BGSU men’s basketball (8-14, 3-7 MAC) and Chanticleers (8-16, 1-11 SBC) faced off for the first time in program history in the MAC-Sun Belt Conference Challenge.

Bowling Green would get the lead early and never look back.

The Falcons shooting duo of Trey Thomas and Derrick Butler led the way in the first half, knocking down five shots from beyond the arc. 

“We have been preaching in practice to play faster, play together and just play for each other. It shows out there.” Butler said.

BGSU was very aggressive all game long, getting hands in the passing lanes. This led to 11 turnovers for the Chanticleers in the first half.

“We feed off that, we can get out and run. We’re really good athletes,” head coach Todd Simon said. “It’ll get into the opponents’ heads that, if I put my head down or start spinning, I’m going to lose the ball. Teams then start to settle.”

The aggressive mentality paid off as the Falcons were able to get 13 points off turnovers in the first half. Marcus Johnson had four steals to contribute to the Orange and Browns’ success.

The Orange and Brown would continue their spectacular play into the second half as Thomas and Butler continued to knock down three’s.

Bowling Green kept up the defensive motors, ending the game with 11 steals and forcing Coastal Carolina to have 19 turnovers. Which led to 27 points for BGSU.

Jamai Felt ended the game with a double-double. His third of the season. Felt and Johnson were tasked with guarding the Chanticleers, two big men. 

“It was just matching their toughness down there and just being overly aggressive to work on the best positioning,” Felt said.

The win against the Chanticleers marks the first back-to-back wins for BGSU since early December. The Falcons just snapped a five-game losing streak with their win earlier in the week against NIU.

The Falcons get back into MAC play on Tuesday, Feb. 11, as they take on Ohio University in the Stroh Center at 7 p.m.