Falcons Face Eastern Michigan Tuesday In Conference Home Opener

OPENING TIP
* The Falcons and Eagles will meet for the 91st time on Tuesday evening. The two schools have split the last 10 meetings, while BGSU leads the all-time series, 48-42.
* Bowling Green won the only game of the season last year, as the Falcons went to Ypsilanti on Jan. 16, 2016 and won by a score of 84-79.
* BGSU is coming off its first MAC win and first road win of the 2016-17 season. The Falcons defeated Ball State in Muncie on Saturday (Jan. 7) afternoon, 76-71.
* The Falcons are riding a six-game winning streak at the Stroh Center. BGSU has not lost in Bowling Green since Nov. 20, 2016.
* With one three-pointer, Zack Denny will move into 10th place all-time on the program's three-point field goals list.
* Demajeo Wiggins is averaging 13.1 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last seven games. He averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds last week in the first week of MAC play.

HUGER'S THOUGHTS ON EASTERN MICHIGAN
"I am thrilled with how our guys competed at Ball State. All season, we have lost close games at the end, but our guys showed a lot of growth and maturity by finishing out the game down the stretch. We will look to build on that momentum next game against Eastern Michigan. They play a very aggressive and tough zone defense, so we will need a great team effort in order to beat them. Their guards can really score, and their big men are dominate inside. Rebounding and transition defense will be major keys for us if we want to win the game."

SCOUTING THE EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES
Eastern Michigan, known primarily for its zone defense, owns a 9-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in conference play. The Eagles opened up MAC play with a convincing 85-63 at home over Buffalo. Over the weekend, however, EMU was dealt a home loss by Buffalo by a score of 77-68. EMU starts a large front line in 6-11 center Baylee Steele and 6-10 forward James Thompson, who is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high 10.8 rebounds. Off the bench, guard Willie Mangum leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game. Fellow guard Ray Lee is next in line averaging 15.6 points per contest. Eastern Michigan is shooting just 32.8 percent from downtown, as they score a majority of their baskets in transition and inside of the three-point line. Due largely in part to its zone, opponents are shooting just 32.0 percent against EMU. The Eagles are averaging 83.8 points per game and shooting 45.6 percent from the floor. Sixth-year head coach Rob Murphy is a product of the Jim Boeheim coaching tree, and has gone 100-86 at Eastern Michigan.

A BGSU WIN WOULD…
• Move the Falcons back to .500 on the season at 8-8
• Give BG a 2-1 mark in conference play
• Increase the Falcons' home winning streak to seven games
• Bump BGSU's home record up to 7-2 on the season
• Give BGSU a 2-0 record against EMU in the Michael Huger Era
• Increase the Orange and Brown's advantage in the all-time series to 49-42

BGSU EARNS FIRST MAC WIN & FIRST ROAD WIN OF 2016-17 SEASON IN MUNCIE
After starting the 2016-17 season with six-consecutive losses on the road, the Falcons held off Ball State for a 76-71 victory last Saturday (Jan. 7) in Muncie, Indiana. Bowling Green earned its first road win, and first MAC win of the season win in the process. With less than two minutes to go in the game, sophomore Antwon Lillard scored tough baskets inside. In both scenarios, Lillard's baskets bumped BGSU's advantage from one point to three points. The Falcons contested a few late threes to perfection, and Ball State's game-tying triple with less than ten seconds left hardly drew iron. Senior Zack Denny hit two clutch free throws to secure the victory for the Orange and Brown.

BOWLING GREEN RANKS INSIDE THE TOP 100 IN THREE-POINT DEFENSE
The Falcons have shot the three-ball extremely well this season, as they rank third in the MAC and 107th nationally at 36.8 percent. The Falcons three-point defense, however, has been just as good. The Falcons rank 97th in the country in three-point defense. BGSU is holding its opponents to a 32.4 percentage from downtown. Bowling Green's three-point defense was on full display in its win over the weekend at Ball State (Jan. 7). The Falcons forced Ball State to shoot an anemic 16.0 percent from deep, as the Cardinals went 4-for-25 from three-point land. BGSU held Notre Dame College (Nov. 29) to a 3-for-28 night. Morgan State (Nov. 26) went 4-for-14 from distance against the Falcons, while Detroit Mercy (Dec. 10) went 2-for-15. In six different games, Bowling Green has allowed five or fewer three-point makes.

