Combining a swarming defense with the clutch marksmanship of Cory Ryan and John Reimold, the BG men’s basketball team earned a 74-60 triumph over visiting Akron on Saturday night.
With a season-high 3,779 fans packing Anderson Arena, the Falcons (9-5, 5-1 in the Mid-American Conference) shut down a talented Akron offense, holding them 39 points below their season average and keeping star guard Derrick Tarver in check for the majority of the contest.
On the other end of the floor, BG counteracted the double team on leading scorer Kevin Netter by moving the ball to the perimeter, where Reimold (21 points) and Ryan (17) both caught fire and helped the Falcons shoot 51.1 percent from the field and 45 percent from three point range (9-20).
“Coach told us they were going to double off of Netter,” point guard Jabari Mattox said after the win. “So someone else was going to have to step up.”
Early in the game, no one was stepping up for the Falcons. With seven minutes in the books, BG had only one field goal and trailed 11-3. A sideline confrontation between Zips forward Andy Hipsher and a fan got the crowd fired up, but the Falcons continued to struggle, facing an 18-9 deficit with six minutes to go in the first half.
After a timeout call from head coach Dan Dakich, BG returned to the floor rejuvenated, going on a 12-0 run bracketed by a pair of Cory Ryan three-pointers. Ryan, the lone senior on this year’s squad, broke out of a long range shooting slump by hitting five three-pointers on the night. His 17 points bested his previous career high against a MAC opponent.
“My teammates helped me keep my head up all season,” Ryan said. “And I found my touch tonight.”
The Falcons held a slim 25-24 lead at halftime, but Ryan started the second half right where he left off, burying another three. BG stretched its lead to 32-26 after a spin move and dunk from Netter, who had nine points, but the Zips (7-6, 2-2 in the MAC) kept it close behind the shooting touch of guard Johnny Hollingsworth, who finished the game with 21 points.
With the score tied 35-35 with 13 minutes to play, Reimold gave the Falcons yet another key three-pointer and a lead they would not relinquish. Reimold scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, rounding out his third game of 20 or more points this season. His third and final three-pointer of the night gave BG a comfortable 54-45 advantage with five minutes to play, and a pair of thunderous dunks from Netter provided the exclamation points down the stretch, as the Falcons secured the 14-point victory. With Tarver bottled up and Hipsher struggling under the relentless jeers from the crowd, Akron failed to get their first win in Bowling Green since 1998. Some late offense saw Tarver finish with 21 points for the game, equaling the output from Hollingsworth. Hipsher, son of Zips head coach Dan Hipsher, managed just 3 points on the night.
“The differential at the three-point line was the difference in the game,” said Coach Hipsher, whose team shot just 2-13 from behind the arc. “But this is a competitive, tough series. That’s why it’s been split the last couple of years.”
For the Falcons, the shooting efforts of Reimold and Ryan were complimented by a career-high 10 assists from Mattox and 13 points from sophomore forward Cory Eyink. Dakich was all smiles after the win.
“Even though we started out the way we did, I thought it was about as well played a defensive game as we have had all season,” he said. “I think our effort’s been great the last six games in the MAC.”
Five of those six games have ended with Falcon victories, and another important game awaits this Wednesday with a trip to divisional foe Western Michigan.
Reimold is looking forward to all upcoming challenges. “We got to get to work, concentrate, and bring the kind of effort we brought tonight,” he said.
