It took 48 years, but the Bowling Green basketball team finally got a win at Calihan Hall as they defeated Detroit-Mercy 59-53 Saturday.
Senior John Reimold led the way for the Falcons, draining six three-pointers on eight attempts for 28 points, two off his career high. He shot 10 of 13 overall carrying the Falcons to their first victory in Detroit since the 1956-57 season.
“Reimold was pretty darn good and really shot the ball well,” Detroit head coach Perry Watson said. “They do a good job of getting him open and if they are allowed to move a hip, they’ll do what they need to do to get him open.”
After the Falcons jumped out to an early 11-4 lead, the Titans went on an 18-6 run giving them a 22-17 advantage with 5:16 left in the first half. But the Falcons stormed back with a 14-7 run, which gave them a 31-29 halftime lead.
The Falcons’ momentum continued in the second half as Reimold nailed three from beyond the arc in less than four minutes, stretching the Falcons’ lead to 42-33. The Falcons led by 13 with 9:16 remaining, but the Titans surged back, chipping the lead to four with seven seconds to go. But BG guard John Floyd sealed the victory in the final seconds with a pair of free throws.
The Falcons were held to just one field goal in the final nine minutes, which was also scored by Floyd. His lay up at the 3:30 mark came at a crucial time and stopped the 6-0 run.
“I thought the biggest play of the game for us late was John Floyd coming down the lane getting a lay up, making it a nine-point game,” BG head coach Dan Dakich said. “We weren’t scoring and they were taking time to score, so any points we could put on the board were big.”
Forward Josh Almanson scored 10 points and grabbed five boards, while guard Steven Wright had eight points. Forward Mawel Soler also chipped in off the bench, scoring a career-high six points with three rebounds and a block.
“Mawel guarded and kind of keyed our defense a little bit,” Dakich said. “I thought he was exceptional. This was obviously his best game.”
James Thues led the Detroit offense with 14 points, while Ryvon Covile had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Zack Everingham and Torvoris Baker each added nine points for the Titans.
The Falcons are now 3-1 on the season, while the Titans record drops to 1-4. Despite their struggles, they are not a team to be considered lightly.
“Detroit is a great program, with a great coach, with a lot of prideful players,” Dakich said. “We knew this would be an incredibly tough game for us. Fortunately we got hot at the right time and it held up.”
After a 2-10 road record last season, the Falcons are now 1-1 on the road. Dakich likes the direction the team is headed in.
“I don’t know if Bowling Green basketball is back,” he said. “But I know the toughness is back and I’m proud of these guys.”
The Falcons look to extend their three-game winning streak when they host Div. III Bluffton on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
