ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Bowling Green basketball coach Dan Dakich liked the end of last year’s Michigan game a lot better when the Falcons pulled off a dramatic upset at Anderson Arena and fans stormed the floor. Different year, different team and a much different result as the Wolverines trounced the Falcons 83-57 last night at Crisler Arena.
BG was thoroughly outplayed in every aspect of the game.
Dressing only nine players, the Falcons were run ragged by Michigan’s superior athleticism.
“We looked physically whipped at halftime,” Dakich said. “We just aren’t good enough to play against a team like this right now.” One of the main guys doing the whipping for Michigan was Daniel Horton. The 6-3 guard was scalding in the first half at the offensive end. He scored 24 points in 19 minutes on 9-for-11 shooting. The dagger for BG was his 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc, helping to extend a four-point Michigan lead with just over six minutes to play in the first half to a 43-30 lead at the half.
“Daniel Horton had a really hot hand, giving us a double-digit lead at the half,” Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said.
“We took Jabari (Mattox) out, and Horton just went nuts,” Dakich said.
The win was the Wolverines’ first of the season, a welcome comfort for a team assailed by NCAA sanctions this past year, a team that started the season on a six-game losing streak.
“Finally. It feels good to into the locker room and hear our players singing our fight song,” Amaker said. “We played a very solid 40 minutes of basketball.”
For BG, Kevin Netter continued to build a solid season. Despite four fouls, he scored 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and showed some good post moves. John Reimold, however, struggled against Michigan’s defense. His perimeter game abandoned him for long stretches, and he finished with just four points on 2-for-8 shooting, along with four fouls.
“I thought they swarmed Reimold,” Dakich said. “John’s going to face that. That’s something that we talk about.”
Last night also marked the collegiate basketball debut of Cole Magner. Yes, that’s Cole Magner from the football team. He is believed to be the first football and basketball player at BG in over 25 years.
Magner played five minutes, getting hit with two fouls and making his only shot attempt, a second-half three-pointer. It elicited the loudest cheer of the night from the small BG contingent of fans.
According to the BG Sports Information office, Greg Kampe was believed to have played both football and basketball for the Falcons between 1976 and 1978. Tony Bell played basketball for BG in 1972, and it is believed he also played football from 1970-1972.
