint. In the first meeting on Jan. 10, BGSU led from start to finish in a 69-54 home MAC win in which the Falcons 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. The BGSU defense held Ohio to just eight made baskets in the second half (8-of-27) of play.

MAKE IT A SERIES SWEEP OF BALL STATE FOR BGSU
Coach Jans' squad made it look easy on Feb. 14, defeating Ball State 79-65 to complete the regular season series sweep of the MAC West Division foe. The Falcons shot 50.9 percent overall, hit a season-high 12 three-pointers, and committed a season-low five turnovers in the wire-to-wire double digit win over the Cardinals. In the two teams' first meeting, BGSU held Ball State to just 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) shooting and forced BSU 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.

FALCONS CORRAL BRONCOS IN HUGE DOUBLE DIGIT WIN
The Falcons' defense held Western Michigan to its lowest scoring output of the season in a 65-49 home win at the Stroh Center on Feb. 10. BGSU held the Broncos to just 17 made field goals on 34 percent shooting and forced them into 17 turnovers for the game. Off those 17 turnovers, the Falcons scored 27 points, as BGSU shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) overall and 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from behind the three-point line in the win.

BGSU COMPLETES SWEEP OF THE NIU HUSKIES
Bowling Green overcame a 10-0 first half deficit to outscore Northern Illinois 41-34 in the second half to post a 69-65 road win over the Huskies on Feb. 7. The Falcons, who shot 56.5 percent in the second half of play, opened up the second half with an 8-0 run to take the lead from the Huskies en route to the win. The win was the second on the season over NIU, as BGSU held the Huskies to only 46 points in a 56-46 home win less than two weeks earlier on Jan. 27 at the Stroh.

FALCONS SHOOT DOWN THE CHIPS OF CMU
Bowling Green shot a season-high 52.8 percent from the field overall to shoot down the MAC's leading offensive team in the CMU Chippewas in a 76-74 overtime win on Feb. 4. The Falcons, who also shot 42.1 percent from behind the three-point line and 75 percent from the charity stripe for the game, had a season-high five different players score in double figures in the win. The 76 points are the third most points scored by the Falcons in a single game this season - 79 at USF on Dec. 28 and 77 at Drake on Nov. 15 - all of which were road wins for Coach Jans' squad.

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 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.

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.

ON TAP FOR THE FALCONS
BGSU will set its sight on the 2015 MAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. With a win over Buffalo on Friday, March 6, the Falcons will get a top-4 seed bye and not play until Thursday, March 12, in Cleveland, Ohio at the earliest. With a loss to the Bulls, BGSU will be the No. 5 seed and host No. 12 Ball State on Monday, March 9, at the Stroh Center. Game time TBA.

EXTRA HITS
* Get your MAC Championship Tournament Tickets now - 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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