Jan. 5, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bubba Walther (Cincinnati, Ohio) nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to cut Bowling Green's lead to just three points with less than a minute remaining, but the Bobcats could not get another basket to force overtime and the men's basketball team lost its MAC opener, 52-49, to the Falcons at Anderson Arena.

With the score at 46-41 with 1:03 left to play in the contest, Walther hit his second 3-pointer of the game to cut the Falcons' lead to two points. The teams exchanged free throws with Ohio making a pair and the Falcons knocking down six shots from the charity stripe.

BGSU's lead sat at 52-46 when Walther knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game, and second shot from downtown in just less than a minute of play.

Ohio intentionally fouled Bowling Green's Marc Larson and the Falcons' center missed both free throw attempts, giving Ohio a chance to tie the game with one more three point shot.

Walther fired from long range with six seconds remaining and the senior missed his first attempt, but Leon Williams (Baltimore, Md.) secured the offensive rebound and dished the ball back to Walther who could not connect on one last attempt from downtown as the clock expired on Ohio's first conference game of the season.

Walther finished with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting and Williams led the Bobcats with a game-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting while also pulling down nine rebounds. Jerome Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) also grabbed nine boards.

The Bobcats as a team shot 38.8 percent from the field (19-of-49) and hit just 5-of-22 3-point attempts. Bowling Green was equally inefficient from the field, knocking down 16-of-53 field goal attempts, but went 16-of-22 from the free throw line. Ohio made 6-of-9 shots from the foul line.

At the final buzzer the Falcons held a 39-33 advantage on the glass and turned the ball over four less times (16) than Ohio (20).

BGSU's Nate Miller led the Falcons in points (13), rebounds (10) and assists (five). Michael Allen's six assists paced the 'Cats.

Ohio will play its first conference game at the Convo this season when rival Miami visits Athens on Jan. 12. Tip time is 2 p.m.