Bowling Green 63 Lake Erie College 53

Men's Basketball
Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Lake Erie Storm
Venue: Stroh Center (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Game Story | Box Score

I miss Anderson Arena.

This is by no means a knock on the Stroh Center. This is BG's second season playing in their new arena, and there's no doubt they needed a new facility. I've been to three games there now, and it's beautiful, an absolute gem as far as basketball arenas go.

One of the great things about Anderson Arena, though, was the vast expanse of student/general admission seating in primo territory, on the floor along one sideline. That area was all bleacher seating, which gave you plenty of room to spread out and be boisterous if you were so inclined (I usually was), as well as some leeway in choosing the company in your general vicinity.

Not so at the Stroh. The students are segregated behind one basket, and all the rest of the seating is ticket-specific. Tonight I was situated between two old ladies. The one on my left seemed to be paying attention to the game but didn't clap once all night, not even during pregame introductions. The lady on my left was staring at her phone almost the entire time; she put it away about five minutes into the second half, yawned twice, then got it back out and kept it out for the duration. I felt like an annoyance anytime I clapped or cheered. I did it anyway.

So yeah, the Stroh is great, but it just doesn't quite feel like home to me just yet. Of course, I also prefer BG's old logo to the new one, and I'd take Dan Dakich over Louis Orr anyday. I also want you to get off my lawn.

As for the game...well, hey, I was at a BG basketball game, and they won, so far be it from me to complain. I feel like they should have beaten Lake Erie by far more than they did, but it was the first game of the season and a couple of guys were unavailable due to injury, so that may have played a part. I was really impressed by Richaun Holmes in his first game action as a member of the Falcons. I was not particularly impressed with anything else.