FALCONS HAVE WON SIX-STRAIGHT AT THE STROH
BGSU earned its sixth-consecutive win at the Stroh Center by defeating Norfolk State by a score of 86-77 on Dec. 30 to move to 6-2 at home this season. Along with the Norfolk State win, Bowling Green has knocked off Murray State (Nov. 21), Morgan State (Nov. 26), Notre Dame College (Nov. 29), Detroit Mercy (Dec. 10) and Alabama A&M (Dec. 22). Bowling Green last lost a home game on Nov. 20, which is nearly two months ago. Over the six-game winning streak, the Orange and Brown have been winning games by an average of 15.7 points. The Falcons have scored an average points 81.3 points, while holding opponents to an average of 65.6 points. Opponents are shooting a combined 39.2 percent from the field, and an anemic 29.3 percent from three-point range in Bowling Green's last six games played at the Stroh Center.

LAST TIME AT STROH: FALCONS SHOOT 52.1 PERCENT TO BEAT NORFOLK STATE
Bowling Green scored 50 points in the second half and shot 52.1 percent for the game, and pulled away from Norfolk State to earn an 86-77 win. The win was BGSU's sixth-straight at the Stroh Center. The 86 points tied the team's output against Notre Dame College (Nov. 29) for the second most points scored in a game this season. The Falcons also made a season-high 28 free throws on a season-high 40 attempts. BG's freshmen – Rodrick Caldwell, Dylan Frye and Justin Turner – combined for 32 points on 9-of-21 shooting. Caldwell tied his career high with 13 points, while Turner set his career high with 10 points. Frye scored nine points and had three rebounds. Senior Wes Alcegaire scored a team-high 17 points, and sophomore Demajeo Wiggins recorded a double-double, as he finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

BIG MAJ HAS BIG WEEK AS FALCONS OPEN MAC SLATE
Sophomore Demajeo Wiggins opened up MAC play last week with two big-time performances. In games at Akron (Jan. 3) and at Ball State (Jan. 7), Wiggins averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent (16-of-28) from the floor and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from the free throw line. In the MAC opener against the Zips, the Toledo native went 10-for-17 from the field and scored a career-high 21 points. Wiggins then went 6-for-11 from the floor at Ball State to finish with 17 points. In both games, he had eight rebounds. Wiggins' 10 field goals at Akron was also a career high, and at Ball State, he had 15 points and seven rebounds in the second half. Wiggins is now averaging 10.7 points and 7.5 rebounds after averaging 4.6 and 4.4 last season as a freshman.

ALL FIVE FALCON STARTERS SCORE IN DOUBLE DIGITS IN MAC OPENER
Bowling Green played a heck of a road game at Akron on Jan. 3. BGSU shot a season-high 54.1 percent from the field, and twice narrowed double-digit deficits to a single possession. Furthermore, all five of BGSU's starters – Demajeo Wiggins (21), Ismail Ali (16), Zack Denny (16), Antwon Lillard (16) and Wes Alcegaire (10) – scored in double figures, marking the first time that has happened since Dec. 15, 2013. For Wiggins, his point total established a new career high, while Ali's 16 points was a season high. But in the end, Akron escaped with an 89-84 victory. The Zips shot 56.6 percent from the floor and a ridiculous 45.5 percent from downtown on 22 three-point attempts.

IN A GOOD WAY, ALI WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE AT AKRON
Senior guard Ismail Ali had possibly the best game of his career last Tuesday (Jan. 3) at Akron. In 25 minutes of play, the senior had a season-high 16 points, and added five assists, five steals and four rebounds. The five steals marked a new career high. Ali went 6-for-9 from the floor, and tied his season high for field goals made with six. The South Hayward, California native, who averaged 5.4 points in his first season as a Falcon in 2015-16, is now averaging 6.2 points per contest. Ali has scored in double figures four times this season, and in each game, he's also recorded at least five assists.

WINNING TEAMS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO BOWLING GREEN'S ROAD WOES
The Falcons are 1-6 on the road in 2016-17. Although five of those losses have been by single digits, four of them have been by two possessions or fewer, and the last three defeats have been by a combined nine points, the Falcons' opponents deserve a large amount of credit for BGSU's struggles away from home. Bowling Green has played seven really difficult road games. In fact, all seven of BGSU's opponents on the road – Oakland (14-3), South Dakota (12-7), Cincinnati (13-2), Evansville (10-7), San Jose State (8-6) Akron (12-3), and Ball State (9-6) – own winning records. The seven opponents, five of which have won 10-plus games already, have a combined record of 78-34. Furthermore, BGSU's next three road opponents – Toledo (9-6), Central Michigan (10-5) and Kent State (9-6) – all have winning records. As of now, the Falcons are on track to play their first team with a losing record on Feb, 14, when the team travels to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan. If that holds up, it will have been 95 days into the 2016-17 season.

