The Bowling Green men’s basketball team is set to begin a five-game homestand at the Stroh Center with a matchup against Ohio Dominican on Sunday, Dec. 10, with tip off set for 2 p.m.
Matchup History
The game on Sunday will mark the third meeting between the two teams.
The Falcons lead the all-time series 2-0, winning the last matchup against the Panthers 102-65 last season.
Scouting Ohio Dominican
Ohio Dominican enters the matchup against the Falcons with a 1-6 record this season.
ODU’s lone win came against Wilberforce on Nov. 22. Since then, the Panthers have lost three straight contests.
To say Ohio Dominican has struggled on offense this season would be an understatement.
ODU ranks last in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) with 69.3 points per game and 42.1% shooting from the field. They are also shooting 31.5% on three-pointers, which ranks ninth in the conference.
The Panthers have failed to score more than 61 points in their past three games.
Although they have struggled shooting from the field this season, Ohio Dominican has been a good free throw shooting team, averaging 74.3% from the charity stripe, which ranks fourth in the G-MAC.
While they have struggled mightily on offense this season, ODU has performed better on defense.
Opponents are scoring 76.3 points per game, shooting 44.6% from the field and 32.8% from beyond the arc against Ohio Dominican this season.
The Panthers also struggle in the rebounding and turnover departments.
ODU averages the third-fewest rebounds per game in the G-MAC with 32.3. They are also getting outrebounded by over three boards per game.
Ohio Dominican also turns the ball over 10.7 times per game while forcing just 10.6 turnovers per contest.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons enter the contest against the Panthers with a 5-3 record this season, including three straight wins against Lipscomb, Canisius and Southern Indiana.
Bowling Green ranks middle of the pack for most offensive statistical categories in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
BGSU ranks seventh in the conference in points per game (69.8), eighth in field goal percentage (44.0%) and second to last in three-point percentage (30.3%).
The Falcons have also struggled shooting free throws this season, averaging just 60.1% from the charity stripe.
While BG’s offense started heating up against Lipscomb and Canisius, the Falcons scored just 54 points on 28.6% shooting from the field and 23.8% from beyond the arc in their last game against Southern Indiana.
Although they have been inconsistent on offense, Bowling Green’s defense has been one of the best in the MAC this season.
The Falcons allow the lowest opponent field goal percentage (41.6%) and the third-fewest points per game (67.5) in the conference.
The Orange and Brown are also one of the best rebounding teams in the MAC, averaging 37.4 boards per game, tied with Kent State for the best in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Marcus Hill (Bowling Green #0)
The junior guard has led the Falcons in scoring in six of their eight games this season, including the past four contests.
The Rockford, Illinois, native has scored at least 20 points four times this season.
Hill is averaging 19.9 points per game, which leads Bowling Green and ranks second in the MAC.
The senior forward has been one of the most efficient scorers in the MAC this season.
Towns is shooting 59.5% from the field, which leads the Falcons and ranks sixth in the conference.
In Bowling Green’s 37-point win against Ohio Dominican last season, the Columbus, Ohio, native tallied a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
JeJuan Witherspoon (Ohio Dominican #15)
The senior forward is averaging a double-double this season.
Witherspoon leads the G-MAC with 10.4 rebounds per game while leading ODU with 16.9 points per game.
However, Witherspoon has not been the most efficient scorer this season, shooting just 39.6% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc.
The Columbus, Ohio, native also leads the team with six blocks and eight steals this season.
Luke Ruth (Ohio Dominican #10)
The freshman guard has been the primary facilitator on offense for the Panthers, leading the team with 25 assists this season.
However, Ruth also leads ODU with 24 personal fouls and 17 turnovers.
The Grove City, Ohio, native is one of four double-digit scorers this season for the Panthers, averaging 11.4 points per game.
Ruth also leads the team in free throw shooting, averaging 80.8% from the charity stripe this season.
For more stories related to BGSU Athletics, follow Falcon Media Sports Network on X (@bg_fmsn).
