BOWIE, MD --The Bowie State men's basketball team shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, but fell to the UDC Firebirds, 91-88 at home Wednesday.

The Bulldogs (2-4) had five players score in double figures, led by Elijah Rantin, who had 23 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Quinton Drayton tacked on 21 points from the bench and Caleb Johnson helped out with 12 points and five assists.

Rantin pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace the Bowie State offense which grabbed 11 boards and turned them into seven second chance points.

The Bowie State defense caused its share of mistakes in Wednesday's game, forcing 13 UDC turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor. Warren Mouganda led the way individually for the Bulldogs with one steal. However, BSU owned 15 miscues themselves. 

How It Happened
After falling behind 33-32, Bowie State went on a 5-0 run with 4:34 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Johnson, to take a 37-33 lead. The Bulldogs then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 43-39 advantage. Bowie State relied on its three-point shooting in the half, knocking down six shots to account for 18 of its 43 points.

Bowie State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Drayton's layup, to grow the lead to 59-50 with 13:45 to go in the contest. UDC then asserted control, outscoring the Bulldogs 41-29 the rest of the way to hand Bowie State the 91-88 loss. The Bulldogs got a boost from its bench in the half , as non-starters accounted for 21 of its 45 total points.

Game Notes

» The Bulldogs made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 10 of 20 shots.
» The Bowie State bench made an impact by adding 27 points to its scoring output.
» Five Bowie State players scored 10 or more points.
» BSU lost despite a 32-31 rebounding advantage.
» The Bowie State defense forced 13 turnovers.
» The Bulldogs cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Rantin led the Bulldogs with 23 points and Drayton added 21.
» Bowie State got a team-high six rebounds from Rantin.

Up Next
The Bulldogs return to action on Sunday, Nov. 27 against Shepherd at 4 p.m. inside A.C. Jordan Arena.  

For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.