Bowling Green Travels To Athens Saturday To Battle Bobcats

Saturday, February 18

Athens, OH

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Ohio

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

February 16, 2017 | Men's Basketball

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

OPENING TIP
• Bowling Green and Ohio will meet for the 142nd time on the hardwood on Saturday. BGSU has won four of the last five meetings, and holds a 77-64 advantage in the all-time series.
• Ohio won the first game of the season series in Bowling Green on Jan. 28 by a score of 96-72.
• Bowling Green last lost in Athens on Feb. 9, 2013. The Falcons have won three-consecutive games at the Convocation Center.
• The Falcons are 2-9 on the road in 2016-17, including a 2-4 mark in conference play. The Bobcats are 10-3 at home, but just 3-3 within the conference.
• Bowling Green has lost two-straight games, while Ohio has picked up two-straight victories.
• Senior Zack Denny enters the game just six points shy of 1,000 for his career. He'll become the 44th player in program history to reach 1,000-career points.
• Over the last six games, freshman Dylan Frye is averaging 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting 48.3 percent. He's scored 10-plus points in three-consecutive games.

HUGER'S THOUGHTS ON OHIO
"After a tough loss at Western Michigan, we have regrouped and worked on some areas of weakness. We will look to carry those adjustments into our game against Ohio. This is a team that hasn't seen us at our best this season, so we owe it to ourselves to put our best foot forward in this game. Defense will be a major key to victory."

SCOUTING THE OHIO BOBCATS
Ohio has won three of its last four games, and will enter Saturday's game seeded second in the conference with an 8-5 record. The Bobcats are 16-8 overall, and are 10-3 at home. In the first meeting of the season, Ohio hit a Stroh Center-record 18 three-pointers en route to a 96-72 victory. Although Ohio lost Antonio Campbell, last season's league MVP, to a season-ending injury, the Bobcats still have their fair share of stars. Redshirt-junior guard Jaaron Simmons is averaging a conference-best 6.9 assists, and leads all Bobcats not named Antonio Campbell in scoring, as he's averaging 14.8 points per game. Michigan State transfer Kenny Kaminski, a redshirt-senior forward, hit seven triples in the first meeting of the season, and is averaging 12.3 points and 2.7 rebounds on the year. Sophomore guard Jordan Dartis scored 16 points on the Falcons in January, and enters play averaging 13.7 points and 3.7 rebounds. Both Kaminski and Dartis are shooting above 43.0 percent from three-point range in 2016-17. The Bobcats lead the conference with a 39.5 three-point percentage. They are making 9.8 triples per contest. They are shooting 45.2 percent as a team, and scoring 77.7 points per ballgame. Opponents are scoring 70.3 points per game on Ohio, while shooting 41.1 percent from the floor, and 32.4 percent from deep. Saul Phillips is in his third season at Ohio, and owns an overall record of 49-40.

A BGSU WIN WOULD…
• Improve BGSU's overall record to 12-15
• Move Bowling Green to 6-8 in MAC play
• Increase BG's winning streak in Athens to four games
• Give Bowling Green more MAC wins than it had all of last season
• Give BGSU its third road win of the season
• Move Michael Huger to 3-1 versus Ohio
• Give BGSU its third road win of the season
• Even this season's series with Ohio at one game apiece
• Increase BG's lead in the all-time series to 78-64

BOBCATS FIT THE BILL FOR A BGSU ROAD OPPONENT
For the first time in 2016-17 on Tuesday (Feb. 14) at Western Michigan, Bowling Green faced an opponent on the road with a losing record. Prior to the game, Bowling Green had not played a team on the road that had a losing record at the time of the game. Besides Oakland, which was 0-0, the rest of BG's first nine road games were against winning teams. The Falcons went the first 95 days of the 2016-17 season before playing a road game against a team with a losing record, so Ohio's 16-8 record certainly fits the bill for a typical road opponent this season for the Orange and Brown. Additionally, outside of Western Michigan, the rest of BG's road opponents are still at least .500 on the season. Bowling Green's road opponents, including Ohio, own a combined record of 194-117 (.624).

