BGSU & Akron to Play Friday Night on the CBS Sports Network

Friday, February 26

Akron, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Akron

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

February 25, 2016 | Men's Basketball

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

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

Bowling Green (14-14, 5-10 MAC) vs. Akron (21-7, 10-5 MAC)
Friday, Feb.26, 2016 * 7:00 p.m.
Akron, Ohio * James A. Rhodes Arena

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STARTING FIVE
(1) REMATCH PICKED UP BY THE CBS SPORTS NETWORK: The MAC office announced on Feb. 11 that the CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) had selected the BGSU versus Akron men's basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 27, in Akron, Ohio as its MAC Wildcard selection. With the wildcard selection, the televised contest was moved up to Friday night, Feb. 26, with a 7 p.m. ET tip-off on CBSSN. Check your local listings here.

(2) FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: BGSU will be playing on a Friday night for the first time all season when the Falcons will take on the Akron Zips on Friday, Feb. 26, in Akron, Ohio.

(3) STOP THE MADNESS: The Falcons have dropped 14 straight to the Zips with BGSU's last win coming back on March 1, 2009, a 50-46 win on the road in Akron, Ohio. Akron has won
22 of the last 23 meetings dating back to the 2003-04 season. Prior to the current run, the
Falcons had won 9 of 12 meetings between the two teams from 1998-2003, and won nine straight games over the Zips from 1993-97.

(4) SCORING PACE: BGSU's Spencer Parker and Wes Alcegaire have both been on a torrid scoring pace over the last few games. Parker has scored in double figures in each of the last six games, averaging 17.5 points per game during that span. Alcegaire has scored in double digits in each of the last four games, averaging 11.0 points per outing.

(5) PARKER CONTINUING THE CAREER CLIMB: Senior Spencer Parker continues to climb up the BGSU career scoring list as he now ranks 36th overall in BGSU history with 1,088 career points. Former Falcon teammate and current Philadelphia 76er Richaun Holmes is just ahead of Parker at 35th with a total of 1,089 career points.

(6th man) CENTENNIAL SEASON: The 2015-16 is the Centennial Season for the BGSU men's basketball program, which began playing basketball in 1915-16.

SCOUTING THE AKRON ZIPS
The Zips have been hit with the injury bug as of late and have dropped three of their last four contests since defeating the Falcons 83-68 back on Feb. 9. Akron, who still sits atop of the MAC regular season standings at 10-5 in league play, is 21-7 overall on the season. The Zips rank fourth in the MAC in both scoring offense (77.1 ppg) and scoring defense (68.8 ppg). Akron leads the MAC in both three-point field goal percentage (39.4 percent) and three-point field goal defense (28.6 percent), and ranks atop of the MAC in three-point field goals made per game at 11.5 per contest. UA ranks in the top-five nationally in three-point field goals made per game (11.5), three-point field goals made (323), three-point field goal percentage defense (28.6 percent) and three-point field goal attempts (820). The Zips are led by the duo of Isaiah Johnson and Antino Jackson. Johnson leads Akron in scoring (13.5 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg) and in blocks (1.4 bpg), while Jackson is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and leads the team in assists (3.4 apg) and in steals (1.2 spg). Reggie McAdams leads the Zips with 72 made three-pointers on the season and is averaging 10.4 points per game, while Noah Robotham has 90 assists on the year and is averaging 10.2 points per contest on the season.

ALL-TIME SERIES BETWEEN BGSU AND AKRON
The Akron Zips lead the all-time series at 33-24 over the Falcons and have controlled the series as of late. The Falcons have dropped 14 straight to the Zips with BGSU's last win coming back on March 1, 2009, a 50-46 win on the road in Akron, Ohio. Akron has won 22 of the last 23 meetings dating back to the 2003-04 season. Prior to the current run, the
Falcons had won 9 of 12 meetings between the two teams from 1998-2003, and won nine straight games over the Zips from 1993-97.

