Jordon Crawford scored 22 points, 16 in the first half, as Bowling Green won its 21st consecutive home opener, defeating Lake Erie College 63-53 Friday night.
Bowling Green never trailed after the first five minutes and led by double-figures for much of the second half, but could never pull away from its Division II opponent, shooting just 32.8 percent (19 of 58) overall.
The Falcons won by dominating in free-throw shooting and offensive rebounding. While Bowling Green made just 60 percent of its free throws (21 of 35), it went to the line 21 more times than the Storm, who made 8 of 14.
Bowling Green also grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and had a 14-5 edge in second-chance points.
Crawford made five of his first seven shots, including three 3-pointers, to spark the Falcons to a 31-23 halftime lead over Lake Erie, which counted the game as an exhibition.