BOWLING GREEN FOULS OUT AT WESTERN MICHIGAN
Bowling Green dropped to 5-8 in the conference with an 89-79 loss at Western Michigan on Tuesday (Feb. 14) night. The game featured the second-most foul calls in a game this season, as the two teams combined for 53 fouls, which was only one less than total made field goals in the contest. The Falcons had three players foul out, and were called for a season-high 30 fouls. Western Michigan scored over a third of its points at the free throw line, which is almost unheard of, especially given that the Broncos scored 89 points in the game. Both teams made 27 field goals, but the Broncos went an unworldly 31-for-37 at the free throw line. WMU's Thomas Wilder scored 38 points, and went 15-for-15 at the charity stripe. Three Falcons for BGSU – Wes Alcegaire, Ismail Ali and Rodrick Caldwell – all fouled out despite playing under 25 minutes apiece.

FALCONS STILL FIGHTING FOR MAC TOURNAMENT POSITION
With just five games to go in the regular season, there are a total of six schools within a game of Bowling Green in the MAC standings. BGSU and Eastern Michigan sit at 5-8, with five more schools sitting just one game ahead at 6-7. Ball State is also in reach, as the Cardinals are two games ahead of BG, but the Falcons own the tiebreaker with the Cardinals, having won both games this season. The Orange and Brown are more than in play for a top-eight seed, which is significant, due to the fact that seeds 5-8 host a game in the first round of the MAC Tournament. The Falcons are still clinging to life in the battle for a top-four seed, which would give Bowling Green a first-round bye, sending the Falcons straight to Cleveland for the quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament.

FALCONS WIN CONSECUTIVE OVERTIME GAMES FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1934-35
A magical and memorable two-game stretch came to an end for Bowling Green when the Falcons lost to Buffalo (Feb. 11). It's nearly impossible to track, or say for certain, but there's little doubt that the Falcons' last two wins were two of the craziest, most-unbelievable games in the history of Bowling Green men's basketball. After beating arch-rival Toledo (Feb. 4) in double overtime, 104-100, the Falcons knocked off Kent State (Feb. 7) in overtime by a score of 84-83. The two games marked the first time that BGSU has played consecutive overtime games since the 1934-35 season. By winning both games, Bowling Green recorded two MAC wins in overtime for the first time since 1996-97. In both contests, Bowling Green trailed by at least three points with less than 10 seconds left in an overtime period. The Orange and Brown trailed by at least five points in both overtimes against Toledo, and were down by four points with less than 10 seconds left in the single overtime at Kent State. Both games were tied, 75-75, after regulation. More details on the games can be found on pages 3-4, while information on the ending of the games can be found below.

BGSU STUNS KENT STATE, MAKES SPORTSCENTER APPEARANCE IN THE PROCESS
Even though victory appeared impossible near the end, Bowling Green won its second-straight game in overtime in thrilling fashion on Feb. 7 at Kent State. The crazy ending of the game was shown on that night's edition of SportsCenter. Junior Matt Fox tied his career high with 18 points to lead the Falcons. He made a season-high five three-pointers (5-for-7). Freshman Rodrick Caldwell hit a career-high four triples (4-for-6), and ended the contest with 16 points and four rebounds. Fellow freshman Dylan Frye posted 11 points and four rebounds, while sophomore Demajeo Wiggins added 16 points and eight boards.

After a back-and-forth, up-and-down second half, the Falcons trailed the Golden Flashes by four points with less than 10 seconds left in overtime. Caldwell flew up the court after a KSU layup, and hit a deep pull-up triple with 7.2 seconds left to pull BGSU within one point at 83-82. Sophomore Antwon Lillard then forced a turnover on Kent State's inbounds pass, giving BGSU the ball back with 6.4 seconds to go.

With no timeouts left, the Falcons turned to Caldwell, who drove the lane, and fired up a difficult shot. It didn't draw rim, but Wiggins plucked it out of the air, and tipped the basketball in, giving BGSU an 84-83 lead, with 1.3 seconds left in overtime. BGSU closed out the game by not allowing a Kent State shot attempt.

