Falcon MBB Drops Another Heartbreaker

Ouch.  That one is going to leave a mark.

Full disclosure, due to a life-changing personal event, I didn't see one possession of this game. 

Based on Twitter, I do understand there was some controversy.

Looking at the stats and PBP, this is clearly a game BG should have won.

Much like the Akron game, BG kept the opponent within reach the whole way and even led at halftime.  BG led for almost all of the first 14 minutes before Kent took the lead.  The lead bounced back and forth and then with 1:24 left BG was up by 1 point.

Kent had the ball and BG got a stop on a De La Rosa offensive foul.  In a key possession with less than a minute to play, BG failed to extend the lead and KSU came down and scored to go back up 1 with :42 to play.  Falcons called time and Turner missed a 3, but Koch and Wiggins made 3 Orebs before Wiggins finally got the put back to put BG back up 1 with :20 left.

Jalen Avery came down and was fouled by Frye and made both FTs.  Kent up 1, :17 left.  BG calls time, Turner misses again and then Wiggins was fouled on the stick back.  He made both clutch FTs with :07 left and BG was up 1.

Kent came rushing down the court and the controversial play happened.  I haven't seen it but Frye was called for fouling Avery who made both FTs inside of :04 and then Lillard just missed a buzzer-beater and Kent had a win.

Ouch.

I'm not much one for blaming the refs.  May have been an awful call. People seem very upset. BG also shot 21% in the second half, 1-12 from 3, despite a mind-boggling 17 offensive rebounds.  Games feel like they come down to one possession, but many possessions make a game up.

A win would have clinched home court.  More on that later.  Sad thing is, BG got the defense they needed.  BG has only lost twice when allowing .99 points per possession or below.  (That's what it was, .99).  Sadly, BG scored only .97 points per possession.  BG shot horribly--it was their worst shooting game of the MAC season and second worst of the entire season, eclipsed only by ODU.

BG shot 20% from 3--which is awful--but also 39% on its 2FGs, which just cannot be. 

BG mitigated that by doing a little better on the turnovers.  BG had a great game on the offensive boards, but alas so did Kent.  And, Kent got to the line 21 times to BG's 14.  They shot poorly (made 12) or this would be a different game.   BG made 11 of their 14.

Justin Turner led BG with 17 points on 8 of 18 and 1 of 4 shooting.  Frye had 14 on 4 of 9 shooting.  Wiggins had 14 on 5 of 9 shooting and added 13 rebounds and subtracted 4 turnovers.

Those points for Turner break Anthony Stacey's FR BGSU scoring record.

So here is where we stand.  BG could have clinched home court by winning either of the last two games.  Instead, a road game is still in play.  All the teams chasing BG lost, so BG maintains a two-game lead with 2 to play.  A win Tuesday and they clinch.  Even if BG loses out, any of the four teams chasing them would have to win out to pass BG.  You figure Akron loses @UB, NIU has UT and BSU, CMU has BSU and WMU...don't see any of them winning out.  The one to watch for is OU, since they would (in this model) have beaten BG and then would tie.  I THINK BG would take the tie-breaker over OU....they would have split the season series, neither team would have bean UB, UT or BSU and then BG has wins over WMU and WMU, which OU does not.  But, there's a lot that could happen to that.

Anyway, BG is competitive right now, just not good enough to win.  If they can keep that up, there is no reason they can't win at OU.