Riding a two-game win streak, the Falcon basketball team (2-1) is looking to build on their early season success.
BG has played tough defense, allowing a mere 38.7 percent shooting to their opponents. Their tenacious ways have allowed time for the offense to gel and figure out who their go to guys are.
Before the start of the season, everyone knew the offensive game that John Reimold (13.7 PPG) brought to the court, but few expected the leap in production made by Steven Wright (15.3 PPG) and senior Josh Almanson (18.7 PPG), the reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Week.
“Josh has played like a senior,” said BG head coach Dan Dakich. “He has kind of taken the parameters we have given him and understood what he is supposed to be about, meaning he’s not out there to be a fill in guy … he’s out there to be a guy.”
The team has shot well beyond the arc as well, connecting on 20 three-point attempts in the early going.
BG heads to play Detroit (1-3) at Calihan Hall on Saturday. The site of the game is not one the Falcons have liked to see in the past, where they have an 11-game losing streak in Detroit, their last win coming in the 1956-57 season.
The Titans have shot the ball poorly early on, hitting 40.9 percent from the floor and 30 percent on threes.
Detroit has fallen behind early in games and been unable to come from behind. They have been outscored 118-91 in the first-half, while just a three-point margin separates them from opponents in the second-half.
BG, on the other hand, has used early runs to get teams down. They have outscored their foes 93-66 in the first-half and will need to jump on the Titans from the tip to slow down their active guard play.
The quick guard play is the centerpiece of this Titan team.
Dakich has seen his teams have trouble slowing down explosive guards in the past.
“We haven’t guarded real quick, good scoring guards that are somewhat the focal point of the other team,” he said. “In our league, everybody has that, so this is kind of the challenge of this game is to see how we can do.”
Senior guard James Thues leads the team in scoring at 12.5 per game, while connecting on 45 percent of his shots. His speed has given the Falcons problems in the past and is something they must address this weekend.
“They’re led by Thues, who’s a real quick guard that we haven’t really guarded well,” Dakich said.
Ben Green (7.5 PPG) and Jonathan Kelly (6.3 PPG) run with Thues in the three-guard lineup the Titans use.
The quickness of Falcon freshman guard Perrick Robinson will get him more playing time to counter the Titans attack. Robinson has averaged 12 minutes per contest and Dakich is pleased with his early progress.
“I thought he’s played really well,” he said. “One of the reasons you bring in a little guard is to be able to guard quick guards.”
Tip off is at 2:05 p.m.
