Bowling Green men’s basketball will face the Toledo Rockets in the second edition of the Battle of I-75 this season at the Stroh Center on Friday, with tip off at 7 p.m.
Bowling Green is currently on a three-game losing streak, dropping their past three contests to Louisiana, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan.
Matchup History
This Friday marks the 182nd matchup between the Falcons and the Rockets. Currently the Rockets lead the rivalry with 98 wins and 83 losses.
Bowling Green has lost the last five Battle of I-75 matchups, with their last win coming in the 2020-21 season- winning 88-81 at Savage Arena.
The last time the Falcons faced the Rockets- they were defeated 88-72, losing by 16 points.
Scouting Toledo
Toledo enters the second round of the Battle of I-75 sporting a 17-9 record with a 11-2 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The Rockets are coming off a 72-64 victory against the top ranked team in the MAC, the Akron Zips.
Toledo has won two in a row and is 6-4 in away games.
UT has the highest scoring offense in the MAC- averaging 80.5 points per game this season.
Additionally, the Rockets shoot 47.9% from the field- the highest shooting percentage in the MAC and have the second best three-point shooting in the MAC- shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc.
Despite the scoring highs- the Toledo defense hasn’t had the same success.
The Rockets’ defense allows 77.1 ppg- the third most points allowed per game in the MAC.
Toledo’s defense allows the highest opponent shooting percentage in the MAC with the Rockets opponents shooting 48.8% from the field.
The Rockets opponents shoot 37.4% from the three-point line.
Additionally, the Rockets grab 33.7 rebounds per game.
The Rockets shoot 75.5% from the free throw line.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green returns home to the Stroh after a three-game road trip- a road trip they want to forget.
Currently, BG has a record of 16-10 with a 7-6 record in the MAC. The Falcons are ranked fifth in the MAC.
The Falcons have lost their last three games and are 1-4 in their last five games.
Bowling Green averages 75.2 ppg and shoots 43.5% from the field. Bowling Green ranks ninth in the MAC in overall shooting percentage.
The Falcons shoot 29.8% from the three-point line- the second worst percentage in the conference. In their last loss to Central Michigan, Bowling Green went 1-13 from the three-point line, their worst three-point shooting night since 2013 against Kent State.
Bowling Green’s defense has been put through the ringer since they started MAC play this season. The Falcons allow 72 ppg through 26 games.
The Falcons allow opponents’ shooting average to be 44.5% and 35.6% from the three-point line.
Bowling Green grabs 38.3 rebounds per game, making them the best rebounding team in the MAC.
Falcon Four players to watch
Marcus Hill (Bowling Green #0)
This season, Hill had a streak where he scored 20 points or more in nine straight games.
Hill’s streak was snapped in Bowling Green’s contest against Eastern Michigan. Hill scored 19 and 15 points in his last two games.
Hill averages 21.2 ppg- the 11th highest in the nation.
Rashaun Agee (Bowling Green #12)
Agee has been a monster in scoring and on the boards for Bowling Green.
In 26 games this season- Agee has recorded a double-double in 13 of those games.
Last time out, Agee scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an overtime loss to Central Michigan.
Dante Maddox Jr has been one of the top performers for the Rockets this season.
Maddox Jr averages 15.6 ppg and 3.8 rebounds per game.
In the last Battle of I-75 at the Savage Arena, Maddox Jr scored 26 points on 8-9 shooting from the field.
Tyler Cochran, the junior guard for the Rockets is a solid third scoring option for Toledo.
Cochran averages 13.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg this season.
In the last game against Bowling Green, Cochran scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Toledo’s 16-point victory.
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