BGSU men’s basketball seeks to continue their momentum as they wrap up a three-game homestand by hosting the Ohio Bobcats at the Stroh Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
A win for the Falcons would mark their longest winning streak this season at three games. A victory would also mark the first time BGSU has won back-to-back conference games this season.
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.
Matchup History
Tuesday night will mark the 156th matchup between BG and OU, with the Falcons leading the all-time series 85-70. BGSU holds a 50-24 record when hosting Ohio.
The Orange and Brown have the past six games against the Bobcats in Bowling Green dating back to 2018. Overall, the home team in the series has won six straight games.
The two team’s split the season series last year, with Ohio winning the last game against the Falcons 66-59 on March 1, 2024.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green enters the contest in 10th place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings with a 9-14 overall and 3-7 conference record. The Falcons are 7-5 at home this season.
After losing five straight games, the Falcons have rebounded with back-to-back wins. BGSU defeated Northern Illinois 84-77 on Tuesday before beating Coastal Carolina 67-53 on Saturday.
BG’s offense has been in the middle of the pack this season.
The Falcons rank sixth in the MAC with 75.1 points per game and 34.2% shooting from the field. They also shoot just 43.9% from the field, ranking eighth in the conference.
Bowling Green has been a great free throw shooting team, making 75.6% of their chances from the charity stripe.
Meanwhile, the Orange and Brown rank last in the conference with 11.4 assists per game. However, they have tallied 31 assists over the past two games, the most in a two-game span this season.
BGSU’s defense has also been average this season.
The Falcons allow opponents to shoot 32.5% from deep, score 75.3 points per game and make 45.6% of their shots from the field, ranking fifth, seventh and eighth in the MAC, respectively.
BG has also been a weak rebounding team, ranking ninth in the MAC with just 33.7 rebounds per game.
Scouting Ohio
Ohio enters the game in fourth place in the MAC standings, with a 12-11 overall and 6-4 conference record. The Bobcats have struggled on the road, going just 2-7 in away games.
OU has hit a rough stretch, losing three of their past four and five of their past seven games. Ohio is coming off a 72-59 loss to Western Michigan on Saturday.
Ohio’s offense has been one of the best in the MAC this season. They lead the conference with 76.2% shooting on free throws and rank second with 47.1% shooting from the field.
On top of that, OU ranks third in the MAC with 79.6 points per game and 35.3% shooting from deep. Ohio has scored at least 80 points in 13 games and at least 90 points in three games this season.
The Bobcat’s defense has not been as dominant this year.
Ohio allows opponents to score 75.0 points per game and shoot 45% from the field, ranking sixth in the MAC. Additionally, they allow the opposition to make 37.8% of their 3-point attempts, the highest mark in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Derrick Butler (Bowling Green #10)
After dealing with an illness last week, Butler has found new energy in a bench role for the Falcons. Over the past two games off the bench, Butler is averaging 18 points per game while shooting 11-20 from the field and 6-11 on 3-pointers.
The senior guard ranks sixth in the MAC with 46 three-pointers and ranks second on the Falcons with 13.8 points per game.
Jamai Felt (Bowling Green #11)
After missing the past two seasons due to injury, the redshirt freshman forward is putting together a strong campaign for MAC Freshman of the Year.
Felt recorded his third double-double of the season on Saturday, tallying 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Boston, Massachusetts, native leads the MAC with 36 blocks. He also ranks fourth in the conference with 56 offensive rebounds and ninth with 6.2 rebounds per game.
The senior forward has been the leader of this year’s Ohio team.
Clayton leads the MAC with 1.8 blocks per game and trails Felt by one block on the leaderboard. He also ranks fifth in the conference with 51 3-pointers, ninth with 15.0 points per game and 10th with 80.8% shooting on free throws.
Brown has caught fire recently for the Bobcats. The redshirt sophomore guard has scored double-digit points in eight straight games and made a 3-pointer in 15 straight games.
The Orlando, Florida, native ranks third in the conference with 87% shooting on free throws.
