Falcons & Zips to Tip-off Tuesday Night #MACtion at the Stroh Center

Tuesday, February 9

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Akron

Tickets

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

Falcons & Zips to Tip-off Tuesday Night #MACtion at the Stroh Center

February 08, 2016 | Men's Basketball

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

STARTING FIVE
(1) CLOSING IN ON 1,000: Spencer Parker is looking to become just the 43rd player in BGSU men's basketball 100-year history to score over 1,000 career points as a Falcon. The senior from Detroit, Mich. enters Tuesday night's game with 994 career points, only six shy of the career points milestone.

(2) IN THE LAND OF THE BIGS: BGSU guard Zack Denny leads the team and is ranked eighth in the MAC in rebounding with an average of 7.4 rebounds per contest on the season. Denny, at just 6-feet, 2 inches tall, is the shortest player in the top-10 in rebounding with the next smallest guy measuring in a 6 feet, 6 inches. In fact, the average height of the other top-nine rebounders in the MAC sits at 6 feet, 8 inches tall.

(3) NEW LEADER/NEW FORTUNE: BGSU first year head coach Michael Huger will look to change the Falcons' fortune versus Akron, as the Zips have won 13 straight games over BGSU in men's basketball action with the Falcon's last win coming at Akron on Mar. 1, 2009.

(4) TWO DIFFERENT TRENDS: Tuesday night's meeting at the Stroh Center will be the meeting between two teams currently on two different trends. BGSU has dropped three straight games, a season-high, heading into the contest versus Akron, while the Zips are riding a six-game winning streak into play this week.

(5) FINDING POINTS IN FEBRUARY: The Falcons are looking to find their scoring thus far for the month of February, as head coach Michael Huger's squad is averaging just 57.5 points per game thus far in the second month of the year. Prior to their two contests in February, the Falcons were averaging 73.3 points per game on the season.

(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.

ASSIST WITH THE FALCONS
Fans are encouraged to assist Flint, Mich., as that community's water crisis continues. BGSU Athletics will be collecting unopened cases of water at the north and south lobbies of the Stroh Center during the men's basketball game on Tuesday night (Feb. 9) and the women's basketball game on Wednesday (Feb. 10). For each case of water donated, fans will receive a voucher good for $5 off a general admission ticket for any remaining regular-season basketball game (excluding women's basketball's game vs. Toledo).

TIM HORTON'S ROLL UP THE RIM AND WIN
Tuesday night's game will be the "Tim Horton's Roll Up the Rim" Night. The first 500 fans in attendance at the men's basketball game will receive a free Tim Horton's cup. When you roll up the rim, fans can either win a free donut or a free small coffee. The free donut or coffee is ONLY redeemable at the Tim Horton's locations.

SCOUTING THE ZIPS OF AKRON
The Akron Zips enter Tuesday night's contest at the Stroh Center on cruise control having won six straight contests, all of which have come in MAC play. At 19-4 overall and 8-2 in the MAC, the Zips are sitting atop of the MAC regular season standings and have a one-game lead over the Buffalo Bulls. Akron is ranked third in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing just 67.2 points per game, and is fourth in scoring offense with an average of 77.3 points per outing, giving them a scoring margin of +10.0 on the season overall. The Zips are doing it with the three-ball this season, as Akron leads the MAC in three-point field goals made with an average of 11.3 per contest and ranks first in the MAC with a three-point field goal percentage of 38.9 percent on the season. Defensively, the Zips lead the MAC in blocked shots with 95 swats, an average of 4.1 per game, and ranks third in field goal percentage defense by holding its foes to just 40.6 percent shooting overall on the year, including a MAC low 27.8 percent from behind the three-point line. The Zips have four players averaging over 10 points per game on the season led by the big-man in the middle Isaiah Johnson who leads the team with 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Antino Jackson is second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game and leads the Zips with 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest on the season.

ALL-TIME SERIES BETWEEN BGSU AND AKRON
The Akron Zips lead the all-time series at 32-24 over the Falcons and have controlled the series as of late. The Falcons have dropped 13 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 21 of the last 22 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.

