BGSU men’s basketball is hitting the road to travel to Oxford to battle Miami (OH) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
A win would end BG’s six-game losing streak at Millett Hall, marking the first since Jan. 16, 2018.
A victory would also keep the Falcons undefeated on Tuesdays (4-0).
Matchup History
Tuesday marks the 153rd meeting between the teams, with the RedHawks leading the all-time series 91-61, dating back to 1944.
Miami holds a 52-19 advantage against the Falcons in Oxford.
Interestingly, the home team has won six straight and nine of the last 10 matchups in this series.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green has not had the ideal season up to this point, entering the game with a 7-10 overall and 2-3 conference record. If the MAC Tournament started today, BGSU would be the first team out.
The Falcons have been wildly inconsistent this season, winning back-to-back games just once.
BG’s offense has been solid in some areas. The Falcons rank fifth in the MAC with 76.6 points per game, 34.1% shooting on 3-pointers and 8.4 3-pointers per game.
However, the Orange and Brown rank eighth in the conference with 44.5% shooting from the field, 11th with 15.2 bench points per game and last with 11.1 assists per game.
Bowling Green’s defense has also been solid for the most part. The Falcons hold opponents to 31.1% 3-point shooting, 44.5% shooting from the field and 74.6 points per game, ranking second, fifth and sixth in the MAC, respectively.
Scouting Miami
Miami enters the game atop the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings with a 13-4 overall and 5-0 MAC record. They have been especially good at home, holding a 7-1 record at Millett Hall.
The RedHawks have won seven straight games, tied for the 10th-longest active winning streak in the country.
Miami’s offense has been dominant this season.
They lead the MAC with 49.9% shooting from the field, 40.3% on 3-pointers and 26.5 bench points per game. The RedHawks also rank second in the conference with 82.8 points, 10.9 3-pointers and 16.1 assists per game.
MU ranks in the top 10 in the country for field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and 3-pointers per game while ranking 26th in the nation in scoring.
Miami is not a great rebounding team, ranking just 10th in the MAC with 33.8 rebounds per game. However, they hold opponents to 31.2 boards per game, the best mark in the conference.
The RedHawk’s defense has also performed well.
Miami leads the MAC with 15.5 turnovers forced and 8.7 steals per game. They also hold opponents to 70.9 points per game, the third-best mark in the country.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Trey Thomas (Bowling Green #1)
The senior guard recently crossed the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career and has caught fire in MAC play.
Over the past five games, he has scored 17.8 points per game, shooting 44.4% from the field, 38.2% on 3-pointers and 80% from the charity stripe.
Thomas’ 17.8 points per game are the second-most in MAC play, trailing only Eastern Michigan’s Da’Sean Nelson (18.6).
Marcus Johnson (Bowling Green #6)
Johnson is the heart of Bowling Green’s offense.
The senior guard leads the MAC with 16.8 points per game while ranking fourth with 86.5% shooting on free throws and sixth with 40 3-pointers.
The Akron, Ohio, native has caught fire the past two games, averaging 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 50% from deep.
Craft has been a dynamic addition to Miami after transferring from Xavier.
The redshirt sophomore wing leads the MAC with 54 3-pointers. He also ranks sixth in the conference with 43.5% shooting from deep and seventh with a team-leading 15.4 points per game.
However, he has struggled lately, averaging just three points per game on 1-9 shooting from the floor and 1-8 from beyond the arc over the past two contests.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native has been dominant this season, leading the MAC with 64.6% shooting from the floor. He also ranks fifth in the conference with 41 offensive rebounds and 10th with a team-leading 5.9 rebounds per game.
The junior forward has averaged 11 points and six rebounds on 10-12 shooting from the field over the past two games.