MORE SCORING IN HUGER'S SECOND SEASON
In head coach Michael Huger's first season at the helm of his alma mater, BGSU finished the year scoring 70.6 points per game. Through 15 games of the 2016-17 season, the Falcons are up to 74.5 points per contest. Even more encouraging is the fact that the Falcons are shooting 42.9 percent after shooting at a 44.4 percent clip last year. With some more efficient shooting, BG's production could continue to rise. Furthermore, with over half the season to go, the Orange and Brown have already scored 80-plus points four times, after hitting the 80-point mark eight times in 2016-17.

FINISHING THE NON-CONFERENCE SLATE OUT STRONG
Bowling Green finished its non-conference schedule with a pair of home wins over Alabama A&M (Dec. 22) and Norfolk State (Dec. 30). The two victories allowed the Falcons to finish the out-of-conference slate with a 6-7 record. In the Norfolk State win, the Falcons shot 65.2 percent in the second half, and scored 50 points. In the victory over Alabama A&M, BGSU closed the first half on a 13-2 run to take an eight-point lead into the break, and never looked back. The two victories improved BGSU's non-conference record under second-year head coach Michael Huger to a solid 17-12.

DENNY NEEDS ONE MORE TRIPLE TO JOIN BGSU'S THREE-POINT FRATERNITY
Bowling Green's three-point fraternity will have a new member very, very soon. Senior guard Zack Denny has made 122 three-point field goals in his career, and is just one triple shy surpassing Jordon Crawford (2009-13) for 10th most all-time. Denny, who has made at least one three-pointer in 11 of BGSU's last 12 games, made 50 triples in 2014-15 and 52 bombs in 2015-16. If he were to make 50 more three-pointers this season, Denny would finish his career ranked sixth all-time in made three-point field goals. For his career, Denny is shooting 36.9 percent from downtown.

LILLARD NOW PLAYING AT AN ELITE LEVEL
After a relatively quiet stretch of games, sophomore guard Antwon Lillard has been making a large impact over the last five contests. Over the current five-game stretch, Lillard is shooting 61.1 percent (22-of-36) and averaging 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per ballgame. After a 0-for-10 night at Cincinnati (Dec. 4), the Cleveland native has shot at least 50.0 percent in seven-consecutive games. And his three-point shooting has also risen dramatically since the Cincinnati game, as he's gone 7-of-11 over that period to increase his percentage up to 34.4 percent. Lillard started the MAC schedule with a pair of big games last week. He shot 5-for-7 from the field and scored 16 points at Akron (Jan. 3). In Bowling Green's most recent game at Ball State (Jan. 7), Lillard carried the Falcons down the stretch and finished with a game-high 19 points, which tied his season high. He also chipped in with eight rebounds and three assists. For the season, Lillard is shooting a team-high 49.0 percent.

ALCEGAIRE AVERAGING 13.8 POINTS OVER LAST NINE GAMES
Senior forward Wes Alcegaire has scored 10-plus points in seven of the last nine games, and is averaging 13.8 points over that stretch. Additionally, the senior is shooting 49.8 percent (45-of-92) from the floor across the nine-game span. Alcegaire leads the 2016-17 Falcons in scoring (12.8), total field goals (71), and three-point field goals (24). His field goal percentage (47.3) ranks second on the team. Alcegaire is averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists, which are both career bests. He already has two more assists (23) than he did all of last season. The Miami, Florida native has been BG's most efficient scorer, as well. He's shot at least 50.0 percent in nine games this season, including four out of the last five games. Despite is scoring numbers being down last week, Alcegaire still scored 10 points at Akron (Jan. 3) and eight points at Ball State (Jan. 3). He's scored in double figures 10 times in 2016-17.

