The Bowling Green men’s basketball team’s season is not over yet, as the Falcons will battle Purdue Fort Wayne in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) at the Stroh Center on Wednesday.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Chas McNeil and Holden Ruck will have the call of the game on Falcon Radio starting at 6:45 for pregame and 7 p.m. for tip-off.
A win would mark BGSU’s fifth postseason victory during the program’s Mid-American Conference (MAC) era and their first since 2015.
A victory would also tie BG head coach Todd Simon with Chris Jans (2014-2015) for the most overall wins by a first-year head coach in program history.
CIT History
Wednesday marks Bowling Green’s third appearance in the CIT, having previously played in the tournament at the end of the 2011-2012 and 2014-2015 campaigns.
The Falcons hold a 1-2 record in CIT competition.
Matchup History
The two teams have previously faced each other four times, with the Mastodons leading the all-time series, 3-1.
PFW has won the previous two contests against the Falcons.
However, Wednesday will be the first time the two teams have battled in over a decade, with the last matchup dating back to Jan. 2, 2014.
Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
Purdue Fort Wayne enters the contest with a 21-12 overall and 11-9 conference record.
While the Mastodons won four of their final five games of the season, they fell in the second round of the Horizon League Tournament to Oakland, the eventual champion, 75-65.
PFW’s offense has been one of the best in the Horizon League this season.
Along with scoring 80.9 points per game, third-most in the conference, they shoot 47.1% from the field and 36.3% on three-pointers, the second-best marks in the Horizon League. The Mastodons have also demonstrated excellent ball security this season, tuning the rock over just 10.3 times per game, the best mark in the conference.
Purdue Fort Wayne’s defense has also been solid this season.
The Mastodons limit opponents to 71.4 points per game, 31.9% shooting from beyond the arc and 44.5% shooting from the floor, the third, fourth and sixth-best marks in the Horizon League, respectively. They also record 16.4 turnovers and 9.3 steals per game, the most in the conference.
However, PFW has not been a good rebounding team.
Purdue Fort Wayne grabs just 32.2 combined and 8.3 offensive boards per game, the third-worst and worst marks in the Horizon League, respectively.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green has exceeded expectations in the first season under Simon, holding a 20-13 overall record this season after finishing last year’s campaign just 11-20.
The Falcons are one of 10 teams in the country to win 20 games this season after losing 20 contests in the previous season, joining Central Connecticut State, Little Rock, Loyola Chicago, McNeese, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Stony Brook and UT Arlington.
The Orange and Brown are coming off a 13-point loss against Kent State in the MAC Tournament semifinals in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, 73-60.
BG’s offense has not been dominant this season.
The Falcons rank sixth in the MAC with 73.5 points per game, ninth with a 43% field goal percentage and 11th with a 29.7% three-point percentage.
Meanwhile, BGSU’s defense, which was suffocating for the first half of the season, has been vulnerable down the stretch.
BG limits opponents to 70.8 points per game and a 44.2% field goal percentage, ranking fifth in the conference. However, the Falcons allow opponents to shoot 36.4% from beyond the arc, the worst mark in the MAC.
Rebounding has been BGSU’s biggest strength this season.
The Orange and Brown lead the MAC with 38.2 combined rebounds and 26.7 defensive rebounds per game.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Marcus Hill (Bowling Green #0)
The junior guard, named to the All-MAC First Team, has been electric in his first season with the Falcons.
Hill has scored 672 points this season, the most of any MAC player and the fifth-most in a single season in program history. He needs 34 points to pass James Darrow (705, 1959-1960) for fourth place on the all-time leaderboard.
The Rockford, Illinois, native scored at least 20 points in nine straight games earlier this year, the longest streak in the nation this season.
Rashaun Agee (Bowling Green #12)
The senior forward, named to the All-MAC Second Team, has been a dominant force this season.
Agee leads the MAC with 126 offensive rebounds, ranking second in the conference with 9.9 rebounds per game and a 57% field goal percentage.
The Chicago, Illinois, native has tallied 11 double-doubles this season, tied for the 11th-most in the country.
Jalen Jackson (Purdue Fort Wayne #1)
The sophomore guard, named to the Horizon League All-League Third Team, has been the primary catalyst for the Mastodons this season.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native ranks fifth in the conference with 54 steals, sixth with a 50.7% field goal percentage and 10th with 16.2 points per game.
Rasheed Bello (Purdue Fort Wayne #0)
The junior guard, named to the Horizon League All-Defensive and All-League Third Teams, has been one of the key players for the Mastodons.
The Chicago, Illinois, native ranks third in the conference with 59 steals, fourth with 137 assists and 11th with 14.9 points per game.
For more stories related to BGSU Athletics, follow Falcon Media Sports Network on X (@bg_fmsn).
