Bowling Green (14-5, 5-2) fell to Kent State (10-9, 3-4) 90-84 in overtime after playing even in two halves at the Stroh Center. Both teams battled foul trouble all night with 47 combined fouls being committed by both teams.

Center Jason Spurgin, who fouled out in overtime, talked about how the team hopes to manage this better in the future: 

“It was definitely a physical game, you know. I think we need to manage ourselves a little bit better, understanding where we are on the foul count and playing with fouls.” 

Two of the best guards in the MAC were on display tonight as Marcus Hill of BG and Jalen Sullinger of Kent each led their respective teams in scoring. Hill finished with 21 points, 16 coming in the 2nd half, and 8 boards. Sullinger dominated all night with an even 30, adding in 4 rebounds and 2 steals. 

BG started the first half slow, a recent trend as of late. Most of their first-half points came from the charity stripe or 3-pointers. While the Bowling Green offense tried to find its footing, their defense never wavered, keeping them in the game. The experience of the upperclassmen-lead team continues to show, as BG always seems to recover from a slow start. At the end of the 1st half, BG went on a 14-4 run, and later a strong and-1 by Jason Spurgin contributed to a tie game at halftime, 35 all. 

The second half was a classic back-and-forth game. When Kent State went on a run, Bowling Green would rally back to even. Bowling Green was sloppy at times, committing 14 turnovers total in the game.

Kent State forward, VonCameron Davis, had 14 points in the second half and finished with a 21-point double-double. With 36 seconds left in regulation, BG had two chances to score, one by Hill and the other by Spurgin, but ultimately missed both.  

This was the Falcons’ second overtime game this season, this being their first loss. The Golden Flashes started overtime perfect from the field (4-4), which proved to be too much for BG. A game with 9 lead changes and 10 ties ended with Kent on top, pushing BG into 3rd place in the MAC. 

4 starters for BG played 35+ minutes, and 2 played for 40+. Senior Rashaun Agee finished with another double-double. Spurgin added 19 points and 9 boards. The team shot well from the free throw line (26-34) as they had ample opportunities to shoot them.  

Bowling Green looks to bounce back, and maybe more importantly, to flip the script against Toledo; a rivalry that needs no introduction but has been heavily dominated by the Rockets in previous years. Coach Simon is looking forward to starting a new chapter in the rivalry. 

“It’s not just another game; it’s a rivalry game; that’s a part of what makes college basketball special.” 

The game tips this Saturday at 2 pm in Toledo.