DOUBLE-OT CLASSIC: BOWLING GREEN BEATS TOLEDO IN THRILLER
In what was most likely the greatest men's basketball game ever played between Bowling Green and Toledo, the Falcons snapped a six-game losing streak to the Rockets by winning, 104-100, in double overtime on Feb. 4 at the Stroh Center. Zack Denny scored a career-high 30 points, while fellow senior Wes Alcegaire poured in 22.

Toledo appeared to have the game wrapped up after Jonathan Williams hit three free throws to give the Rockets an 87-80 lead with just 1:48 to go in the first overtime. However, Zack Denny capped a 9-2 run by hitting a three-pointer from the right wing to tie the score at 89-89 with six seconds left.

With the Falcons down by three in the second overtime, Denny tied the score at 99-99 with just 1:18 to go with a three-pointer. Denny gave BG a 102-100 lead with 28 seconds left after another cold-blooded three-ball. Denny's pressure forced a UT back-court violation on its ensuing possession. The senior went on to hit two game-sealing free throws for his 29th and 30th points of the game.

THREE-POINT SHOOTING OVER THE LAST FIVE BALLGAMES
Bowling Green has racked up a 3-2 record over the last five games. That winning record, among other positive trends, can be attributed to the Falcons' increased efficiency when attempting three-point shots. Over the last five contests, BGSU is shooting 44.9 percent (49-of-109) from downtown, and averaging 9.8 made three-pointers per game. For the season, BGSU is shooting 35.4 percent from deep, and making 7.3 triples per contest. The Falcons have tied, or set their single-game season high on made three-balls in three of the last five games. BGSU made 10 triples against Miami (Jan. 31), and 11 treys against both Kent State (Feb. 7) and Buffalo (Feb. 11). The Orange and Brown shot a season-high 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from deep in its win over Toledo (Feb. 4). Additionally, the Falcons have had fantastic individual performances from downtown over the last five games. Wes Alcegaire made a career-high six (6-for-9) three-pointers in the Miami game, while Zack Denny went 5-for-5 versus the Rockets. In the victory over Kent State, Matt Fox tied his career high with five (5-for-7) three-balls. Rodrick Cadwell hit a career-high four (4-for-6) triples against the Golden Flashes. Dylan Frye then tied his career high by making four (4-for-7) #DeepFrye's against Buffalo.

BOWLING GREEN IS ELITE AT TURNING TEAMS OVER
The Falcons have quietly turned into an elite team in terms of steals and turnovers. When looking at where Bowling Green ranks in the nation in terms of categories that encompass those statistics, they rank 47th in the country with a 2.2 turnover margin, and 83rd in the land in steals per game (7.0). There are no two major statistics, when looking at the entire country, where BG ranks higher. As of late, the Orange and Brown have done an incredible job stealing the basketball, and forcing turnovers. The Falcons have forced at least 16 turnovers in each of the last five games. Over that five-game span, Bowling Green has turned a total of 95 turnovers into 94 points. BG forced 24 turnovers in a win over Miami (Jan. 31), and 19 turnovers in games against Kent State (Feb. 7) and Buffalo (Feb. 11). In the steals department, Bowling Green is averaging 9.4 steals over the last five ballgames. The Falcons have registered at least seven steals in the last five contests.

THE UNDERCLASSMEN FAB FOUR FOR BGSU
Eight of Bowling Green's 13 players are either freshman or sophomores. Four of those players have started each of the last six games. Freshmen Rodrick Caldwell and Dylan Frye, along with sophomores Malik Hluchoweckyj and Demajeo Wiggins, joined senior Wes Alcegaire in the starting lineup beginning with the Ohio game on Jan. 28. Wiggins and Alcegaire have started all 26 games for the Falcons. Hluchoweckyj made the first start of his career against the Bobcats. He nearly doubled his minutes on the season in that game, and posted nine points and nine rebounds. In the next game, he scored a career-high 10 points in a win over Miami (Jan. 31). Frye has started the last eight games, while Caldwell, who started the season opener at Oakland (Nov. 11), re-entered the starting five for the Ohio ballgame. Since the lineup switch from Michael Huger, the Falcons have recorded a 3-3 record, which was highlighted by a three-game winning streak, which included wins over rivals Miami and Toledo (Feb. 4).

