Following an 81-75 victory over Arkansas State at the Stroh Center on Saturday, Bowling Green Men’s Basketball (2-0) will head on the road for the first time this season, traveling to Oakland University for a matchup with the Golden Grizzlies (0-2) on Tuesday, Nov. 14, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
With a win, Bowling Green would start 3-0 for the first time since the 2014-2015 season, when the Falcons won their first four games and finished with an overall record of 21-12.
A win against Oakland would also mark the first time BG has won their first road game in back-to-back seasons since the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 campaigns.
Matchup History
All-time, BGSU is 6-5 against Oakland. The Falcons come into the contest winners of the last three meetings between the two programs.
Last season, BG defeated the Golden Grizzlies 87-82 on Nov. 11, 2022, at the OU Credit Union O’Rena in Auburn Hills. However, the Falcons are just 2-4 all-time as the visitors against OU.
Scouting Oakland
Last season, the Golden Grizzlies finished with an overall record of just 13-19. However, Oakland went 11-9 in conference play, finishing in the middle of the pack in the Horizon League.
Oakland enters the matchup seeking their first win of the season after falling to Ohio State, 79-73, and #25 Illinois, 64-53.
Through two games this season, the Golden Grizzlies are shooting 38.5% from the field and 34.5% from three-point range.
On the flip side, opponents have shot 46.7% from the field against OU. However, Oakland held the Buckeyes and Fighting Illini to just 11-41 shooting from three-point range.
OU has also been efficient in the turnover department, giving the ball away just 19 times while forcing 22 turnovers. They are currently averaging six steals per game.
A glaring weakness for Oakland has been foul trouble. They have committed a staggering 45 personal fouls through their first two games, including 29 in their season-opener against OSU.
Ohio State and Illinois attempted a combined 46 free throws in two games, compared to OU’s 24.
The Golden Grizzlies have yet to establish any dominance in the paint. Just 38 of Oakland’s 126 points this season have come in the painted area. They have also been outrebounded this season 78-62.
Scouting Bowling Green
Defense has been the backbone of the Falcons through two games.
BG has held opponents to 38% shooting from the field, which ranks first in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), and 58 points per game, which ranked second in the MAC.
The Falcons have also been dominant down low, averaging 41 rebounds per game, pacing the MAC.
Offensively, BG has taken care of the ball, committing just 9.5 turnovers per game this season. Only Ohio (8.5) and Toledo (9.0) have turned the ball over less than the Falcons among MAC teams.
The Orange and Brown have shot 47.1% from the field in the first two games. However, they haven’t found a consistent three-point shot, going just 13-46 from downtown this season.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Marcus Hill (Bowling Green #0)
The Bowling Green junior guard has led the Falcons in scoring in both games this season, scoring 18 points against Chicago State and 26 points against Arkansas State. He has made 16 of his 31 shot attempts through two games, good for a field goal percentage of 51.6%
Hill has also seen the court more than any other Falcon this season, leading the team with 27 and 38 minutes played against CSU and ASU, respectively.
Last season at Southern Union State Community College, Hill led the National Junior College Athletic Association with 780 points scored. This season, he has picked up right where he left off, but this time, at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level with Bowling Green.
DaJion Humphrey (Bowling Green #3)
The senior guard from Detroit, Michigan, has been a key contributor for the Falcons in the first two games.
Humphrey has been the best three-point shooter for BG, shooting 5-9 from downtown this season. He ranks second on the team in points per game with 12.5.
In the last game against the Red Wolves, Humphrey scored 22 points, shooting 8-11 from the field, 4-6 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line.
The junior forward from Oxford, Michigan, is the heart and soul of the Golden Grizzlies.
Last season, he was named to the Horizon League All-League Second Team, pacing the team in rebounds and finishing second in points scored.
This season, Townsend is leading OU in points per game (18.0), rebounds per game (9.5), assists per game (2.0), steals per game (1.5), free throws made (7-7) and minutes played per game (37.0).
In the last game against the Fighting Illini, Townsend recorded his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, leading the team in both categories.
Last season, in the lone matchup between BG and Oakland, Townsend led the Golden Grizzlies with 23 points scored on 8-10 shooting from the field and 7-10 shooting from the charity stripe.
After playing at Hillsdale College for the past four seasons, the graduate guard transferred to Oakland this season.
Gohlke leads the Golden Grizzlies in three-pointers made, shooting 8-24 from beyond the arc through the first two games. He ranks second on the team in points per game (12.0), minutes per game (36.5) and steals per game (1.0).
Gohlke led OU in scoring in their home opener, scoring 18 points. Gohlke has not attempted a two-point field goal this season, shooting 6-18 and 2-6 from three-point range against Ohio State and Illinois, respectively.
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Cal Bowers • Nov 14, 2023 at 9:57 am
I’d love to see the “sidenote” that Oakland is coached by BGSU Alumnus, Greg Kampe. Coach Kampe played both Men’s Basketball AND Football for the BGSU Falcons. He’s been a class act during his 40years as the head coach of the Grizzlies.