Bowling Green, Ohio – A trio of Falcons scored in double figures on Wednesday night, yet it wasn't enough as the Bowling Green Falcons suffered a 62-52 loss on the road to Western Kentucky at the E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. The loss was the first loss of the season for head coach Chris Jans and the Falcons.
The loss puts BGSU at 4-1 on the young season, while WKU improves to 3-3 on the year with the home win.
The Falcons were led by Spencer Parker's game-high 14 points, while both Anthony Henderson and Jehvon Clarke added 11 and 10 points apiece, respectively. Forward Richaun Holmes hauled in a game-high nine rebounds. However, he was held to just three points on 1-of-5 shooting and failed to record a block for the first time this season. David Joseph led BGSU with four assists and three steals in 16 minutes of play in the loss.
The loss puts BGSU at 4-1 on the young season, while WKU improves to 3-3 on the year with the home win.
The Falcons were led by Spencer Parker's game-high 14 points, while both Anthony Henderson and Jehvon Clarke added 11 and 10 points apiece, respectively. Forward Richaun Holmes hauled in a game-high nine rebounds. However, he was held to just three points on 1-of-5 shooting and failed to record a block for the first time this season. David Joseph led BGSU with four assists and three steals in 16 minutes of play in the loss.
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WKU also had three players score in double figures, led by George Fant's 14 points. Guard T.J. Price chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Ben Lawson totaled 12 points and seven rebounds in the win. Fant also tallied four blocks and a steal on the defensive end for the Hilltoppers.
“I told our team in the locker room that we probably didn't deserve to win that game. When it comes down to it, most programs at the Division I level are going to have a good system. They're going to have coaches that are scheming against you, and it's all about executing the game plan and the system," said Jans. "I thought for the most part they did a better job than we did of getting their style of play into the game."
Both the size and length appeared to bother the Falcons all game long as BGSU shot just 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from the field for the game. The visitors also were plagued with foul trouble to forwards Holmes and Delvin Dickerson for most of the contest.
WKU registered six blocks and five steals on the defensive end.
"We didn't shoot the ball very well. We didn't guard them in terms of shooting percentage very well – 44 percent. We got outrebounded. We had 10 assists, 17 turnovers. They got to the line 23 times and we got there 13," Jans said. "That all adds up more times than not, especially when you are on the road against a good team, to a loss."
The Falcons opened up the game connecting on 3-of-4 from the floor to take a 6-4 lead in the opening minutes off the contest on a jumper from Joseph at the 17:17 mark of the first half. However, BGSU would go ice cold from the floor over the next several minutes, missing its next 10 shot attempts and knocking down just one free throw overall.
A three-pointer from the left wing from Parker at the 9:46 mark ended the Falcons' field goal drought at over seven and a half minutes and left the visitors down just two at 12-10.
After a layup by Price put the Hilltoppers up seven at 20-13 with 6:33 to go in the first half, the Falcons traded buckets with WKU over the next four minutes of play until another trey from Parker, followed by a layup from Clarke and two free throws from Parker tied the score up at 24-24 with 1:13 to go before the break.
The final minute would see WKU hit a long two-pointer to give the home team a 26-24 halftime lead.
After a first half that saw BGSU score a season low for points in a half, BGSU opened up the second stanza with back-to-back three-balls from Henderson and Parker in the first three minutes of play to tie the score up once more at 30-30 with 17:25 to go in the game.
Less than a minute later, a slam by Holmes put the Falcons in front for the second time in the early minutes of the second half at 32-30.
Yet WKU refused to go away as the Hilltoppers used the free throw line and three consecutive three-pointers to pull back out in front by six at 44-38 with 12:02 to go in regulation.
Up for the challenge, the Falcons picked up back-to-back long distance shots from Parker and Henderson once more to retie the game at 44-44 with 10:46 on the game clock.
Foul trouble, as well as another cold spell on the offensive end for the Falcons over the next six minutes, aided WKU as it pulled out to a five point lead at 51-46, before a turn-around baseline jumper from Dickerson at the 4:58 mark put the Orange and Brown down just three.