SHOOTING STROH CENTER RECORDS
In the two teams' first meeting this season back on Feb. 9 in Bowling Green, Ohio the Zips hit a Stroh Center record 16 three-pointers, surpassing the BGSU mark of 14 made three-pointers versus Morehead State on Feb. 18, 2012. The 16 treys are also the most by a BGSU men's basketball opponent inside the Stroh Center eclipsing the previous record of 13 set by Kent State on Mar. 3, 2015. Antino Jackson set the record for most three-pointers made by a player on the opposing team with six in the Akron win.

COACH'S CORNER
"I was proud of how our team played together and shared the ball against Ohio. That is the kind of effort and selflessness we had been trying to get them to play with over the past few weeks. We have Akron next on our schedule on Friday evening. They spread the floor with lots of shooters and can score well on the low block. One area that will need to improve is our three-point field goal defense. Akron hurt us with their shooting last time out, and that will be a major key to the game. If we are able to play hard and together for 40 minutes on Friday, we will put ourselves in position to come home with a victory."

UP NEXT FOR THE FALCONS
The Falcons will wrap up its regular season road slate at Kent State on Mar. 1 at 7 p.m., before returning home to host Buffalo in the regular season finale on Mar. 4 at 7 p.m.

A FALCON WIN WOULD ...
* Put the Falcons at 15-14 overall on the season.
* Give the Falcons an overall record of 4-4 versus the MAC East Division.
* Extend the Falcons' winning streak to two straight games.
* End a 14-game losing streak to the Akron Zips.
* Be the first win for BGSU over the Zips since a 50-46 win at Akron on Mar. 1, 2009.

LAST TIME OUT - BGSU 87, OHIO 82 (FEB. 23)
The Bowling Green State University Falcons snapped a seven-game losing streak, ended Ohio's five-game winning streak and completed the regular season series sweep of the Bobcats for the second straight season with an 87-82 home win over OU on Tuesday night at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Falcons, who shot 52.5 percent (32-of-61) for the game overall, went 17-of-28 (60.7 percent) from the field in the second half to outscore the Bobcats 51-45 over the final 20 minutes of play to complete the come from behind win. BGSU outscored the Bobcats 59-3 in bench points, as three Falcons in Spencer Parker, Antwon Lillard and Rasheed Worrell all had double digit points off the bench in the win. The Falcons out-rebounded Ohio 35-25, including hauling down 11 offensive boards that led to 11 second chance points. BGSU also outscored OU 46-30 in points in the paint and 17-6 in points from the free throw line, as the Falcons were 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the charity stripe compared to the Bobcats who were just 6-of-8 (75 percent).

STUDENT-ATHLETES FIRST
BGSU head coach Michael Huger reminded not only his team, but everyone that his Falcons are student-athletes first as he changed his starting lineup for the first time all season long for the game on Feb. 23 versus Ohio due to his players not meeting the team's academic guidelines encompassed around the motto of Attitude, Commitment and Class.

FIRST CAREER STARTS
In the Falcons' home contest versus the Ohio Bobcats on Feb. 23, three different Falcons in Brandon Busuttil, Matt Fox and Demajeo Wiggins made their first ever starts for BGSU in the 87-82 home conference win.

50-50-50?
BGSU has shot over 50 percent in each of its last two games which came on the road at Buffalo (Feb. 20) and at home versus Ohio (Feb. 23). The Falcons shot 54.4 percent (31-of-57) in a road loss at UB and then shot 52.5 percent (32-of-61) in a home win over the Bobcats.

20/20
In the second half of the Falcons' 87-82 home win over Ohio on Feb. 23, BGSU's Spencer Parker scored all 20 of his points over the final 20 minutes of the contest. He is the first Falcon to score 20 points or more in a half since Jordon Crawford had 20 points in a half versus Buffalo back on Mar. 8, 2013.

NO LOVE FOR THE FALCONS IN FEBRUARY
BGSU has had no love thus far in the month of February, as the Falcons are just 1-6 thus far this month. The Falcons are averaging just 67.4 points per game for the month of February and are giving up an average of 75.0 points per contest for the month.

MAKE IT 10 YEARS IN A ROW
With the Falcons' 87-82 win over Ohio on Feb. 23, BGSU recorded its seventh home win of the season. BGSU has registered at least seven home wins over each of the last 10 seasons dating back to the 2006-07 season.