DENNY JUST SIX POINTS SHY OF 1,000
Senior Zack Denny scored 13 points in BG's last game at Western Michigan (Feb. 14), running his career total to 994 points. Denny has not scored less than seven points in a game this season, so there's a high probability that he becomes the 44th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points on Saturday (Feb. 18) in Athens. The native of Germantown, Ohio, following his 13-point outing against the Broncos, has now scored in double figures a total of 52 times across his career. This season, Denny has scored 10-plus points a team-high 20 times. Recently, the senior scored a career-high 30 points in a win over Toledo (Feb. 4), which marked the 50th double-figure game of his career. Denny, who has increased his scoring output in each of his seasons as a Falcon, is averaging a team-high 12.7 points in 2016-17. In conference play, he's averaging a team-best 13.5 points, and 4.7 rebounds, which ranks second on the team. Denny's 12.7 points per game average on the season ranks 24th in the conference. He also sits 15th in the league in defensive rebounds per game (4.0), and eighth in free throw percentage (80.7).

DENNY'S STEALS AND THREE-POINT SHOOTING
Bowling Green senior guard Zack Denny currently ranks seventh all-time on the program's three-point field goals list. Denny went 5-for-5 in BG's epic win over Toledo on Feb. 4, which moved him from 10th place to seventh place. Denny's five triples allowed him to surpass Joe Jakubowski (2007-11), Brian Moten (2005-09) and DeMar Moore (1995-99). He knocked down one more three-ball against Western Michigan (Feb. 14) last time out, running his career total to 138. Denny needs 14 more three-pointers to surpass Scott Thomas (2008-12) for sixth all-time. It's unlikely that he'll pass up Shane Komives (1992-96) this season, who nailed 177 three-balls. Denny, who has 143 career steals, needs just six more steals to move into 10th place all time, and seven more steals to sit ninth. He has a real shot to pass both Keith Taylor's (1982-85) 148 steals and Nate Miller's (2006-09) 149 steals.

THE FUTURE IS NOW FOR FRYE
Dylan Frye, a freshman guard from Pembroke Pines, Florida, has started each of the Falcons' last eight games, and he doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Frye will enter Saturday (Feb. 18) afternoon's game having scored 10-plus points in three-straight games for the second time in his career. Frye posted 13 points and a career-high four assists on Tuesday (Feb. 14) at Western Michigan, before scoring 20 points and pulling down a career-high seven rebounds versus Buffalo (Feb. 11). Frye, who started the season opener at Oakland (Nov. 11), re-entered the starting lineup for the Jan. 21 game versus Ball State. He went 1-for-13 from the field in his first two starts since the opener, but since then, over BGSU's last six games, Frye is averaging 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting 48.3 percent (30-of-62) from the field. To go along with his 20-point game against Buffalo, he dropped a career-high 24 points on Ohio (Jan. 28) to become just the sixth Falcon freshman over the last 14 seasons to score at least 24 points in a game. For his freshman season, Frye is averaging 8.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists. In 22.4 minutes per contest, he's shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 39.5 percent on #DeepFrye attempts. He's shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in 13 contests in 2016-17.

#DeepFrye
Freshman Dylan Frye is shooting 39.5 percent (32-of-79) on #DeepFrye attempts on the season, which ranks 13th in the Mid-American Conference. Frye has now made multiple three-balls in eight games this season, including six games with at least three triples. He checked off both of those boxes in Bowling Green's last home game, as he went 4-for-7 from downtown versus Buffalo (Feb. 11). The young sharp shooter, who has shot at least 50.0 percent from behind the long line 11 times in 2016-17, has made at least one three-pointer in 15 of the last 22 games. Frye has made four three-pointers in three games, and in each game, including his effort against Buffalo, he went 4-for-7. Frye also nailed four #DeepFrye's in wins over Detroit Mercy (Dec. 10) and Alabama A&M (Dec. 22).