ALI RANKED FIRST IN THE MAC IN ASSIST-TO-TURNOVER RATIO
Heading into Tuesday night's game versus Eastern Michigan (Jan. 10), senior guard Ismail Ali ranks first in the Mid-American Conference with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. Ali has 72 assists compared to 29 turnovers. Last season, Ali finished with a 1.8 ratio after racking up 130 assists and committing 73 turnovers. Additionally, the senior sits fourth in the MAC in assists per game with 5.1. He's had 10 games with at least five assists, including seven games with at least six assists. Ali has had a pair of seven-assist games at San Jose State (Dec. 18) and versus Morgan State (Nov. 26), and dished out a season-high nine assists on Nov. 29 in a win over Notre Dame College.

WIGGINS CONTINUES TO "BEAT THE RIM"
Heading into the offseason, free throw shooting, among other aspects, was a huge focus for sophomore forward Demajeo Wiggins. Michael Huger tried to get Wiggins to narrow his focus, and reminded the sophomore that the only obstacle in his way was the rim. Huger constantly told his player to "beat the rim." This season, Wiggins is experiencing one of the biggest turnarounds from the free throw line in college basketball history. After shooting 37.9 percent (22-of-58) in 2015-16, the Toledo native is, incredibly, up to 75.3 percent (58-of-77) in 2016-17. He's made eight-plus free throws in three games this year, including a pair of 9-for-10 contests. Wiggins, despite having shot just 19 more free throws than he did in 2016-17, has already made 36 more free throws this season.

ZACK "DOUBLE-FIGURE" DENNY
Although his streak of scoring 10-plus points ended at 10-consecutive games in Bowling Green's last non-conference game of the season against Norfolk State (Dec. 30), Denny has taken his offensive game up a notch in 2016-17. After averaging 10.6 points as a junior, 9.2 points as a sophomore and 3.3 points as a freshman, Denny currently sits second on the team in scoring, as he's averaging 12.5 points per game. Along with fellow senior Wes Alcegaire and sophomore Demajeo Wiggins, Denny is one of three Falcons averaging double digits this season. The senior scored 15 points last game at Ball State (Jan. 7), and has now had 45 double-digit nights across his career. He's 137 points shy of becoming the 44th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. The Germantown, Ohio native has scored at least 10 points in 13 of Bowling Green's 15 contests this season.

FRYE AVERAGING 10.0 POINTS AND SHOOTING 51.2% OVER LAST SIX GAMES
Over the last six ballgames, freshman guard Dylan Frye is averaging 10.0 points and shooting 51.2 percent (22-of-43) from the field. He's also shooting 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from downtown over that six-game stretch. Although he scored nine points in BGSU's most-recent home game against Norfolk State (Dec. 30), prior to that, Frye scored 10-plus points in three-consecutive games for the first time in his career. The young sharp shooter dropped a career-high 18 on Detroit Mercy (Dec. 10), and then scored 10 points at San Jose State (Dec. 18) and 16 points versus Alabama A&M (Dec. 22). Frye leads the Bowling Green bench in both scoring (7.3) and minutes (18.7). Frye is shooting 46.4 percent from the field, and 45.2 percent from three-point range. He's up to 70.6 percent at the line after making his last five attempts.

#DeepFrye
Freshman guard Dylan Frye is shooting the three-ball at a silly clip, especially over Bowling Green's last 11 games. Over that current 11-game stretch, Frye is 19-for-38 (50.0 percent) from deep. He has made at least one triple in nine of those 11 games, and is shooting 45.2 percent (19-for-42) from downtown for the season, which ranks fifth in the MAC. The Pembroke Pines, Florida native hit four triples against Alabama A&M (Dec. 22) on Dec. 22, which marked the second time in three games that he made four three-pointers, as he went an identical 4-for-7 from deep versus Detroit Mercy on Dec. 10. Frye connected on 3-of-4 triples in the Falcons' victory over Morgan State (Nov. 26) earlier in the season. The freshman has hit multiple three-balls in five games this season, and has shot at least 50.0 percent from three-point land in a total of seven contests. In the Falcons' last game at Ball State (Jan. 7), he nailed his first triple in MAC play with a nasty crossover, and step-back move in the second half.

JUSTIN TURNER'S CAREER NIGHT AGAINST NORFOLK STATE
After missing the first 11 games of the season with a lower body injury, freshman guard Justin Turner returned to the floor against Alabama A&M on Dec. 22. He scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting in 12 minutes. In the Falcons' next game, Turner doubled his minutes and doubled his production, as he scored a career-high 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting. He also recorded the first assist and steal of his career. Turner pulled down two rebounds in each of his first two games as a Falcon.

