Huger & Falcons Claim 73-62 Win in MAC Opener on Wednesday Night

Wednesday, January 6

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

10-4, 1-0MAC

Miami

6-8, 0-1MAC

Miami

Bowling Green

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

January 06, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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

Final Stats: Box Score (PDF)
Final Stats: Box Score (HTML)
Audio: Postgame Press Conference: Huger | Wiggins
Video: Postgame Press Conference: Huger | Wiggins
Audio: Postgame Interview with Todd Walker: Huger
Video: BGSU Highlights
Audio: Radio Calls by Todd Walker:
    1st half - Alcegaire slam to start the game
                  Parker drives coast-to-coast off Ali steal
                  Denny three-ball late in shot clock
                  Lillard off-balance bank shot
    2nd half - Denny three & takes charge on the other end
                    Denny misses once, makes on the second try
                    Alcegaire and-1 in the lane
                    Wiggins block at the rim
Photos: Photo Gallery (Bianca Garza)
News: The Centennial Season
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Schedule: 2015-16 BGSU Men's Basketball Schedule
Tickets: Men's Basketball Season Tickets on Sale Now!

BGSU Highlights

Coach Huger Postgame Press Conference

Wiggins Postgame Press Conference

Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green State University head coach Michael Huger and the Falcons picked up their first Mid-American Conference (MAC) win of the season with a 73-62 win over Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday night in the two teams' MAC opener at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.

The Falcons used stingy defense, which recorded nine steals and eight blocks, and an 11-1 run in the second half to pull away from the RedHawks for the double digit win.

BGSU held Miami to just 34.3 percent shooting (23-of-67) overall, including forcing the visitors in red to go just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) from behind the three-point line, while the Falcons shot 44 percent (23-of-67) for the game.

While Miami made more field goals (23) than the Falcons (22), BGSU drained three more three-pointers than the RedHawks for the game and took advantage of the free throw line where the home team was 24-of-30 (80 percent) on the night. In fact, BGSU made more free throws (24) than the RedHawks shot (22) for the contest.

Zack Denny paced the Falcons with a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds, as the junior guard was 6-of-10 from the field overall, including going 4-of-6 from long distance. Fellow starters Wes Alcegaire and Spencer Parker added nine and eight points apiece, respectively, while off the bench Antwon Lillard poured in a career-high 16 points, as he was 8-of-10 from the free throw line.

Freshman Demajeo Wiggins pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points and two blocks in 20 minutes of play off the BGSU bench, while fellow forward Rasheed Worrell recorded a career-high four rejections on the night. Ismail Ali finished with nine points, three assists and three steals in 22 minutes for the Falcons.

For Miami, Eric Washington had a game-high 21 points in 34 minutes of play, as the senior guard was 6-of-17 overall from the field and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. Fellow senior Geovonie McKnight posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Kalif Wright came off the bench to chip in with 10 points in just 16 minutes.

The game did not start out well for either team, as just 10 seconds in to the game Miami called a timeout on a loose ball situation to preserve possession, while for the Falcons, the RedHawks were able to pick up five offensive rebounds and attempt six shot attempts before the home team was able to get its first offensive possession.

The first offensive possession for the Falcons proved to be worth the wait, however, as BGSU ran a set play that had David Joseph finding a cutting Alcegaire for an alley-oop slam to put BGSU in front early at 2-0 less than two minutes into the contest.

After the RedHawks answered with a dunk of their own from Chris Bryant 35 seconds later to tie the game up, the trend for the first half had been set as it would prove to be a tight contest for the next 18 minutes of play.

Neither team was able to distance itself from the other, as the next seven minutes would see two ties and six lead changes with the sixth coming on a layup in the paint from BGSU's JD Tisdale to put the Orange and Brown in front at 14-12 with 11:30 to go in the opening half.

Bowling Green was able to push its lead out to as much as five at 19-14 on a three-pointer from Denny at the 7:38 mark, again at 21-16 with 6:13 on the clock on free throws from Alcegaire and once more at 23-18 on a layup in the paint from Denny with 5:08 to go in the half, only to see the RedHawks answer with a layup all three times to cut the lead back down to just three points on each occasion.

Following a layup by Washington to put the RedHawks down three at 23-20, the Falcons got a lift off the bench from Lillard who scored four straight points and all five of the points for BGSU over the final 3:53 of the first half to keep the home team in front by four at 28-24 at the halftime break.

Out of the halftime intermission, the RedHawks struck first, as a mid-range jumper from McKnight and a layup down low from Bryant over the first two minutes of the second half tied the game back up at 28-28 with 18:21 to go in the game.

After a Denny layup for BGSU and a Logan McLane runner for Miami put the score at 30-30, the Falcons got a three-ball from Denny at the 16:47 mark to again push the Falcons in front at 33-30.

The trey proved to be huge, as BGSU refused to relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest, as three straight points from Parker and back-to-back layups by Lillard kept the home team in front of Miami at 40-37 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the contest.

The RedHawks would trim the BGSU lead to one at 40-39 and then again at 42-41, before a layup in the lane from Lillard jump-started an 11-1 spurt by the Falcons over a four minute stretch to propel the Orange and Brown out to an 11-point lead on a three-ball from Joseph with 7:29 to go regulation.

Over the 11-1 spurt, the Falcons held Miami to 0-of-6 shooting, while BGSU got points from Lillard, Denny, Alcegaire and Joseph to pull out to the largest lead of the game.

Miami was able to get to within eight points of the Falcons five different times for the remainder of the contest, however, BGSU had a taut hold on the lead and took advantage of its trips to the free throw line where the Falcons scored their last 16 points of the game over the final three minutes of play to ice the 73-62 double digit home conference win over a divisional foe.

BGSU outscored Miami 33-18 in bench points and 14-6 in points off turnovers. Miami edged the Falcons 42-30 in points in the paint and 17-14 in second chance points on the night.

Miami out-rebounded BGSU 44-36 for the contest, including hauling in 20 offensive rebounds compared to just seven for the Falcons.

Bowling Green (10-4, 1-0 MAC) will remain at home to host Central Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. ET inside the Stroh Center.

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Notes

BGSU improved to 10-4 on the year with the home win over Miami on Wednesday night.
The Falcons have now gone 9-3 overall in their last 12 MAC openers and have won each of their MAC openers in the last two years.
With the MAC win, BGSU head coach Michael Huger picked up his first conference win as a head coach with the 73-62 victory.
The win snapped a three-game home losing streak to the Miami RedHawks.
With their halftime lead of 28-24 in the win, the Falcons are now 9-0 on the season when leading at the halftime intermission.
BGSU improved to 6-1 at home in the Stroh Center on the season with the win.
The win extends the Falcons' winning streak to three straight games.
BGSU's 24 made free throws was a season-high for the Falcons as a team on the year.
With his three-pointer early in the first half, Zack Denny has now made at least one three-point basket in 18 straight games and in all 14 games thus far this season.
BGSU shot 44 percent on the night overall, meaning the Falcons have shot 44 percent or higher in all 10 of their wins this season.
Bowling Green has now scored 72 points or more in nine of its 10 wins this season.
With their 24 made free throws and Miami's 22 free throw attempts, the Falcons have made more free throws than their opponents have attempted in five games this season.
BGSU is now 25-1 all-time in the Stroh Center when scoring 70 points or more in the game.
The Falcons are now 47-24 all-time in the Stroh Center.
Antwon Lillard poured in a career-high 16 points in the win on Wednesday night.
Demajeo Wiggins pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds in the MAC opener.
Rasheed Worrell recorded a career-high four blocks in the win over Miami.