The Bowling Green Men’s Basketball travelled down to Lafayette, Louisiana, on Super Bowl Sunday, falling to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the second round of the Mid-American Conference (MAC)-Sun Belt Conference Challenge (SBC), 86-60.
The Falcons previously won their first matchup in the MAC-SBC Challenge three months ago, defeating Arkansas State 81-75 on Nov. 11.
FIRST HALF
Louisiana got on the board first, scoring the game’s first two points.
However, Bowling Green went on an early 7-0 run, jumping out to an 8-4 run after nearly three minutes of action.
After the Ragin’ Cajuns tied the game at 14 apiece, junior guard Marcus Hill made his fourth straight field goal attempt, putting the Falcons ahead 16-14 after seven minutes.
After some more back-and-forth action, BG maintained a 20-19 lead halfway through the first half.
Hill finally missed on his sixth shot attempt from the field. On the next possession, Louisiana hit a three-pointer, taking the 23-22 lead with just under nine minutes remaining in the half.
The Ragin’ Cajuns slowed BG down on offense and went on a 13-2 run, pushing their lead to nine points with five minutes remaining in the half, 33-24.
After more back-and-forth action to end the half, Louisiana headed to the locker room with an 11-point, 41-30.
While Bowling Green and Louisiana shot 48% (12-25) and 50% (17-34) from the field, respectively, the two teams combined to shoot just 25% (4-16) on three-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
Turnovers were a major problem for the Falcons in the first half.
BG turned the ball over nine times compared to Louisiana’s three. The Falcons also did not record any points off turnovers, while the Ragin’ Cajuns racked up seven.
SECOND HALF
The Falcons scored just one point in the first four minutes of the second half, as Louisiana went on a 7-0 run, extending their lead to 48-31.
After freshman guard EJay Greer hit BG’s second three-pointer of the game, Louisiana responded with a triple of their own, extending their advantage to 54-36 with 14 minutes remaining.
Louisiana continued to stay red hot, going on a 7-0 run and extending their lead to 24 points, 64-40 with just over nine minutes remaining.
The Ragin’ Cajuns dominated both sides of the ball for the rest of the game, winning by 26 points.
REVIEW OF THE GAME
The Ragin’ Cajuns controlled the contest, leading for over 29 minutes compared to eight minutes for BG. Bowling Green’s 60 points scored are the second-fewest this season.
BGSU shot 44% (24-55) from the field and 19% (4-21) on three-pointers. Meanwhile, Louisiana shot 57% (33-58) from the field and 50% (9-18) from beyond the arc.
While Louisiana turned the ball over just seven times, BG committed 14 turnovers. The Ragin’ Cajuns also scored 16 points off turnovers, while the Falcons did not record any.
Hill led Bowling Green in scoring with 22 points, shooting 10-17 from the field, 0-2 on three-pointers and 2-4 on free throws. Hill’s performance marked his ninth consecutive game scoring at least 20 points, the longest streak in the nation this season.
Center Jason Spurgin struggled the entire game, finishing with just three points. The Toowoomba, Australia, native shot just 1-9 from the field, 0-4 on three-pointers and 1-3 on free throws.
Forward Rashaun Agee finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, his 16th consecutive double-digit scoring performance.
NEXT UP
The Orange and Brown will get six days of rest before travelling to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to battle Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tip-off at George Gervin GameAbove Center is set for 3:30 p.m.
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