CALDWELL TIES HIS CAREER HIGH WITH 13 POINTS VERSUS NORFOLK STATE
Freshman guard Rodrick Caldwell found his scoring touch at the end of non-conference play. Caldwell has had three double-digit scoring nights, and all three of them came over BGSU's last five games of the non-conference slate. The freshman tied his career high against Norfolk State (Dec. 30) with 13 points. He was 4-for-7 from the field, had four assists, zero turnovers, three rebounds and one steal. Earlier in December, Caldwell had consecutive nights with 10-plus points, as he scored 10 at Evansville (Dec. 6) and 13 versus Detroit Mercy (Dec. 10). In 17.9 minutes, Caldwell is averaging 6.0 points, 1.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds.

WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?
Junior guard Matt Fox, who was put on scholarship just hours before BGSU's win over Murray State (Nov. 21), has adapted well to his increased role this season. The guard, who virtually guards power forwards every time he's on the floor, does more than just shoot threes. However, three-point shooting has been Fox's calling card since arriving on campus, and he's been very effective this season from downtown. Fox has hit a three in eight of Bowling Green's last 11 games. Over that 11-game stretch, Fox is 12-for-22 (55.4 percent) from downtown. The Maumee, Ohio native has hit at least two triples in four games this season, while also having a 4-for-7 game from three-point land versus Morgan State (Nov. 26). Fox ranks seventh in the MAC in three-point percentage at 43.2 percent.

THE BGSU SPLASH BROTHERS
Bowling Green has six players on the 2016-17 roster that have made 11-plus attempts from three-point range this season. As a team, BGSU is shooting 36.8 percent from downtown. This mark is virtually all due to the team's six sharp shooters. Bowling Green's Splash Brothers – Wes Alcegaire (24-of-66; 36.4 percent), Dylan Frye (19-of-42; 45.2 percent), Zack Denny (17-of-57; 29.8 percent), Matt Fox (16-of-37; 43.2 percent), Rodrick Caldwell (13-of-38; 34.2 percent), and Antwon Lillard (11-of-32; 34.4 percent) – have combined to make a total of 100 triples. Collectively, they are shooting 36.7 percent from deep (100-of-272).

FALCONS REGISTER WIN NO. 50 AT THE STROH CENTER
Bowling Green's 90-58 win over Morgan State (Nov. 26) marked the program's 50th victory at the Stroh Center. The Falcons now own an overall record of 54-33 at the Stroh Center, which opened for the 2011-12 season. The Orange and Brown have won 11-plus games in three seasons at the Stroh, as BGSU went 12-4 in the facility's inaugural season, prior to finishing 11-5 in 2012-13, and 11-6 in 2014-15. BGSU owns a .621 winning percentage at the Stroh Center.

YEAR TWO OF THE MICHAEL HUGER ERA
After guiding the Falcons to a 16-18 record last season, head coach Michael Huger has begun his second season at the helm of his alma mater. Huger has brought some needed stability to the program, as the 2016-17 season will mark the first time that the Falcons will have a head coach for back-to-back seasons since 2013-14. The former Falcon guard will look to build off an exciting run at last year's MAC Tournament. The Orange and Brown defeated both Kent State and Central Michigan, two team's that beat BGSU twice during the regular season, to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2009.

FALCONS INK FOUR DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
On the eve of the college basketball season (Nov. 10), Bowling Green announced the signing of four future student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Nelly Cummings (Midland, Pa. / Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School), Joniya Gadson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Dillard High School), Derek Koch (West Salem, Ohio / Northwestern High School) and Daeqwon Plowden (Philadelphia, Pa. / Mastery Charter North School) are set to join the program for the 2017-18 season. More information can be found at BGSUFalcons.com.

#BGinItaly
Due largely in part to Bill Frack's extreme generosity, financial commitment and unwavering support towards the men's basketball program, the team went on an 11-day cultural immersion tour in Italy from Aug. 8-18. The program spent days in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and Lake Como, and saw some of the most famous landmarks in Italian history. The Falcons traveled to The Vatican, spent time inside the Roman Colosseum, visited the Ferrari Museum and saw the famous gondolas in Venice, among many other stops, which included Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. The Orange and Brown also played four games, and accumulated a 3-1 record while playing professional and national competition.

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