Turnovers plague BG in loss against IPFW

Falcons never able to sustain a rally, lose 88-75

2/24/2013
BLADE STAFF

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Bowling Green State University men’s basketball team suffered an 88-75 loss to IPFW on Saturday night.

The Mastodons made 10-of-14 3-point shots in the first half to build a 43-26 lead the Falcons were never able to overcome in the final BracketBuster game for both schools.

BG, which fell to 11-16 on the season, was led by Chauncey Orr’s 17 points. Jordon Crawford scored 14 while Richaun Holmes came off the bench to add 12.

Frank Gaines scored 26 points to lead four players in double figures for IPFW (14-16).

Luis Jacobo, Mario Hines, and Joe Edwards each added 12 for the Mastodons.

IPFW hit four 3-pointers in the first seven minutes to take an 18-6 advantage and led by as many as 22 points in the first period before BG used a 7-2 finish to cut its halftime deficit to 43-26.

The Mastodons led by 22 points five minutes into the second half before the Falcons started chipping into that lead.

Bowling Green managed to cut its deficit to nine points when a layup by Orr made it 72-63 with 4:21 to play, but the Falcons came no closer the rest of the way.

For the game IPFW shot 59.6 percent from the field (31-of-52), including 12-of-18 on 3-pointers. BG made 49.2 percent of its shots (31-of-63) but was just 2-of-9 on 3’s.

Bowling Green held a 35-23 rebounding advantage, with Cameron Black grabbing six while Spencer Parker and A’uston Calhoun had five each. But the Falcons were hamstrung by 17 turnovers that the Mastodons converted into 26 points.

NOTES: IPFW was formerly know as Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne. … The Falcons return to Mid-American Conference play Wednesday when they host Miami in a 7 p.m. start at the Stroh Center.