AKRON THREES
Akron has made a living this year from long range behind the three-point line, as the Zips rank first in the MAC in three-point field goals made (260), three-point field goal attempts (668), three-point field goals made per game (11.3) and in three-point field goal percentage (38.9 percent). This Zips are ranked third nationally in three-point field goals made per game (11.3), fifth nationally in three-point field goals made (260), seventh in three-point field goal attempts (668) and 25th in three-point field goal percentage (38.9 percent). The Zips also rank first in the MAC and nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense by holding their opponents to just 27.8 percent shooting from long range.

COACH'S CORNER
"I was certainly not pleased with our effort the past two competitions. There needs to be a significant increase in our sense of urgency as we head into our next stretch of games. Our goal is to get Bowling Green back to the top of MAC. Doing so is a process, but there is no excuse for not playing hard and without enthusiasm. My staff and I preach "control what we can control" and our level of effort is an area we collectively control. Next up on the schedule is a highly respected Akron squad. Akron has had our number the past few years between our two teams. As always, we will need a complete effort on the defensive end of the floor, but in order to win we will need to first improve our effort."

UP NEXT FOR THE FALCONS
The Falcons will remain at home to host the Broncos of Western Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m. BGSU defeated WMU 79-78 on Jan. 26 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

A FALCON WIN WOULD ...
* Put the Falcons at 14-10 overall on the season.
* Give BGSU an overall record of 3-2 versus the MAC East Division on the year.
* Hand the Falcons their first win for the month of February.
* Snap a season-high three-game losing streak.
* End a four-game home losing streak at the Stroh Center.
* Put a stop to a 13-game losing streak to the Akron Zips on the hardwood.
* Be the Falcons first-ever win at home over the Akron Zips inside the Stroh Center.
* Be the first win for BGSU over Akron since a 50-46 road win on March 1, 2009.

LAST TIME OUT - MIAMI 55, BGSU 51 (FEB. 6)
The Falcons' defense held Miami to just 17 made baskets on 30.9 percent shooting for the contest, yet were outscored 19-7 at the free throw line and out-rebounded 46-36 on the glass by the RedHawks who escaped Millett Hall with a 55-51 home win over BGSU in MAC East play on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Ohio. In a game that saw nine lead changes and four ties, neither team was able to get anything going offensively for the full 40 minutes of play. The Falcons shot just 20-of-57 (35.1 percent) overall, including shooting 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) from behind the three-point line, while the BGSU defense held Miami to just 17-of-55 shooting (30.9 percent) overall for the game. However, the difference came at the free throw line where the RedHawks were 19-of-29 (65.5 percent) compared to the Falcons who were just 7-of-12 (58.3 percent), a 12-point differential at the charity stripe. The Falcons were whistled for a total of 24 fouls, while Miami was called for 10.

MAC WILDCARD SELECTION
Bowling Green's road contest at Buffalo on Saturday, Feb. 20, was selected as the MAC Wildcard and will be televised by BCSN and Time Warner Cable Sports. ESPN3 will also cover the game. The start time was moved to 12 p.m. (noon) in Buffalo, N.Y.

PARKER APPROACHING 1,000
Senior Spencer Parker is quietly approaching the 1,000 career points mark in his final year at BGSU. He enters Tuesday's contest with 994 career points, just six points away from the career milestone. Parker, who is averaging 13.5 points per game this season, would need to average 0.75 points per game over the remaining eight regular season games for BGSU to reach the mark and become just the 43rd player in BGSU history to score over 1,000 career points.

SHOOTING FOR 100
Junior shooting guard Zack Denny is closing in on 100 made three-point field goals for his career, as he has drained a total of 98 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 45 three-pointers for the Falcons thus far this season.

SOLID START A NECESSITY
BGSU has relied on solid starts this season, as the Falcons are 10-2 on the season when leading at the halftime break. Bowling Green is just 3-7 on the season when going into the locker room trailing at the halftime intermission and 0-1 on the year when tied at the half.

LINE OF DEFENSE = UTMOST IMPORTANCE
The defense has been vital to the Falcons success this season, as BGSU is just 1-9 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 12-1 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 0-4 when allowing their opponents to score 80 points or more for the game.

