The Falcons will battle Weber State on Friday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. The winner of the game will face the winner of Pepperdine and New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 30. The third-place game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. while the championship game will begin at 4:30 p.m.
A win in either game would mark the 150th career victory for BGSU head coach Todd Simon, making him the eighth-youngest active head coach to achieve the mark.
Matchup History
Friday marks the first meeting between Bowling Green and Weber State.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are 2-0 all-time against Pepperdine, but the teams have not faced each other since 1949. BGSU has never faced New Mexico State.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green has struggled to begin the season, holding a record of just 2-4. They have yet to win back-to-back games and are coming off an 80-68 loss to Bellarmine.
However, the Falcon’s offense has been high-powered. They lead the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with a 48.1% field goal percentage, a 39% three-point percentage and a 77.3% free throw percentage. They also score 79.3 points per game, the third-best mark in the conference.
Rebounding has been the main weakness for the Orange and Brown. They grab just 32.0 rebounds per game and 7.5 offensive boards per contest, ranking last in the MAC.
While their defense ranks in the middle of the pack, the Falcons hold opponents to just 28.6% shooting from deep, the best mark in the MAC. They also rank second in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game.
Scouting Weber State
Weber State is also 2-4 to begin their season but are coming off a 93-45 blowout victory over Justice College.
Although most of Weber State’s offensive stats don’t stand out, ranking fourth in the Big Sky Conference points per game (78.7) and ninth in field goal percentage (44.3%), they shoot 37.8% on three-pointers, the second-best mark in the Big Sky.
They are also a good rebounding team, grabbing 39.8 boards per game, the second-most in the conference.
Most of Weber State’s defensive numbers don’t jump off the page. However, they tally 4.2 blocks and 7.3 steals per game, the third and fourth-best marks in the Big Sky.
Scouting Pepperdine
Pepperdine has struggled this season, starting this year’s campaign just 1-5. After winning their home opener against Western Illinois, the Waves have lost five straight.
Pepperdine’s offense has been nothing special so far. They rank eighth in the West Coast Conference (WCC) with 30.3% on three-pointers, 10th with 41.7% shooting from the field and last with 64.5 points per game. Pepperdine also ranks last in the conference with just 33.8 rebounds per contest.
Their defense has also struggled mightily through the first six games of the season.
The Waves allow opponents to score 76.3 points per game, the second-worst mark in the WCC. Pepperdine also allows opponents to shoot 44.5% from the field and 36.4% on three-pointers, the worst marks in the conference.
Scouting New Mexico State
New Mexico State holds a 3-2 record this season but has lost two straight games.
The Aggie’s offense has not performed the greatest this year. Although they rank fourth in Conference USA (CUSA) with a 35.9% three-point percentage, they score just 73.8 points per game and shoot just 41% from the field, the second-worst and worst marks in CUSA, respectively.
Rebounding is arguably New Mexico State’s greatest strength. They grab 45.4 total rebounds and 15.8 offensive boards per game, the best marks in CUSA.
However, their defense has been very solid. New Mexico State holds opponents to just 35.7% shooting from the field, the best mark in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Marcus Johnson (Bowling Green#6)
The 6-foo-7-inch, 265-pound senior forward has been the center of BGSU’s offense this season.
Johnson ranks second in the MAC with 18.0 points per game and fifth with a team-leading 16 three-pointers this season.
Blaise Threatt (Weber State #0)
The senior guard is the main player to watch out for on Weber State’s offense.
Threatt leads the Wildcats with 17.7 points per game and 55.7% shooting from the field.
Stefan Todorovic (Pepperdine #7)
The 6-foot-8-inch senior forward has been the offensive leader for Pepperdine.
The Serbian native leads the Waves with 19.3 points and 36.0 minutes per game. He also leads the team with 12 three-pointers.
Christian Cook (New Mexico State #3)
The senior guard is the heart of New Mexico State’s offense.
Cook leads the Aggies with 13.4 points per game and 14 three-pointers.
