Bowling Green Falcons Use Comeback to Beat Cincinnati Bearcats 91-84 in OT

The Bowling Green Falcons overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat the Cincinnati Bearcats in overtime, 91-84 on Sunday night at the Paradise Jam Tournament in St. Thomas the Virgin Islands. The Falcons will play the Nevada Wolfpack in the Championship Game tomorrow night at 9 p.m.

Cincinnati jumped out to an early 16-7 lead with 16:07 remaining in the first half. Bowling Green’s Trey Diggs hit a three-pointer with just over 10 minutes left in the half to cut the deficit to one. The Bearcats then went on an 8-2 run and lead 26-18 with just under six and a half minutes to go in the first half. At halftime the Bearcats held 41-29 a lead.Despite making several second half runs at the Bearcats, the Falcons were still down double digits (67-57) with just 3:49 left in regulation.

The Falcons started fouling Bearcat Chris McNeal intentionally. It worked! McNeal finished only 10 of 21 from the free throw line and the Falcons slowly clawed their way back into the game. Bowling Green’s Trey Diggs hit a big three-pointer to tie the game at 72-72 and send it to overtime.Bowling Green took a five-point lead in overtime with when Dylan Frye hit a three-pointer with two and a half minutes remaining. Cincinnati got within three in the overtime period but never closer as the Falcons pulled off the upset.

Cincinnati did not take advantage of their Paradise Jam record in free-throw attempts 55, shooting only 56% from the charity stripe.Frye was named the Paradise Jam Player of the Game with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Daeqwon Plowden finished with 18 points, while Justin Turner, Caleb Fields and Diggs all finished in double figures with 10 points.Making the win even more incredible, the Falcons played the entire second half without leading scorer Turner, who left with a reported pulled muscle.Bowling Green improves to 5-1 on the year while Cincinnati drops to 3-2.