BGSU men’s basketball hits the road for the only time in December, traveling to Missouri to battle the Kansas City Roos on Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Falcons are seeking their first true road win of the season. They defeated San Diego State in a neutral site game in Arizona on Nov. 30 but are 0-3 in true away matchups.
The Orange and Brown are also looking to stay undefeated in December under head coach Todd Simon. After their 21-point win over Morgan State on Saturday, they are 6-0 with an 18.7-point average margin of victory in the month under Simon.
A victory would also bring BG’s record to .500 for the first time this season.
Matchup History
Saturday will be the third meeting between the teams, with each team holding a win in the series.
Kansas City won the first matchup in 2016 before the Falcons earned a victory over the Roos last season.
The game will mark BGSU’s first trip to Kansas City in program history.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green enters the game with a 4-5 record on the season and is currently riding a two-game winning streak.
Saturday will mark just BG’s third game in the past three weeks. They defeated New Mexico State 61-60 on Nov. 30 before dominating Morgan State 102-81 on Saturday.
BGSU’s offense has been one of the best in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The Falcons lead the MAC with 36.6% shooting on three-pointers. They also lead the conference and rank 10th in the nation with 80.6% shooting on free throws.
They have also been solid defensively. While they allow 73.2 points per game, ranking eighth in the MAC, they hold opponents to 29% shooting from beyond the arc, the second-best mark in the MAC and a top-50 mark nationally.
Scouting Kansas City
Kansas City is 5-7 on the season with a 3-1 record in home games.
The Roos are coming off a 69-64 victory over Portland on Tuesday.
UMKC’s offense has not been the most impressive this season. They rank fifth in the Summit League with 77.2 points per game, sixth with a 33.9% three-point percentage and eighth with a 42.9% field goal percentage.
However, their defense has been suffocating this year.
Kansas City holds opponents to 64.2 points per game, leading the conference and ranking 32nd in the nation. They also hold opponents to 43.2% shooting from the field and 29.5% from deep, ranking second and third in the Summit League, respectively.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Derrick Butler (Bowling Green #10)
The senior guard is coming off arguably the best game of his career, scoring a career-high 35 points in the win over Morgan State.
The reigning MAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week ranks fourth in the MAC with 22 three-pointers, eighth with 15.0 points per game and ninth with 43.1% shooting from deep.
Javontae Campbell (Bowling Green #2)
Campbell has been impactful on both sides of the ball for Bowling Green this season.
He ranks eighth in the MAC with 54.5% shooting from the field and ninth with 14.9 points per game. He also has 27 steals, the most in the conference and tied for seventh in the nation.
Brown has been the best player this season for the Roos.
The senior guard/forward leads Kansas City with 15.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
The Chandler, Arizona, native has scored 20 points four times this season. He was also named Summit League Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-Summit League selection last season.
Kasheem Grady II (Kansas City #7)
The junior guard is Kansas City’s biggest threat from beyond the arc.
He leads the Roos with a 42.9% three-point percentage and has drained 18 three-pointers this season.
