Chippewas Use Three-Ball to Down BGSU, 79-67

Saturday, January 9

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

10-5, 1-1MAC

Central Michigan

8-7, 1-1MAC

Central Michigan

Bowling Green

Photo by: Larry Clapper

January 09, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

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            1st half - Wiggins rebound and-1
                          Alcegaire offensive rebound
          2nd half - Ali drive and foul
                          Worrell three-pointer
                          Joseph steal leads to Parker free throws
                          Worrell with another three-ball
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Bowling Green, Ohio – The Falcons had two players in double figures and outscored Central Michigan 34-18 in points in the paint, however, it wasn't enough as the Chippewas drained 10 three-pointers, including going 7-of-11 from long range in the second half, to defeat BGSU 79-67 on Saturday afternoon in a cross-divisional Mid-American Conference contest inside the Stroh Center.

The loss snaps BGSU's home winning streak at five games and puts the Falcons at 10-5 overall and 1-1 in MAC play. CMU, the 2014 defending MAC Champions and 2015-16 MAC preseason favorites, improved to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in the MAC with the win.

Bowling Green was 24-of-57 (42.1 percent) from the field overall, but was just 5-of-14 (35.7 percent) from behind the three-point line and just 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line. CMU was 24-of-47 (51.1 percent) from the floor, 10-of-25 (40 percent) from long distance and 21-of-27 (77.8 percent) from the charity stripe.

In the second half, Central Michigan connected on 13-of-20 shot attempts, a clip of 65 percent, including going 7-of-11 from behind the three-point line, to outscore the Falcons 46-37 over the final 20 minutes of play.

Senior Spencer Parker led the Falcons with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, while forward Rasheed Worrell tallied 13 points, on 5-of-8 shooting, and six rebounds. David Joseph added nine points, four rebounds and two assists, while off the bench freshmen Antwon Lillard and Demajeo Wiggins chipped in with nine and eight points apiece.

Central Michigan had just six players score in the contest, however, four Chips finished in double digits led by Braylon Rayson's game-high 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 5-of-8 shooting from long range. Chris Fowler totaled 14 points, as he was 9-of-13 from the free throw line, while fellow guard Rayshawn Simmons poured in 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 34 minutes of play. Forward John Simons recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes.

The Falcons got off to a slow start on Saturday afternoon, as BGSU missed each of its first three shot attempts and fell behind early at 7-0 on a jumper from Rayson with 18:26 to go in the contest.

After a jumper from the right wing from Zack Denny put the Falcons on the scoreboard at the 18:07 mark, the Chips picked up a layup from Rayson in the lane to push the visitors back in front by seven at 9-2 with 17:45 left in the opening half.

A jumper from the free throw line from Worrell on the next BGSU offensive possession jump-started a 9-0 spurt by the Orange and Brown over the next 3:30 of play to propel the Falcons in front for the first time at 11-9 at the 14:16 mark of the first half on a three-point from Parker.

The two teams then traded baskets, each team with two apiece, before Fowler knocked down one of two free throws at the 11:48 mark to tie the game up once again, this time at 15-15.

Bowling Green then picked up a three-pointer from Joseph, a jump hook in the paint from Wiggins and a fast break layup from Parker to outscore the Chips 7-2 over a three minute span to take its largest lead of the game at 22-17 with 8:44 to go before the halftime break.

However, the Parker layup at the 8:44 mark would be the last made field goal for the Falcons over the next 7:30 of the first half, as BGSU went ice cold from the floor and saw foul trouble knock off its offensive rhythm which CMU took full advantage of.

Over the Falcons' field goal drought, BGSU went 0-of-10 from the field which allowed CMU to go on a 12-4 run, as BGSU was able to get four free throws from Joseph during the span to keep the contest close.

Finally the Falcons ended the field goal famine with a driving layup from Joseph at the 1:14 mark of the first half to put BGSU within one of the Chippewas at 29-28.

The game of fouls continued over the final minute of the half, as both teams hit two free throws apiece, while Simmons added an open layup on the left block to close out the first 20 minutes of play and put the visitors in front by three at 33-30 at the halftime intermission.

The start of the second half saw both teams going back-and-forth, as BGSU tied the score up at 36-36 on back-to-back layups from Worrell and Parker, and then again at 38-38 on a Wes Alcegaire drive and finger roll with 16:51 to go in the game.

Following a free throw from CMU's Fowler and two straight baskets by Simmons in the paint which put the Chips on top by five at 43-38, the Falcons' got an offensive stick back basket from Wiggins to trim the Central Michigan lead to three at 43-40 with just under 14 minutes left in regulation.

That's when the Chips caught fire from long range, as the next four baskets from CMU were all from behind the three-point line as the visitors shot their way out to a double digit lead at 55-44 at the 8:32 mark on a trey from Simons.

Two free throws from Simons 20 seconds later pushed the Chippewas' lead to 13 at 8:11, as the Falcons struggled to get their offensive going again in the second half.

The Falcons cut the lead to 11 at 57-46 on free throws from Lillard and again at 60-49 on a layup from Parker and a foul shot from Worrell, yet a CMU three-ball each time would extend the visitors lead back out to 14 points.

After a jumper from Rayson at the 5:32 mark gave CMU its largest lead of the game at 16 points, the Falcons got a three-pointer from the top of the key from Worrell, his first trey of the season, to kick off a 12-6 spurt by the home team who close the gap to 10 at 71-61 on a three-pointer from the left wing from Lillard with 2:46 to play.

Two CMU free throws and another three-pointer from the top of the key from Worrell put the Falcons down nine at 73-64, yet time was ticking away on the Orange and Brown who played the foul game to try to stop the clock.

The veteran CMU team answered by going 6-of-8 from the free throw line over the final two minutes of play to help outscore the Falcons 6-3 down the stretch and hold on for the 12-point 79-67 road conference win.

BGSU's bench outscored Central Michigan 21-3 for the 40 minute contest, however CMU held a 14-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

Bowling Green (10-5, 1-1 MAC) will hit the road to take on the Ohio Bobcats on Tuesday night, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. in Athens, Ohio.

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Notes

BGSU falls to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in MAC play with the loss.
The Falcons are now 6-2 at home in the Stroh Center this season.
With the home loss, BGSU's home winning streak was snapped at five straight games.
BGSU had its winning streak over Central Michigan halted at two straight games with the loss.
The loss is the first loss of the 2016 calendar year for the Falcons.
Spencer Parker's 15 points gives him 10 games this season with double digit points.
Rasheed Worrell hit his first career three-pointer in the second half of the contest.
Zack Denny, who went 0-of-2 from behind the three-point line on the day, had his streak of consecutive games with a made three-point field goal stopped at 18 straight games.
BGSU is now 47-27 all-time in the Stroh Center.