Although BGSU men’s basketball fell to Toledo 84-71 in the Battle of I-75 at the Stroh Center on Friday, senior forward Marcus Johnson shined on the national stage, with the game airing on CBS Sports Network.
Johnson scored a season-high 28 points while shooting 10-20 from the field, 3-9 from deep and 5-5 on free throws in the loss.
The performance marked the seventh time this season Johnson has scored at least 20 points.
“He could just make shots, honestly,” Toledo senior guard Isaiah Adams said postgame. “There’s players that when they can get it up, are just able to make shots. That’s what it was.”
While there have been many played his size over the years in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the 6-foot-7-inch, 265-pound Johnson is a special shooter for his size.
“I have played against guys that are as big as him, but they were a little bit taller,” Adams said. “He’s different; he’s a different dude.”
Friday was the first time Toledo faced off against Johnson, and he proved to be a tough matchup to prepare for and defend.
“It’s his ability to pass and shoot deep threes. There’s certain things you just cannot teach, and one of the things in basketball is feel. Once we get them in college, you’re not changing hands or usually feet or feel. His feel’s off the charts,” Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “So, you can tell when he was younger, he played with a lot of older guys and learned how to see things and have unbelievable vision and court sense.”
Kowalczyk actually attempted to recruit Johnson to Toledo; however, he chose to go to BG after multiple seasons at Division II Wheeling.
“He’s a good player, man. We recruited him,” Kowalczyk said. “Timing just didn’t work out. I wish we would’ve gotten him.”
Johnson started the game fast, scoring Bowling Green’s first five points. He ended the first half with 16 points on 6-11 shooting from the field.
Over the past four games against Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH) and Toledo, Johnson is averaging 19.5 points per game, shooting 48.1% from the floor and 46.2% from beyond the arc. Johnson has drained 12 3-pointers in the past four games.
This season, Johnson leads the MAC with 17.1 points per game. He also ranks third in the conference with 87.7% shooting on free throws and fifth with 46 3-pointers.
Next, Johnson and the Falcons will travel to Kent State to face the Golden Flashes on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Bowling Green will battle Toledo again at Savage Arena on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Artie Abrego will have the call on Falcon Radio, beginning at 6:45 p.m. for pregame.
