After winning the last two games by a combined five points, the Bowling Green men’s basketball team took it down to the wire again.
With nine seconds remaining, Ohio’s Terren Harbut sank a pair of free throws which gave the Bobcats a three-point lead. But with time on the clock, BG guard John Floyd missed a three-pointer at the buzzer as the Bobcats (10-7, 5-4 MAC) defeated the Falcons (12-5, 6-3 MAC) 72-69 in Athens Saturday.
The Falcons opened the game on a 23-11 run in the first nine minutes connecting on 10 of their first 14 shots. But the Bobcats clawed their way back, scoring eight straight points including two three-pointers from guard Mychal Green.
Green’s third three- pointer, with three minutes remaining, tied the score at 66 and jump-started the Bobcats’ offense as they went on an 11-3 run to close out the game.
Once again, the Falcon’s hot and cold shooting woes continued just as they have the last two games. In BG’s victory over Central Michigan, the Falcons shot just 30 percent in the first half, and 59 percent in the second. The Falcons also had a 30 percent shooting effort in the first half against Toledo, but came back to win shooting 76 percent in their explosive second half comeback.
Yet Saturday’s inconsistent shooting effort was just the opposite. BG shot a sizzling 57 percent from the field in the first half, but only made 36 percent of their shots in the second. They were held to just three points in the game’s final five minutes on Cory Eyink’s three-pointer with 11 seconds to go.
“Ohio did a really good job of defending us in the second half,” BG head coach Dan Dakich said. “If it weren’t for Reimold throwing in a bunch of shots, we really didn’t have anybody else.”
Despite the loss, it was a historic night for BG senior forward John Reimold who set a new BGSU record with 201 career three-pointers. He hit five of eight from beyond the arc and finished with 23 points and five rebounds. The previous record of 199 was held by Keith McLeod, now a member of the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
Senior Josh Almanson added 14 points and eight rebounds for BG, and Mawel Soler chipped in with nine points and four rebounds.
The Bobcats provided a balancing scoring attack en route to their eighth consecutive home victory. Ohio’s entire starting five scored in double figures, led by guard Jeremy Fears who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Forward Sonny Troutman also scored 14 points, while Leon Williams and Mychal Green each had 13.
The Falcons come back home to Anderson Arena this Thursday when they host Akron at 7:00 p.m.
Notes:
BG forward Mawel Soler, who shot 3 of 4 from the field on Saturday, is shooting 80.6 percent on the season and has only missed seven shots in 36 attempts. Forward Germain Fitch, who was injured during the post game celebration in last week’s win over Toledo, started the game but played just over a minute before he was sent back to the bench. He never returned and his status is uncertain.
