After months of waiting, it’s finally time. Today, Jan. 3, Bowling Green’s Mid-American Conference (MAC) schedule finally begins as they take on the Akron Zips.
Last season, the Falcons went 10-8 vs the MAC- with an 83-67 loss to the eventual MAC champions, the Akron Zips. That loss to the Zips last season snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Orange and Brown
Here’s what both teams look like heading into their matchup:
Matchup history
Currently, the Zips hold the all-time win record over the Orange and Brown, with a record of 46-28 all time. Akron has won 35 of the last 40 games against Bowling Green.
Bowling Green
Bowling Green finished their non-conference schedule with a 5-7 record, picking up an 87-62 victory over Aquinas to end their non-conference portion of the season.
Bowling Green is looking for its third straight 1-0 start to MAC play after defeating Eastern Michigan back-to-back in season openers in 2022 and 2023. It would also make head coach Todd Simon the third head coach to start their conference schedule 1-0 in their first two seasons as coach.
The Falcons are averaging 79.8 points per game (4th in the conference) while shooting 46.0% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range.
On the free throw line, the Falcons are shooting an efficient 80.2% from the charity stripe, the best in the MAC and tenth in the nation.
Akron Zips
Once again, the Zips are as consistent as ever, with a 7-5 record on the season, the reigning MAC champions look as dangerous as ever heading into their matchup against BG.
The Zips won five games in a row during a stretch of the season before going 1-3 in the following weeks. Heading into their first MAC game of the season, Akron is coming off a 76-75 loss to Princeton.
The Zips are second in the conference in scoring, averaging 80.2 points per game while shooting 43.0% from the field, which ranks them ninth in the conference in shooting. However, a 34.8% shooting percentage from the three-point line puts them fourth in the conference.
Akron’s bread and butter comes in their rebounding, even with the loss of star player Enrique Freeman, the Zips are averaging 40.1 rebounds per game as a team, ranking them first in the MAC in rebounding.
Falcon Four players to watch
Javontae Campbell (Bowling Green #2)
The reigning MAC player of the week, Javontae Campbell, has been one of the most consistent players for the Orange and Brown this season.
Campbell posted the first triple-double for the Falcons since 2007 vs Aquinas, with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Derrick Butler (Bowling Green #10)
Averaging 14.9 points on the season, Butler has scored double digits for seven straight games- including a 35-point performance vs Morgan State a little over a month ago.
The Zip’s leading scorer on the season, Johnson, is averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting 40.4% from the field. The junior guard has hit the 20-point scoring mark three times this season.
The 6-8 senior forward, Okonkwo, leads the charge for the Zips in the rebounding battle, averaging 8.6 rebounds per game. Okonkwo has had two straight double-digit rebounding games as the Zips head into MAC play.
