 BOWLING GREEN 68, EASTERN MICHIGAN 63
Who knew?
Not many people outside the inner circle of Bowling Green’s men’s basketball had a clue about the 6-feet-8 senior, who made the team as a walk-on this season. In fact, when Dabney came into Saturday’s BG-Eastern Michigan game, Eagles’ head coach Charles Ramsey was upset with his assistant coach because no one had any scouting report on Dabney.
Well now there’s film on Dabney as he played a key role in BG’s 68-63 victory over EMU. He played 15 minutes and responded with seven points, four rebounds, three blocked shots, a steal and only one turnover. The minutes played, points and blocked shots were all BG career-highs for Dabney, who played one season at Concordia (Mich.) College.
TOTALLY UNDER THE RADAR
“He wasn’t even on our scouting report,” Ramsey said. “Obviously Louie (Orr, BG’s head coach) put him in the game because he had given him something in practice. I don’t think Louie would have put him on the floor if the young man had not demonstrated he deserved to be on the floor. …He gave them a great 15 minutes.”
Dabney was part of an outstanding performance by BG’s bench players, who accounted for 42 points, 22 rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks and four steals.
“We have a phrase that we use — 14 strong,” Orr said about the Falcons. “It’s so suitable for this team. On any given day, any given game, we have guys who can step up.
“We’re a team, and today was a big example of it.”
In the last 10 games before Saturday, Dabney had played only two minutes against St. Louis on Jan. 1, seeing no playing time in BG’s first six MAC games.
“I never have a problem as long as we win. I just stay ready and focused,” Dabney said. “My confidence is always high. I know what I’m capable of. I’ve been playing for a lot of years. What I did today wasn’t something that I didn’t know I could do.”
Orr knows what Dabney can do after seeing him in practice.
“He plays with courage and I like that about him. He doesn’t play afraid,” Orr said about Dabney.
EAGLES GET DOUBLE DIGIT LEAD EARLY
Bowling Green started slowly and EMU was up 12-2 less than four minutes into the game.
Orr turned to the bench to change the defensive mind-set of the team, and it worked. “I think we finished the first half with nine out of 10 (defensive) stops,” Orr said.
It didn’t hurt that Jordon Crawford was a major offensive force off the bench. After playing only 16 minutes in BG’s win over Toledo on Wednesday, he was ready on Saturday.
“When I come into the game I just try to be a leader and get things rolling and try to spark something. That’s my job,” Crawford said. “I just try to get everybody involved and get the crowd on our side.”
Crawford scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half to help the Falcons dig out of the early hole and take a 34-31 lead into the break. Crawford was 5-of-5 from the field in the opening half, with two 3-pointers.
ENERGIZER JORDAN
“He gave them a ton of energy. He made shots; he made plays. It was what they needed and he delivered,” Ramsey said about Crawford.
Eastern Michigan, 7-of-10 on 3-pointers in the opening half, went to senior standout Brandon Bowdry in the second half. Bowdry finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, including 18 points and 10 rebounds in the second half.
Bowdry’s layup with 12:36 left in the game gave EMU its only lead of the second half, 47-46.
Scott Thomas, who finished with a team-high 16 points, hit a jumper with 12:10 left and the Falcons never trailed again.
The Eagles did get within one-point four more times in the second half, but BG always had an answer.
The Falcons were up by nine, 67-58 in the final minute, but had some problems with missed free throws and a turnover to allow the Eagles to close to within four, 67-63, with 14 seconds left.
Dee Brown split a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to seal the victory.
“I had some bad decisions late in the game. I’ve got to learn from them,” Crawford said.
NOTES: BG is now 10-11 overall and 5-2 in the MAC, having won six straight games at home, including three MAC contests ... The Falcons are 9-3 in their last 12 games ... EMU is 5-15, 2-5 ... Brown added 11 points off the bench and Danny McElroy grabbed 11 rebounds in 23 minutes of playing time ... The main scoreboard over center court went dark with 14:36 to play in the first half and did not work the rest of the game ... The Falcons are 3-0 wearing their throwback jerseys ... Only five EMU players scored in the game ... BG plays at Northern Illinois Wednesday with tipoff at 8 p.m.
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