Reimold, Falcons had a shot

Bowling Green's John Reimold hits the floor to battle Toledo's Anton Currie for the ball. Reimold had 10 points and six assists but missed a final 3-pointer for the Falcons, who fall to 8-9, 4-3 in the MAC.

Bowling Green's John Reimold likely will be remembered for one play in his team's 83-80 loss to arch-rival Toledo yesterday.

And that's too bad.

Reimold played 36 minutes and finished with 10 points, six assists and three rebounds against the Rockets. But probably the only thing the 6,722 fans at Savage Hall will recall is his potentially game-tying 3-point shot in the final seconds.

The shot rimmed out, allowing the Rockets to escape with their fifth straight victory over BGSU at Savage Hall and seventh in the past eight battles with the Falcons.

“We got the look we wanted - the ball just didn't go in the basket,” said Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich. “I feel awful for him. He prides himself on making that shot every time.”

Reimold was on the team bus and not made available after the game, but Dakich was more than willing to praise the junior's play last night.

Yes, Dakich admitted, Reimold was held five points under his season scoring average and well short of the 17.8 points he averages in MAC contests. But the BG coach was pleased with Reimold's effort in every facet of the game.

“I thought Toledo did a very good job on him, but I thought John did a good job, too,” Dakich said. “When they are guarding you like that, you shouldn't force shots and should try to find the open man. He had six assists and didn't have any turnovers, and that's doing a good job.”

Reimold's six assists were both a game high and a career high for the Greenville, Pa., native.

Reimold also spent most of the night guarding Toledo's Sammy Villegas, who had scored 35 points in the Rockets last two games. Villegas made just 3 of 10 shots from the floor and finished with 10.

“I thought he really battled Villegas hard,” Dakich said. “I think we have to make sure John doesn't get worn out, because he's a warrior.”

Good defense, solid offense. And yet the game's final shot will be the lasting image of Reimold most fans will take from yesterday's game.

UT coach Stan Joplin said his team had to be aware of Reimold all game long and still lost him on the final play.

“I was really disappointed in our defense, because no one was supposed to get a 3-point shot like that,” Joplin said. “That was mind-boggling. We wanted to make sure he didn't get any 3's; we wanted to stay on him as much as possible.”

That might have been part of the reason Reimold made just 4 of 12 shots from the floor. Those numbers are a far cry from his recent shooting; in his last two games Reimold made 14 of 22 of his shots from the floor, including 9 of 14 from behind the 3-point arc, in victories over Akron and Central Michigan.

The fact that Reimold's final shot didn't go in didn't change Dakich's thinking.

“I'll take John Reimold taking that shot any day of the week,” Dakich simply said.