SHARING THE ROCK
The Falcons have done a good job in sharing the ball over the last five games, as BGSU has recorded a total of 72 assists over that span, an average of 14.4 per game. BGSU had 17 assists versus Akron (Feb. 9), posted back-to-back games with 14 assists versus Western Michigan (Feb. 13) and at Northern Illinois (Feb. 16), dished out 12 assists at Buffalo (Feb. 20) and most recently tallied 15 assists in the home win over Ohio (Feb. 23).

1000 AND COUNTING FOR PARKER
In the Falcons contest on Feb. 9 versus Akron, senior forward Spencer Parker recorded his 1,000th career point on a three-pointer at the 15:56 mark of the first half. He became the 43rd player in BGSU men's basketball history to reach the 1,000 career points mark. Parker finished the game with 23 points and enters Friday night's contest with 1,088 points overall, which ranks 36th overall.

HITTING 100 FROM LONG RANGE
Junior shooting guard Zack Denny eclipsed the century mark in three-point field goals made for his career with his first trey at NIU on Feb. 16, as he has now drained a total of 102 career treys over his three years at BGSU. After making just three three-pointers in just three games due to injury as a freshman in 2013-14, Denny knocked down a team-high 50 three-balls last season. He has made a team-high 49 three-pointers for the Falcons thus far this season.

DISH FROM ISH
Junior point guard Ismail Ali leads the team with a total of 111 assists thus far this season. The first-year Falcon made it eight straight seasons that at least one player has recorded 100 assists or more for BGSU, a streak that dates back to the 2008-09 campaign.

GOTTA GET TO 70
The Falcons have got to find a way to get to the magic number of 70 on the scoreboard, as BGSU is 13-3 overall on the season when scoring 70 points or more. The Falcons are just 1-11 on the year when scoring less than 70 points for the contest.

LINE OF DEFENSE = UTMOST IMPORTANCE
The defense has been vital to the Falcons success this season, as BGSU is just 2-12 on the season when its opponent records a higher field goal percentage than the Falcons for the game. While on the flip side, BGSU is 12-2 when shooting better from the floor than its foe and is a solid 8-2 overall when holding its opponent to less than 40 percent shooting for the game. The Falcons are 8-2 when limiting their opponents to 69 points or less for the contest, but are 1-6 when allowing their opponents to score 80 points or more for the game.

SHARP SHOOTING FALCONS
The Falcons have shot over 44 percent from the floor as a team in each of their 14 wins this season, including shooting a season-high 55.7 percent overall from the field in the blowout win over Urbana on Nov. 29. The Falcons are 12-2 on the season when shooting better than their opponents from the field as a team overall with losses coming at Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 6 and at Buffalo on Feb. 20.

KEY IS CLEANING THE GLASS
BGSU has done well this season when out-rebounding its opponents for the game. In fact, the Falcons are a stellar 13-2 when grabbing the same number or more rebounds than their foes in a game this season. The Falcons are 1-12 on the year when losing the battle of the boards with the lone win coming versus Miami (Ohio) at home on Jan. 6, 2016.

GETTING TO THE CHARITY STRIPE
Bowling Green has made it a habit to get to the free throw line this year, as the Falcons have shot more foul shots than their opponents in 19 of their 28 games this season. BGSU has attempted 20 or more free throws in 21 games on the year, including a season-high 35 attempts at Detroit on Dec. 12. The Falcons have made more free throws than their opponents have even attempted in NINE different contests this season.

BENCH HELP
The BGSU bench has been big for the Falcons thus far in MAC play, as Coach Huger's subs have outscored their opponent's bench in 10 of the 15 conference contests with the Falcons matching the Eastern Michigan Eagles in one of those other five contests. In league play, BGSU has totaled 379 bench points, an average of 25.3 points per game. Their opponents have combined to score at total of 232 bench points, an average of 15.5 per contest over league play.

