BGSU Defense Shuts Down Ohio In 66-50 Victory

Tuesday, January 30

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

13-9 (4-5MAC)

Ohio

9-12 (2-7MAC)

Ohio

Bowling Green

January 31, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)
Game Highlights: BGSU vs. Ohio
Post-Game Video: Coach Huger
Post-Game Audio: Coach Huger With Todd Walker
Photo Gallery: Christine Nelson (BGSU Marketing/Communications)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team earned its way back into the win column on Tuesday (Jan. 30) night at the Stroh Center. The Falcons defeated Ohio University by a score of 66-50.

Bowling Green improves to 13-9 (4-5 MAC) with the victory, while Ohio drops to 9-12 (2-7 MAC) with the loss.

The Bowling Green defense held Ohio to a 32.8 percent (19-for-58) shooting clip for the game, including a 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) mark from three-point range. The Falcons held OU to just 19 points in the first half, which tied a season best for the BGSU defense in a single half this season.

The Falcons received big efforts from juniors Demajeo Wiggins and Antwon Lillard. Wiggins racked up 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Lillard posted 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists and four steals.

TODD WALKER RADIO CALLS
• Lillard Steal Leads To Turner Triple
• #RC3
• Agent Zero Three-Ball
• Lillard Down-Low Finish
• Wiggins Jump Hook
• Plowden Put Back JAM!
• Lillard Score

FALCON FACTS
• Bowling Green, with a minimum of 10 more games left to be played, matched its win total from all of last season. The Falcons went 13-19 in 2016-17. BGSU is 13-9 in 2017-18.
• BGSU extended its lead in the all-time series versus Ohio to 78-65.
• Bowling Green is now 3-2 versus Ohio under head coach Michael Huger.
• The win marked BGSU's first over Ohio since Feb. 23, 2016.
• The Falcons are now 6-4 at the Stroh Center in 2017-18. BGSU is 64-42 at the facility all-time.
• By allowing just 19 points in the first half, Bowling Green matched a season best in scoring defense for a single half. The Falcons allowed 19 points in the first half to Northern Illinois on Jan. 9. BGSU won that game, 66-57.
• Bowling Green crushed Ohio in the rebounding department by a 47-37 margin.
• BGSU had more points off turnovers (16-8), fast-break points (9-6) and bench points (17-13).
• The Falcons held Ohio to 32.8 percent (19-of-58) shooting for the game, which tied a season best for the Bowling Green defense. The Falcons also limited Lourdes to 32.8 percent shooting on Dec. 28.
• The Orange and Brown limited Ohio to an ugly 2-for-17 clip from downtown. Ohio shot just 11.8 percent from deep. Both of those figures are season bests for the Falcons. BGSU set previous season highs in three-point defense at Drexel in the season opener. The Dragons went 4-for-20 (20.0 percent) from three-point territory.
• Bowling Green allowed a season-low three assists. Only three of Ohio's 19 made field goals were assisted.

PLAYER NOTES
• With his 18 points and 11 rebounds, junior forward Demajeo Wiggins racked up his ninth double-double of the season. He had six in 2016-17. The Falcons are 7-2 in 2017-18 when Wiggins posts a double-double.
• Wiggins is averaging a team-best 15.3 points and 9.9 rebounds in conference play.
• Junior guard Antwon Lillard registered 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a career-high four steals. Lillard is averaging 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in MAC play.
• In 19 minutes of action, freshman forward Daeqwon Plowden recorded nine points, six rebounds, and one assist. Plowden's six rebounds marks his highest total since pulling down a career-high eight rebounds versus Lake Erie on Nov. 20.
• Freshman forward Derek Koch added seven points and six rebounds in 15 minutes. Koch has posted at least four rebounds in four-consecutive games.
• Redshirt-freshman guard Justin Turner pitched in with seven points, three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Turner has posted an assist in all 20 games he's appeared in this season.
• Sophomore guard Rodrick Caldwell went 2-for-5 from the floor, and finished the game with five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
• Sophomore guard Dylan Frye finished with four points, five rebounds and three assists. Frye has now turned in consecutive three-assist games.
• Freshman guard Nelly Cummings went 1-for-1 from downtown, scoring three points in the win.
• Redshirt-junior Jeffrey Uju had three rebounds, while senior Matt Fox pulled down one rebound.

QUOTE OF THE GAME
"I was very pleased with the way that we played in the first half. We defended extremely well, played very hard, and we rebounded well. As a group, we were able to take away the three-point shooting." – Coach Huger

UP NEXT
• Bowling Green hosts Kent State on Saturday (Feb. 3) at the Stroh Center.
• The game is scheduled to tip at 3:30 p.m.
• Freddie and Frieda Falcon will be revealed at halftime.