"Kind of surreal" Coach Louis Orr.

Those words from Coach Orr, who is not prone to making statements like that.  After years of gut wrenching and horrifying defeats to WMU, this laugher on their floor could not have been more unexpected.

"One of them nights," said our Coach.  And it was.  A crazy, zombie infested night when BG couldn't miss in the second half and WMU couldn't score, where everything, and that pretty much means everything, bounced the Falcons way as they walked to a delightfully easy victory in a game they really needed to have pretty badly.

The game was close at halftime--BG led by only 2.  But the Falcons came out with incredibly hot hands, and went on a 12-4 run, followed by a short break and then a 13-3 run.  Once BG went up 10 with about 14 left, the delta (like that?) was never in single digits again.

College Basketball Stats

BG shot 76% in the second half.  That is truly surreal.  And Western shot 36%.  Same deal.

For the game, BG had a 1.14 points per possession rate, which is actually on their 3rd best D1 game of the year.  If anything the defensive performance was even more remarkable because it lasted for the whole 40.  It was the program's best D1 defensive efficiency since the Fordham game two seasons ago.

As you can see, WMU had a good day on the offensive boards, which was expected, and 42% is pretty good.  However, BG outplayed them in every other facet of the game.  WMU turned the ball over 22 times, which is almost 35% of their possessions and when you shoot badly on the other 65%, that's not a sign that things are going to go your way.

College Basketball Stats

Individually, Dee Brown scored 21 points, Crawford 16 (and 8 assists) and Calhoun 15 in a huge second half.  Torian Oglesby had a couple of big dunks on alley oops and 6 for the game.

So, that helps a lot with the whole thing.  BG is now 4-4, and with NIU coming in on Saturday, a fading Ball State after that and then Toledo, if they can find a way to string a few together this is a place where they can make some hay.  In fact, most of the teams in the East have been winning, so you almost have to make hay.  But, you go through those games you could be 7-4 heading back to the East, and that would have a different look to it.

That all remains to be seen.  For right now, it is nice to have another road win, and one against a team that is playing really well.  I think all Falcon fans are hoping for the same thing....that this team will string together some wins.  Now, I don't think we're going to shoot 76% in a half again soon, but we also don't need to.  Just nice, solid performances strung together.