Conference road games always pose a challenge, especially as the season grows on and teams are fighting for post-season play. The Bowling Green men’s basketball team (12-4, 6-2 in Mid-American Conference) has performed well record-wise on the road in conference play to this point, going 3-1, but has not played their best basketball in opposing gyms, having to come back from early deficits and dig down deep to find their winning ways.
The challenge that awaits them on the road Saturday will require the Falcons to perform as they do in Anderson Arena. They play at Ohio (9-7, 4-4), who is undefeated in the Convocation Center this season (7-0) and is coming off a 76-68 home win over Toledo on Wednesday.
The Bobcats dismantled the Rockets by receiving double-digit scoring efforts from five players, an achievement they reached for the third time this year. OU used the backing of their home crowd, along with shooting 61.5 percent from the field in the first half, to run out to a 43-26 lead at the break.
The Falcons faced a much different start to their most recent game at Central Michigan Wednesday, as they fell behind 17-6 early, but were able to capitalize on several late Chippewa miscues to escape with a 77-73 win.
After their disastrous start against Toledo last Saturday, the Falcons must find a way to establish their style of play from the tip and prevent an early momentum swing from going to their opponents.
Falcons head coach Dan Dakich addressed his team’s inability to perform well at the beginning of games.
“We haven’t gotten off to very good starts … I don’t know when the last time we got off to a good start was,” he said.
As the Falcons stand tied atop the MAC West with Western Michigan after the Broncos loss to Miami Wednesday, Dakich knows that the bulls-eye is on his team’s back.
“What I try to tell these kids is that you have to understand that everybody in the MAC looks at the MAC standings and whoever is closer to the top, you’re gonna get everybody’s best shot,” he said.
The Bobcats have six players that average eight or more points a game, and are led by junior guard Mychal Green, who is coming off a 17-point effort against Toledo and averages 15 points per game this season. Reserve Jeff Halbert is a sharpshooter as he has hit 44.2 percent of three-point attempts (34-77).
The game tips off at 3:30 p.m.