RODRICK CALDWELL – SCORING AND STARTING
Freshman guard Rodrick Caldwell is a scoring point guard, and he's been at his best since moving into the starting lineup for the Falcons' home game against Ohio (Jan. 31). He's started every game since. Over the last seven games, which takes into account his last six starts and the one game prior to his promotion, Caldwell is averaging 11.1 points, which is over 4.0 points higher than his average (7.0) on the season. Furthermore, he's had four double-figure scoring nights across that stretch, after having just three double-digit nights in the 19 previous games. Caldwell is also shooting 40.1 percent (25-of-61) in this current seven-game run, which is 4.8 percent above his average for the season. The freshman has made arguably his biggest improvement over the last seven games on shots from three-point range. Caldwell, a 36.8 percent three-point shooter on the season, is shooting 41.2 percent (14-of-34) from downtown in BG's last seven contests. He's made multiple three-balls in each of the last three ballgames. Caldwell scored 15 points at Western Michigan (Feb. 14) last time out, before totaling 16 points in a win at Kent State (Feb. 7). The Dayton native started his ascend with a career-high 19 points at Central Michigan (Jan. 24), and immediately followed up that effort with 13 points against the Bobcats. Caldwell is averaging 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 2016-17 in 17.9 minutes of play.

FOX CATCHES FIRE FROM DOWNTOWN IN WIN OVER KENT STATE
Junior Matt Fox went bananas from behind the long line in Bowling Green's 84-83 win in overtime at Kent State on Feb. 7. Fox hit his first three triples of the game, and went on to tie his career high with 18 points. For the game, he went 5-for-7 from deep. His five three-balls tied his career high, while breaking his season high. In the second half, he hit an and-one triple, and completed the four-point play by draining the free throw. He got fouled on another three-point attempt, and hit 2-of-3 from the charity stripe. The product of Anthony Wayne High School has now made multiple three-pointers in seven games in 2016-17, and his 40.0 three-point percentage ranks 12th in the conference. Fox is averaging a career-high 4.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists this season, while playing a career-high 16.2 minutes per contest.

ALCEGAIRE'S UP-AND-DOWN SENIOR SEASON
Senior Wes Alcegaire is what every coach dreams about when bringing in a junior college transfer. He's started all 60 games since arriving to campus for the 2015-16 season. After averaging 10.2 points last season, Alcegaire is averaging a career-high 12.0 points in 2016-17. He's also registered 15 more assists (36) than he did all of last year. Alcegaire had the best week of his career recently, when he averaged 23.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 65.4 percent in Bowling Green's wins over Miami (Jan. 31) and Toledo (Feb. 4). He scored a career-high 25 points against Miami, and made a season-high six (6-for-9) three-pointers. He then followed up that performance with 22 points against arch-rival Toledo. In the game prior to that two-game stretch, he scored four points on 2-of-14 shooting. Prior to his 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting last time out at Western Michigan (Feb. 14), he scored 11 points combined in two games. In mid-to-late January, the senior scored in double figures in three-consecutive games, but in the three games prior, he scored in single digits in three-straight games. Before that, he dropped at least 10 points in seven of eight games. The senior often times scores in bunches, so it's a very positive sign that he registered 11 points on Tuesday. Alcegaire leads Bowling Green in three-point field goals (41) and total field goals (117), and is averaging 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He's shooting 44.3 percent from the field, and 35.0 percent from deep.

DEMAJEO'S DOUBLE-DOUBLES AND CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Sophomore forward Demajeo Wiggins hasn't posted 10-plus points, or 10-plus rebounds in either of the last two games, but he's logged consecutive solid efforts, as he had seven points and seven rebounds at Western Michigan (Feb. 14), before recording seven points and eight rebounds versus Buffalo (Feb. 11). He is averaging 12.0 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds through 13 conference games in 2016-17. Wiggins has recorded six double-doubles on the season – three of which have been posted in MAC games. To put Wiggins' six double-doubles into perspective, in 2015-16, he had just four double-digit scoring nights, and one game with 10-plus rebounds. Wiggins is shooting a team-high 55.4 percent in conference play, and a team-high 50.0 percent on the season. He ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.0), and seventh in defensive rebounds (5.2). His 8.2 rebounds per game mark is good enough for fifth in the league. He also sits 12th in the conference in field goal percentage, and 31st in scoring (10.7).

