BOWLING GREEN 70, TOLEDO 64
TOLEDO Toledos zone defense baits opposing teams to shoot from the outside.
Bowling Green took that bait in the first half Tuesday night, launching 12 3-point shots, making four. Still the Falcons were able to gain a 27-21 halftime lead. In the second half Bowling Green went to its inside game and it paid off with 14 points in the paint as BG held on for a 70-64 win.
The Falcons shot just five 3-pointers in the second half, making two. After shooting only 31 percent from the field in the first half, the Falcons shot 58.3 from the floor in the second half.
They worked harder than us and they wanted it more, said Toledo freshman Reese Holliday.
CALHOUN GETS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Sophomore Auston Calhoun led the way inside for the Falcons and finished with 21 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, recording his first career double-double. He also tied for the team-high with four assists and added two steals and two blocked shots with three turnovers.
Sometimes we fall in love with the jump shot, but as coach (Louis Orr) says, we have to play inside-out, Calhoun said. Calhoun has scored 17 or more points in four of his last seven games.
When we start playing inside-out, our outside game comes a lot easier as well as our inside game. The last few games that weve won, thats what has been working for us, Calhoun added.
HITTING THE BOARDS
Calhoun said the Falcons put an emphasis on crashing the offensive boards. It paid off with 14 offensive rebounds, four each from Scott Thomas and Calhoun, and 13 second-chance points.
He played big the whole game, Orr said. For a young player in a rivalry game, sometimes the size of the game can be a little overwhelming. But right from the start, he attacked the game ... He was huge for us.
Auston is a guy we want to get the ball to in a position to score, Orr added. I give him credit. He went and got it tonight and a lot of that he did on his own.
The Falcons started the game on a 16-6 run and went into the half leading 27-21 despite the poor outside shooting. Calhoun and Joe Jakubowski each scored 11 points in the first half.
We got some open looks, but we dont make a living with the three, Orr said about the first half. When we take a number of threes, were not playing to our strengths.
GRIFFIN SHINES
Toledo was able to gain a 32-32 tie early in the second half and the game remained close the rest of the way as the Rockets had success attacking BGs 2-3 zone by using 6-feet-4 sophomore guard Malcolm Griffin at the high post. Griffin finished with 25 points and five assists, with 20 points and four assists coming in the second half. Griffin has now scored 20 or more in four straight games.
Their zone is unique ... you just dont see it every day. Its kind of like going against a Princeton offense, its a rarity and thats why I think its pretty good, said UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk.
Orr called Griffin a tough cover.
Still Bowling Green had the answers for Toledo in the second half and one of them was Dee Brown. The junior came off the bench to score 11 points and add two assists, all in the second half.
Dee Brown gave us a big lift off the bench, Orr said.
The Rockets were within four points in the final minute of the game, but BG went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line to seal the win. Brown was 4-of-4 from the line in the final 16 seconds.
Bowling Green is now 9-11 overall (8-3 in its last 11 games) and 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference, with two road victories in conference play. Toledo is now 4-15, 1-5.
The Falcons host Eastern Michigan Saturday ( 3 p.m. ET), while Toledo travels to Kent State (3 p.m. ET).
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