Denny’s Last-Minute Triple Propels BGSU to Thrilling 78-77 Win Over Murray State

Monday, November 21

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

1-4

Murray State

2-3

Murray State

Bowling Green

Denny’s Last-Minute Triple Propels BGSU to Thrilling 78-77 Win Over Murray State

November 21, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

Post-Game Press Conference Video: Huger | Denny
Post-Game Audio: Todd Walker With Coach Huger
Game Highlights: BGSU vs. Murray State
Todd Walker Radio Calls: Denny Game-Winning Three | BG Wins! | Ali Big Layup Late
More Todd Walker Radio Calls: Frye's First-Career Three | Frye Again For Three | Ali And-1 Three
Photo Gallery: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing & Communications | Larry Clapper
Final Statistics: NCAA Box/Play-By-Play | HTML

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Senior guard Zack Denny hit a game-winning three with 53 seconds left to propel the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team to a 78-77 victory over Murray State on Monday (Nov. 21) evening at the Stroh Center. The game concluded the first-ever Bill Frack Tournament.

Following Denny's triple, which came off an Ismail Ali pass, Murray State's Terrell Miller Jr. missed a three with 39 seconds left in regulation. Denny secured the rebound, and with 14 seconds remaining, BGSU called a timeout.

Out of the timeout, the Falcons got a wide-open layup attempt, but the ball rimmed out with six seconds left on the clock. Terrell secured the rebound for Murray State, and dished it off to Jonathan Stark, who scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Stark attempted a running jumper at the buzzer, but it was well-contested by Ali. The shot came up well short, and the Falcons escaped with the thrilling victory.

Bowling Green improves to 1-4 on the season with the win, and the win allowed BGSU to walk away with a victory in the Bill Frack Tournament. Murray State went 1-2 on the weekend, and fell to 2-3 on the season with the loss.

The Falcons led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but Murray State connected on 8-of-14 three-point attempts in the final half to rally and take the lead. Stark went 4-for-4 from downtown by himself in the second half, and hit consecutive threes to tie the game at 71-71 with 3:43 left in regulation.

An Ali layup pushed BGSU back in front, 73-71, but Stark split a pair of free throws, and then made a layup with 2:14 remaining to put the Racers back up by a point. Ali followed with another layup with 1:54 to play, but Bryce Jones, who finished with 16 points, answered with a dagger-type three to put Murray State up by a score of 77-75 with 1:13 to go. Denny hit the game-winning three on Bowling Green's next possession to give the Falcons the win.

Denny finished the game with a team-high 17 points. He shot 6-of-10 from the floor, and also had three rebounds. Bowling Green had four players in double figures, as Demajeo Wiggins and Wes Alcegaire had 13 points apiece, and Ali added 12 points.

Wiggins had nine rebounds to go along with his 13 points, and went 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Alcegaire went 3-for-6 from three-point range, while Ali also had five assists and three rebounds.

Dylan Frye had a career-high nine points. He was 3-for-6 from the field, and made consecutive threes in the first half to finish the game 2-for-3 from distance. Frye also added one assist and one rebound. Antwon Lillard contributed with five rebounds. Rasheed Worrell had seven rebounds and five points.

The Orange and Brown will return to the Stroh Center on Nov. 26 to take on Morgan State. The tip is slated for 12 p.m. The Falcons will then take on Notre Dame College on Nov. 29 in Bowling Green at 7 p.m.