Who knew?
The Bowling Green basketball team, with a bevy of youngsters and inexperience to spare, is about to play a pressure game in February.
First place will be on the line tomorrow when the Falcons travel to Central Michigan for a 2 p.m. game. BG heads into the game 10-7 overall, 6-3 in the MAC, and a half-game ahead of the Chippewas (12-5, 5-3 MAC).
For BG, the only thing consistent about the past several weeks has been their inconsistency. Big wins over Kent and Akron, and a comeback overtime thriller at Ohio, have been tempered by crash-and-burn losses to Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, the latter their first home loss in nearly a year.
As any contending team begins making the final turn for the season’s home stretch, games become more critical. For BG, a rebuilt David with an unknown quantity of ammo for their slingshot, it is especially true.
The MAC West is clogged at the top. One and a half games separate BG from fourth-place Western Michigan. BG lost an outright tiebreaker with third-place Northern Illinois by losing to them last weekend. With a loss to Western Michigan on Feb. 15, they would lose any tiebreaker with the Broncos.
A loss to Central Michigan would render the same outcome. This is the only meeting of the year between the Falcons and Chippewas.
For the Falcons, a team finally free of the Kent-dominated MAC East, which cost them a division title last year, having your hand on the destiny controls for as long as possible is a big advantage. In the end, it may be the only advantage.
Central Michigan
The Chippewas come into tomorrow’s game on a two-game losing streak, losing at Eastern Michigan and Kent in the past week.
Central Michigan did just about everything they could do at Kent without winning, however. That’s a mouthful considering Kent’s only conference loss to date came at the hands of BG earlier in the month.
Mike Manciel and Chris Kaman both broke the 20-point barrier in the 82-78 loss. Kaman added 10 rebounds for a double-double. It was his second straight 20/10 game.
When you talk about Central Michigan basketball, you talk about Kaman. The junior center is rivaled perhaps only by BG’s Kevin Netter for the best middle man in the MAC West. He is averaging 18.5 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots per game.
Kaman was named one of the MAC players of the week Jan. 27.
Century mark
A win tomorrow would be the 100th of coach Dan Dakich’s BG career. He is 99-64 in five-plus seasons.
Ahead of Dakich on the BG all-time coaching win list are Harold Anderson (367), Jim Larranaga (170), Paul Landis (156) and John Weinert (146).
Coincidentally, Bob Knight, whom Dakich played for and was an assistant coach under at Indiana, will be going for career win No. 800 this weekend. Knight’s Texas Tech squad will play Texas A’M tomorrow night.