WIGGINS VS. THE MAC'S TOP BIG MEN
Demajeo Wiggins, a sophomore native of Toledo, is having a tremendous season. His development from his freshman to sophomore season passes the eye test. The stats back it up, as well. After averaging 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds last year, he's up to 10.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in 2016-17. What's been even more encouraging is the fact that he's played great basketball against the big men commonly believed to be the best in the league. In the Falcons' last win against Kent State (Feb. 11), while being matched up with First Team All-MAC selection Jimmy Hall, Wiggins went 7-for-10 from the floor and registered 16 points and eight rebounds. In two games against Toledo's Steve Taylor, who ranks first in the league in rebounding and 10th in scoring, Wiggins averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, while shooting 73.7 percent (14-of-19). The sophomore scored a career-high 21 points on a career-high 10 made field goals against Akron's Isaiah Johnson -- another First Team All-MAC selection. In two wins over Ball State, Wiggins averaged 15.5 points and 11.0 rebounds while playing against Trey Moses, who ranks fourth in the league in rebounding. In those two games against the Cardinals, Wiggins shot 60.0 percent (12-of-20).

ALI'S ASSIST NUMBERS WHEN SCORING IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Ismail Ali, a native of South Hayward, California, is scoring at an improved rate in 2016-17. Ali is up to 6.8 points per game this season. Last year, he averaged 5.4 points. In 2015-16, Ali scored in double figures a total of five times. This year, he's already reached double digits eight times, and in seven of those eight games, he's also added at least five assists. The one game he didn't, which was in Bowling Green's home win over Ball State (Jan. 21), he had five rebounds. In the win over Toledo (Feb. 4), Ali had seven assists and just one turnover. He assisted all three of Zack Denny's clutch three-pointers in overtime. Ali's 4.4 assists per game average ranks sixth in the conference, while his 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio is tops in the league. The senior's rebounding numbers are also up from a season ago, as he's averaging 2.2 boards per contest after averaging 2.1 rebounds in 2015-16.

ZACK DENNY IS MR. CLUTCH
Senior Zack Denny turned in one of the most impressive clutch performances in BGSU men's basketball history on Feb. 4 versus Toledo. Denny hit three triples in the overtime sessions that either tied the game, or gave Bowling Green the lead. He also made all four of his free throws in the second overtime. Denny sent the game into double OT with a three-ball with six seconds left. He then tied the game at 99-99 with 1:18 remaining in the final overtime, before winning the Falcons the game by hitting another three-pointer with 28 seconds left. His last triple gave the Orange and Brown a 102-100 lead. He then forced a turnover, and hit two game-sealing free throws. Denny's performance against Toledo was no fluke, however. Clutch situations, for this exercise, are defined as shots taken in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime with the score in single digits at the time of the shot. In those situations this season, Denny has been unconscious. He's 8-for-17 from the field, 5-for-7 from three-point range, and a ridiculous 14-of-14 at the free throw line.

WIGGINS RECORDS A HISTORIC 22 REBOUNDS AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN
In Bowling Green's 82-76 loss at Central Michigan on Jan. 24, sophomore Demajeo Wiggins registered 22 rebounds – the most from a Falcon in 43 years. Cornelius Cash, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1975 NBA Draft, pulled down 22 rebounds in a 1974 game versus San Diego State. Wiggins notched seven offensive rebounds, and 15 defensive rebounds in the contest. The sophomore's effort played a huge part in the Falcons' racking up a season-high 49 rebounds. Prior to the game, it had been over two years since a Falcon even had 15 rebounds in a game. Richaun Holmes, who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, pulled down 18 rebounds against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 30, 2014. Nate Thurmond and Al Dixon hold the single-game program record with 31 rebounds.

BREAKING DOWN THE SEVEN FINAL-MINUTE LOSSES
In BGSU's loss at Central Michigan, the Falcons dropped a hardly-fought and tightly-contested game for the seventh time in 2016-17. Bowling Green has now lost seven games by single digits, three games by one possession, three games by two possessions, including two games on a shot with less than three seconds left. Prior to the Eastern Michigan (Jan. 10) game, Bowling Green had lost its last three games by a combined nine points.

YEAR TWO OF THE MICHAEL HUGER ERA
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 marks the first time that the Falcons will have a head coach in consecutive seasons since 2013-14. The former Falcon guard will look to build off an exciting run at last year's MAC Tournament. BG defeated both Kent State and Central Michigan to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2009.