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 12-2 when grabbing the same number or more rebounds than their foes in a game this season. The Falcons are just 1-8 on the year when losing the battle of the boards with the lone win coming versus Miami (Ohio) at home on Jan. 6, 2016.

SHARP SHOOTING FALCONS
The Falcons have shot over 44 percent from the floor as a team in each of their 13 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 12-1 on the season when shooting better than their opponents from the field as a team overall with the lone loss coming at Miami on Feb. 6.

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 15 of their 23 games this season. BGSU has attempted 20 or more free throws in 18 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 seven 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 eight of the 10 conference contests with the Falcons matching the Eastern Michigan Eagles at 10 bench points apiece in the other game. In league play, BGSU has totaled 244 bench points, an average of 24.4 points per game. Their opponents have combined to score at total of 134 bench points, an average of 13.4 per contest.

HOME SWEET STROH
BGSU has called the Stroh Center home since the 2011-12 season and has posted an overall record of 47-28 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 have recorded double digit home wins at the Stroh in three of the last four years. BGSU is 6-5 this season at home in the Stroh with wins over New Orleans, Urbana, UMBC, Drake, Oakland City (Ind.) and Miami.

THAT 70'S STROH
BGSU is an impressive 25-2 at the Stroh Center when scoring 70 points or more in a contest. BGSU is 6-1 at the Stroh this season when scoring 70 points or more.

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.

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.

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 13.5 points per game and is second in rebounding with 5.6 rebounds per game, both of which are career highs. He has scored in double figures in 17 games and has already posted five 20-plus point games with 22 points at FGCU, 20 points versus UMBC, a career-high 33 points at Detroit, 22 points at Ohio and 21 points on the road at EMU.

DENNY DIALING IN FROM LONG DISTANCE
This season, Zack Denny is shooting a career-high 41.3 percent from behind the three-point line and leads the team with 45 made treys on the season. The junior guard is shooting 40.7 percent overall from long distance for his career, as he is 98-of-241 from long range, which has him currently ranked fifth in career three-point field goal percentage. He has also made at least one three-pointer in 19 of 23 games this season for the Falcons and has made multiple treys in 12 different games on the year.

HUGER FIRSTS ON THE SIDELINE
BGSU first-year head coach Michael Huger picked up his first career win as a head coach in the 79-61 win over New Orleans in the season opener. His first MAC win as a coach with the Falcons' 73-62 home win over Miami (Ohio) in the two teams' conference opener on Jan. 6, at the Stroh Center. He recorded his first MAC road win at Ohio, 91-75, on Jan. 12.

10 POINT POSSESSION
BGSU recorded a 10-point possession in only 37 seconds late in the second half in the win over Ohio on Jan. 12. The Falcons got a three-pointer from Ismail Ali (3), who was also fouled on the play. After the foul, a scuffle ensued with both teams which drew four technical fouls, three to Ohio and one to BGSU. With the technical fouls, BGSU got four free throws on top of Ali's foul shot from being fouled on the play. Ali hit his free throw from the foul (4) and then calmly knocked down 3-of-4 attempts from the Ohio technical fouls (7). BGSU then got the ball out of bounds, where Zack Denny abruptly drove down the lane, hit the layup (9) and was fouled on the play. He then drained the free throw (10) to cap of the possession. BGSU is 9-2 on the season when making more free throws than its opponent compared to just 3-4 overall when its foe makes more free throws than them for the game.

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.

GRABBING 50
For the first time in eight years, the Falcons as a team reached the 50 mark in rebounds in a single game. BGSU pulled down a season-high 50 rebounds in the win over Oakland City (Ind.) on Jan. 2, 2016. The last time a Falcons' squad totaled 50 rebounds or more was back in the 2008-09 season, when BGSU hauled in 50 boards versus Detroit on Dec. 14, 2008.

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 Feb. 20 at Buffalo and on Mar. 1 at Kent State. A number of other BGSU games could be chosen for TV by either ESPN or the CBS Sports Network throughout the season as wildcard selections.

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.