More on Bowling Green

Here's more on the Dukes and Falcons game. For both, it's the last non-conference battle, first game of the new year while each is coming off wins.

This looks like a battle between the running Dukes and the bulky Falcons. After all, it's the "high-scoring Duquesne University," coming in. (BG press release)

Sunday's opponent was frank about what Duquesne presented. South Carolina Upstate's head coach Eddie Payne said, "Depth was a factor in the game. Duquesne runs a lot of people at you."

"Our team took a beating today, but they still competed," Payne said. Four of his players were injured Sunday: Nick Schneiders (broken nose), Bobby Davis (leg) and Josh Chavis and Luke Payne (concussions). All but Chavis returned to the game.

Basketball fans, especially those from Syracuse and Seton Hall, are very familiar with the Falcons' first year head coach. Louis Orr is originally from Ohio (Cincy) and has taken over a team that was 13-18 last season, 9-4 in non-conference play but just 3-13 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

He had a 80-69 record at Siena, Syracuse and Seton Hall, including 18-12, 9-7 in the Big East at the Hall in 2005-06, his last season in Jersey.

Duquesne leads the series 13-9, the last win in 1984. The Falcons won the last two: 93-77 on December 2, 2000, and 64-62 twelve (12) months later.

Two players score in double-digits and also lead the team's rebounding. The top scorer is 6-foot-4, 240 pound sophomore forward Nate Miller with 13.4 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman forward Chris Knight (6-7, 210) tops the list with 6.7 rpg and is second at 13.0 ppg.

Bowling Green lost its third plus-10 scorer and rebounder and top assist-man, senior 6-foot-5 guard Ryne Hamblet. BGSU is 1-2 without him; 5-3 with the 6-foot-5 small forward. The Chipola College transfer had started 29 of the 38 games where he saw action, playing 29.3 mpg in his first year at BG and 31.3 mpg this season.

Two 6-foot-9 sophomores, Marc Larson and Otis Polk, average 1.1 blocks per game. They combine for 7.2 rpg.

BG has four players who weigh at least 235 pounds with Polk topping the scales at 280. Kieron Achara, listed at 240 pounds, is the only Duquesne player in that range.

So once again the Dukes will face a young, bulkier opponent who've been playing the traditional style of ball. A win would give Duquesne a 10-3 record, matching last season's win total (10-19)

Some differences:

• BGSU is averaging 65.6 points per game compared to the Dukes' 87.6 ppg, third highest in the nation.
• Duquesne is 6-1 at home; BGSU is 2-2 at the Anderson Arena.
• The Falcons lead the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in blocked shots per game - 4.18 bpg. Shawn James is averaging 4.50 bpg, in the top five in the nation. Duquesne's team total is 8.58, also in the top 5. (NCAA latest stats are from 12/16)
• The Dukes have 10 players who have played at least 13 minutes, five in the 20s, in all 12 games with four guys available on the bench. Shawn has the highest number - 24.6 mpg. Three Falcons average 30 minutes or more per game, with four others in the 15.0 - 27.2 mpg range.
• Duquesne opponents are shooting 34.0 percent in 3-point range; the MAC school's number is 30.0%.
• Duquesne has the edge in rebounds. DU out-rebounds opponents by 3.4 per game (41.8 rpg); BGSU has a deficit of 0.7 (34.4 rpg).
• DU has had winning streaks of six and three (current). BG's 52-48 win over Eastern Illinois ended a four game losing streak