The Falcons trimmed WKU’s lead to a single point at 52-51 on a rebound and putback basket by Clarke at the 2:15 mark, yet surrendered two layups to Fant over the next minute as WKU scored the last 10 points of the final 1:17 of the game to pull away for the 62-52 non-conference win.
BGSU outscored the Hilltoppers 20-8 in bench points and 15-13 in points off turnovers; however, WKU held a 30-24 advantage in points in the paint and edged the Falcons 9-8 in second chance points.
The Falcons were outrebounded 37-33 by the Hilltoppers, who also shot 23 free throws compared to only 13 foul shots by BGSU.
Bowling Green (4-1) will return home to host Alabama A&M on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. in the Stroh Center.
(Courtesy of BGSU Athletics/MRO Edit)
“I told our team in the locker room that we probably didn't deserve to win that game. When it comes down to it, most programs at the Division I level are going to have a good system. They're going to have coaches that are scheming against you, and it's all about executing the game plan and the system," said Jans. "I thought for the most part they did a better job than we did of getting their style of play into the game."
Both the size and length appeared to bother the Falcons all game long as BGSU shot just 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from the field for the game. The visitors also were plagued with foul trouble to forwards Holmes and Delvin Dickerson for most of the contest.
WKU registered six blocks and five steals on the defensive end.
"We didn't shoot the ball very well. We didn't guard them in terms of shooting percentage very well – 44 percent. We got outrebounded. We had 10 assists, 17 turnovers. They got to the line 23 times and we got there 13," Jans said. "That all adds up more times than not, especially when you are on the road against a good team, to a loss."
The Falcons opened up the game connecting on 3-of-4 from the floor to take a 6-4 lead in the opening minutes off the contest on a jumper from Joseph at the 17:17 mark of the first half. However, BGSU would go ice cold from the floor over the next several minutes, missing its next 10 shot attempts and knocking down just one free throw overall.
A three-pointer from the left wing from Parker at the 9:46 mark ended the Falcons' field goal drought at over seven and a half minutes and left the visitors down just two at 12-10.
After a layup by Price put the Hilltoppers up seven at 20-13 with 6:33 to go in the first half, the Falcons traded buckets with WKU over the next four minutes of play until another trey from Parker, followed by a layup from Clarke and two free throws from Parker tied the score up at 24-24 with 1:13 to go before the break.
The final minute would see WKU hit a long two-pointer to give the home team a 26-24 halftime lead.
After a first half that saw BGSU score a season low for points in a half, BGSU opened up the second stanza with back-to-back three-balls from Henderson and Parker in the first three minutes of play to tie the score up once more at 30-30 with 17:25 to go in the game.
Less than a minute later, a slam by Holmes put the Falcons in front for the second time in the early minutes of the second half at 32-30.
Yet WKU refused to go away as the Hilltoppers used the free throw line and three consecutive three-pointers to pull back out in front by six at 44-38 with 12:02 to go in regulation.
Up for the challenge, the Falcons picked up back-to-back long distance shots from Parker and Henderson once more to retie the game at 44-44 with 10:46 on the game clock.
Foul trouble, as well as another cold spell on the offensive end for the Falcons over the next six minutes, aided WKU as it pulled out to a five point lead at 51-46, before a turn-around baseline jumper from Dickerson at the 4:58 mark put the Orange and Brown down just three.
The Falcons trimmed WKU’s lead to a single point at 52-51 on a rebound and putback basket by Clarke at the 2:15 mark, yet surrendered two layups to Fant over the next minute as WKU scored the last 10 points of the final 1:17 of the game to pull away for the 62-52 non-conference win.
BGSU outscored the Hilltoppers 20-8 in bench points and 15-13 in points off turnovers; however, WKU held a 30-24 advantage in points in the paint and edged the Falcons 9-8 in second chance points.
The Falcons were outrebounded 37-33 by the Hilltoppers, who also shot 23 free throws compared to only 13 foul shots by BGSU.
Bowling Green (4-1) will return home to host Alabama A&M on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. in the Stroh Center.
(Courtesy of BGSU Athletics/MRO Edit)
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