MBB: Gaines Sets Scoring Mark In Win

CLICK ON VIDEO TAB TO SEE WANE'S COVERAGE PLUS INTERVIEWS WITH FRANK GAINES AND TONY JASICK.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - IPFW senior Frank Gaines became the school's career scoring leader on Saturday night, as the Mastodons held on late for an 88-75 win over the Bowling Green Falcons in the Ramada Worldwide Bracketbuster game held at the Memorial Coliseum.

Gaines, who now has 1,773 career points, passes former Mastodon Sean Gibson (pictured above with Gaines, who was in attendance for the game tonight. Gibson, who played from 1989-93, ended his playing career with 1,765 career points.

Gaines scored a game-high 26 points, while three other players, Luis Jacobo, Mario Hines, and Joe Reed, each added a dozen. IPFW spread the ball around throughout, with 24 of the team's 31 baskets coming off of an assist, while Joe Edwards set a new career-high with seven, as Pierre bland dished out six.

IPFW (14-16) hit 10-of-14 three-pointers in the first half, and 12-of-18 for the season, the second-highest total this season, while the team's 24 assists are a new season-high.

Bowling Green (11-16) jumped ahead early, and led 6-4 with 15:58 to play before the Mastodons ran off 14 straight points, capped by an Isaiah McCray three-point basket, giving IPFW a 12-point lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.

IPFW saw its lead close to 13 with 6:51 to play; however, the Mastodons countered with 12-3 run in which all of IPFW's points came on three-pointers, two from Gaines. The 'Dons led by as many as 22 in the first half, but saw its lead cut to 17 at the break as the Falcons scored with two seconds to play.

The Mastodons led wire-to-wire in the second half, and led by double-digits for the majority of the game; however, the Falcons cut the deficit to nine on five separate occasions in the half, but could not get any closer in the 14-point IPFW victory.

IPFW's +11 assist-to-turnover margin in the game is a new season-high, as seven different players gave out a helper in the game, including Hines who tied a career-high with his four assists. Hines, Michael Kibiloski, and Edwards each picked up two steals, while Hines and Kibiloski each had a block.

Bowling Green was led by Chauncey Orr who scored 17 points, while Jordon Crawford scored 14 and Richaun Holmes a dozen.

The Mastodons return to action in a week, when the squad travels to Rochester, Mich., to take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in a 6 p.m. EST tip-off.