It is no secret that the Bowling Green men’s basketball team is currently injury-riddled.
With a total of five players currently sidelined for the Falcons, four with injuries, BGSU is thin at the forward position.
Senior forward Sam Towns, the team’s top rebounder, and junior forward Youssef Khayat, the team’s fourth-leading scorer, are both sidelined indefinitely with lower leg injuries.
However, the team got a boost against Aquinas College on Monday, as junior forward Greg Spurgin, who had been sidelined with an injury since Nov. 11, returned to action.
With the current situation, Spurgin and fellow big man Jamai Felt were asked to do a lot to help get the Falcons back in the win column, and both were up to the task, helping Bowling Green secure an 87-62 victory to close out 2024 and non-conference play.
Spurgin played 13 minutes for Bowling Green in his return from injury, finishing with seven points on 2-4 shooting, two rebounds and a steal.
“It was good to have some guys back,” head coach Todd Simon said. “We had Greg Spurgin make his debut coming off of his injury, and I thought he played really, really well.”
The seven points, two rebounds and two field goals made all mark new career-highs for Spurgin. He also drained his first career three-pointer in the win.
Unlike the past two seasons, Felt has avoided injury, seeing steady playing time this season after suffering two significant knee injuries over the past couple of years.
Monday marked his best collegiate performance, a 13-point and 11-rebound double-double, the first of his career and first by a Falcon this season.
“We want Jamai to go get everything. He’s finding his timing and his rhythm. He’s essentially 10, 11 games into his career,” Simon said. “So, every game you kind of see him getting a little better, getting in a little bit better game shape, getting a little bit better timing. His development has been really important here in the non-conference.”
The 13 points marked a new career-high for Felt, who shot 5-6 from the field and 3-4 on free throws.
He also continued to improve on the glass. Over the past six games, Felt has averaged 7.8 rebounds per game, grabbing double-digit boards in two contests.
Sophomore forward Wilguens Jr. Exacte and junior forward Mohamed Maxamud also contributed for the Falcons.
Exacte tallied a career-high seven points for the second straight game. He also grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. On top of that, the University of Utah transfer recorded his first career block and steal in the win.
Meanwhile, Maxamud, the only walk-on on the team, made his collegiate debut, hauling in his first career rebound for the Orange and Brown.
Although Bowling Green averages just 33.7 rebounds per game, ranking eighth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), they grabbed a season-high 49 rebounds and 19 offensive boards against the Saints.
Next, the Falcons will have an extended rest before beginning 2025 and conference play against the Akron Zips, the reigning MAC champion, on Jan. 3. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Artie Abrego will have the call of the contest on Falcon Radio beginning at 5:45 for pregame and 6 p.m. for tip-off.