MINUTES, MINUTES, EVERYONE GETS MINUTES!
A total of nine players are averaging double digit minutes of playing time on the court thus far this season for the Falcons. In fact, at least nine different players have notched 10 minutes or more of playing time in 13 different games for the Falcons this season. Six different Falcons are averaging 20 minutes or more of playing time on the year.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
The duo of Zack Denny and Spencer Parker have each tallied multiple double-doubles this season and have combined for nine double-doubles on the year overall. Denny recorded his six double-doubles with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win over YSU, followed by 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the FGCU Eagles. He then tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds in the road win at Cleveland State to close out the month of December and then totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds in the very next game versus Oakland City (Ind.). He picked up 12 points and 10 rebounds in the road win at Ohio on Jan. 12 and then registered 20 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the home contest versus Ball State on Feb. 2. Parker has registered three double-doubles this season with 16 points and 12 rebounds versus North Dakota, 22 points and 10 boards in the win at FGCU and a career-high 33 points and 11 rebounds at Detroit.

SPENCE LEADING BY EXAMPLE
As the most experienced player on the Falcons' roster, senior forward Spencer Parker has been leading by example with career numbers this season. Parker leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.5 points per game and is second in rebounding with 5.4 rebounds per game, both of which are career highs. He has scored in double figures in 22 games and has already posted eight 20-plus point games with 22 points at FGCU, 20 points versus UMBC, a career-high 33 points at Detroit, 22 points at Ohio, 21 points on the road at EMU, 23 points at home against Akron, 21 points on the road at Buffalo just last Saturday and 20 points at home versus Ohio on Tuesday night, Feb. 23.

RESILIENT FALCONS
The Falcons have proved to be "fighting" Falcons throughout the 2015-16 season, as Coach Huger's squad have trailed by five points or more in seven of their 14 wins this season. In fact, BGSU has been behind on the scoreboard in 12 of their 14 wins on the year. In three of their last four wins, the Falcons have erased a double digit deficit for a come from behind win. BGSU deleted a 14-point deficit at Ohio to defeat the Bobcats 91-75 on Jan. 12. The Falcons overcame a 10-point deficit at Western Michigan to upend the Broncos 79-78 in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Jan. 26. and then most recently erased a 10-point deficit to Ohio in an 87-82 home win over the Bobcats on Feb. 23.

TWO GOING FOR 20-PLUS
With Spencer Parker's 21 points and Zack Denny's 20 points in the road win at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 16, the duo became the first pair of Falcons to score 20 points or more in the same game since BGSU's Anthony Henderson and Jehvon Clarke each poured in 23 points at Toledo on Feb. 5, 2014. The Falcons did it again on Feb. 23, as Parker and Wes Alcegaire each poured in 20 points in the 87-82 home win over Ohio.

NON-CONFERENCE WINS
The Falcons finished their non-conference regular season slate with a 9-4 record this season. The nine non-conference wins, not including postseason play, are the most by a Falcons' team in a single season since posting 10 non-conference wins in 2006-07.

CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2015-16
The Falcons have three team captains for the 2015-16 season in junior JD Tisdale, junior Wes Alcegaire and redshirt-sophomore Garrett Mayleben.

A FALCON NOW LEADING THE FALCONS
It seems fitting that a former Falcon would lead the program during its Centennial Season, as former BGSU standout and 1994 graduate Michael Huger returns to his alma-mater as the head coach in 2015-16. Huger, who returns to where he was a standout player for the Falcons from 1989-93. While a player at BGSU, Huger helped the Falcons to a pair of NIT appearances. Tabbed the BGSU Team MVP in 1992-93, he earned all-conference honors in his final two seasons, and was a Naismith Award nominee and the runner-up for MAC Player of the Year his senior year.

WATCH ME: BGSU ON ESPN3, BCSN AND THE TWC SPORTS CHANNEL
Every Falcons' home game over the 2015-16 season will broadcast live on ESPN3. A number of road contests will also be video steamed live over the ESPN3 network, while the Falcons will also still appear locally on the Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN) as well as the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel (TWCS). Of the remaining games left this season, BGSU will be on BCSN and TWCS on Mar. 1 at Kent State and on Mar. 3 vs. Buffalo.

PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH IN THE MAC EAST IN PRESEASON POLL
With the loss of its top three scorers from last season in Richaun Holmes to the NBA, and both Jehvon Clarke and Anthony Henderson due to graduation, the Falcons were picked to finish sixth in the MAC East Division in the 2015-16 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, which was determined by a 23-member MAC News Media Panel. The Falcons garnered 42 points overall.