It’s not about how you start but how you finish. The Falcons worked through some first-half mistakes and came out sharp in the second half to get a 76-68 win over the Niagara Purple Eagles—a much-needed win after a tough yet impressive game against Michigan State.
The Orange and Brown came out flat at the start of the game, allowing Niagara to knock down three three-pointers in the first four minutes. The largest lead the Purple Eagles got to was nine, as the Falcons would bend but never break, not letting Niagara get a double-digit lead.
“We’ve shown we’re a team of runs; we’ve just got to shorten the other team runs,” head coach Todd Simon said postgame.
The Falcons would prove the coach’s statement correct as they went on a quick 7-0 run to cut the deficit down to two following a massive slam dunk by Braelon Green, a Trey Thomas three and a tough Marcus Johnson layup.
The Falcons managed to stay composed and keep the score within four at halftime as Niagara led 37-33.
“Coach lit a fire at halftime. We expect a lot from ourselves, so it was just getting back to what we need to be doing,” senior forward Sam Towns said.
The Orange and Brown came out of the half with a different type of motor as they went on a 13-4 run in the first five minutes. Towns contributed on both sides of the ball during this run, starting it off with a three-pointer and finishing it off with a block pinned off the backboard.
The Falcons would continue their dominant second half with the help of new teammate Derrick Butler, who would go on a 10-2 run by himself to help push the BGSU lead up to 60-48.
“Derrick has been struggling to find his groove; it’s tough playing with a whole new group of guys,” Towns said. “We tell him to shoot the ball, and he found his rhythm; it really helped tonight.”
The Falcons would end the night with three players scoring over 15. Those players were Johnson, Towns, and Butler. This trio would combine for 56 out of the team’s 76 in the game and 40 out of the team’s 43 in the second half.
After the win over Niagara, the team has a couple of days to rest up before they get on the road to take on the Bellarmine Knights in Louisville, Kentucky, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 23.
