Falcons Erase 15-Point Deficit To Beat Central Michigan Inside Stroh Center

Box Score
Post-Game Audio: Coach Huger With Todd Walker
Post-Game Video: Coach Huger
Game Highlights: Central Michigan at Bowling Green
Photo Gallery: BGSU Marketing / Communications
Photo Gallery: Larry Clapper

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – After trailing by as many as 15 points, the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team rallied to earn a 79-72 victory over the Central Michigan University Chippewas on Tuesday (Feb. 12) night inside the Stroh Center. BGSU remains in first place in the Mid-American Conference with the triumph.

Bowling Green improves to 17-7 overall on the season following the victory. The 17 wins marks a Michael Huger Era high. The Falcons are 9-2 in MAC play for the first time since 1982-83. With the loss, Central Michigan drops to 16-8 (5-6 MAC).

COACH HUGER QUOTE
"[In the] second half, we were able to regain or composure and understanding of the defense. We were able to get stops and get out in transition. That was the difference in the game."

TODD WALKER RADIO CALLS
• #DeepFrye (23-14, CMU)
• Another #DeepFrye (23-17, CMU)
• Turner Three-Pointer (49-47, BGSU)
• Turner Off Glass (50-49, BGSU)
• Lillard Block Leads To Laster Triple (58-55, CMU)
• Clutch Laster Trey-Ball (63-62, BGSU)
• Frye Step-Back Jumper (71-66, BGSU)

FALCON FACTS
• Bowling Green is 17-7 overall on the campaign. The 17 wins marks a Michael Huger Era high.
• For the first time since 1982-83, Bowling Green is 9-2 in the Mid-American Conference.
• With seven regular-season games to play, the Falcons still sit in first place in the MAC.
• The victory clinches Bowling Green's first winning season since 2014-15, and fourth since the 2002-03 season.
• Bowling Green is 12-1 inside the Stroh Center in 2018-19, tying the arena record for wins for the men's basketball program. In the venue's inaugural season in 2011-12, the Falcons went 12-4 at home.
• With the win, BGSU completed the season sweep of Central Michigan, as BGSU defeated the Chippewas in overtime in Mount Pleasant on Jan. 12 by a score of 97-87.
• The victory marked Bowling Green's first over Central Michigan inside the Stroh Center since Jan. 15, 2014.
• The Falcons are 42-38 against Central Michigan all-time. The Falcons have racked up a record of 24-15 in games played against CMU in Bowling Green, Ohio.
• The Orange and Brown are 6-1 versus the MAC West in 2018-19.
• Bowling Green is winning its home games by an average of 16.0 points, outscoring opponents by an average score of 82.7 to 66.7. Opponents are shooting 39.1 percent from the floor at Stroh Center this season, while Bowling Green is shooting 46.4 percent.
• Bowling Green earned its largest come-from-behind win on the season, as the Falcons trailed by as many as 15 points. In games against Hampton and Buffalo, the Falcons won after trailing by as many as 12 points.
• Bowling Green iced the game by being nearly automatic at the free throw line down the stretch. Over the final five minutes of play, BGSU went 14-for-16 at the charity stripe. On the game, the Falcons went 23-for-28 (82.1 percent) from the foul line.
• The Falcons went 8-for-20 (40.0 percent) from downtown. Over the last 15 games, Bowling Green is shooting 40.8 percent (139-of-341) from three-point range. BGSU has shot at least 40.0 percent from deep in 13 of those 15 ballgames.
• Bowling Green limited Central Michigan to 39.7 percent (25-of-63) shooting the game, marking the 10th time in 2018-19 that a BGSU opponent has shot below 40.0 percent. Last season, BGSU held an opponent under 40.0 percent shooting four times across the entire season.
• BGSU's six blocks marks the team's third-best effort this season, and best effort since recording seven blocks in a win over Drexel on Nov. 25, 2017.
• The Falcons registered 10 steals during the contest, marking the fifth time in 2018-19 that the Falcons have recorded double-digit steals. BGSU is averaging a league-high 8.8 steals per game in MAC play.
• Bowling Green controlled the specialty statistics on the evening. The Falcons scored more points off turnovers (26-14), while also having more fast-break points (21-7) and bench points (13-8).
• Bowling Green led for only 5:20 across the 40-minute ballgame.

PLAYER NOTES
• Junior guard Dylan Frye scored a game-high 23 points, marking the fourth time this season and 11th time in his career that he's scored 20-plus points. Frye has now scored 20-plus points in three of the last four contests. Over that four-game stretch, Frye is averaging 21.3 points per ballgame.
• Frye's 23 points are the fourth-most points he's scored in a Mid-American Conference game.
• Frye went 4-for-10 from downtown. He's made four-plus triples in seven games in 2018-19. He's made multiple three-pointers in 46 games at BGSU. Frye has made 161 triples at BGSU, which ranks sixth all-time in school history.
• Frye also had six rebounds – his second-best rebounding effort this season.
• Redshirt-sophomore guard Justin Turner finished with 20 points. He leads the MAC in 2018-19 in 20-point games with 13. Turner has scored 20-plus points in 23-of-59 games at Bowling Green.
• Turner also added six rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Detroit native is just 56 points shy of becoming the fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.
• Senior forward Demajeo Wiggins posted his 16th double-double of the season, as he finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Wiggins now has 38 double-doubles for his career.
• Wiggins moved into 27th place on Bowling Green's all-time scoring list on the night, surpassing Ron Hammye, who scored 1,208 points from 1974-78. Wiggins has scored 1,209 points to date.
• Wiggins is just 20 rebounds shy of becoming the third player in school history to join the 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound club. Wiggins has pulled down 980 rebounds as a Falcon.
• Junior guard Michael Laster contributed with eight points, three assists and three rebounds. Laster went 2-for-2 from downtown, making both triples in key spots in the second half. Over the last 14 games, Laster has posted 36 assists while committing just 12 turnovers.
• Sophomore forward Daeqwon Plowden finished the contest with six points, three rebounds and two steals. He also recorded his team-leading 17th block of the season.
• Senior guard Antwon Lillard hit a much-needed triple in the season half, pulling the Falcons within four points with 5:30 left in regulation. Lillard went 2-for-3 from the floor and 1-for-2 from three-point range to finish with five points. Lillard is just 35 points shy of 1,000 points for his career.

UP NEXT
• Bowling Green will look for a 2-0 week as the Falcons travel to DeKalb, Illinois to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 16.
• Tip is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET from inside NIU's Convocation Center.

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