BGSU men’s basketball seeks to continue their momentum as they head on the road to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to battle Eastern Michigan on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
With a win, the Falcons would secure their third straight road win for the first time this season. BGSU would also record back-to-back Mid-American Conference (MAC) wins for the first time this year.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Artie Abrego and Foster Roesti will have the call on Falcon Radio, beginning at 6:15 p.m. for pregame.
Matchup History
Tuesday marks the 103rd meeting between BGSU and EMU, with the Falcons leading the all-time series 57-45.
However, the Eagles have won the past two contests against Bowling Green, including a 68-62 win over the Orange and Brown earlier in the season on Jan. 18 at the Stroh Center.
Scouting Bowling Green
BGSU is on the outside looking in for the MAC Tournament, entering the contest 10th in the MAC standings with an 11-16 overall and 5-9 conference record.
However, the Falcons are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 69-68 last-second victory over Toledo in the Battle of I-75 at Savage Arena on Friday.
Bowling Green has won four of their past six games but has won back-to-back contests just two times this season.
The Orange and Brown are still shorthanded, down three starters (Sam Towns, Youssef Khayat and Trey Thomas). In addition, junior guard Javontae Campbell is still playing with a broken hand and has not fully practiced since Jan. 6.
Bowling Green’s offense has been average this season.
The Falcons score 75.0 points per game and shoot 33.9% from beyond the arc, ranking seventh in the MAC. They also shoot 43.8% from the field, ranking eighth in the conference.
BGSU’s defense has also been in the middle of the pack in the MAC.
They hold opponents to 32.6% shooting on 3-pointers, 75.4 points per game and 45.6% shooting from the field, ranking fourth, seventh and eighth in the conference, respectively.
Bowling Green’s defense has been one of the best at forcing mistakes, generating 13.0 turnovers per game, the third-most in the MAC.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan sits in seventh place in the MAC with a 14-13 overall and 7-7 conference record. EMU is 8-4 when playing on their home court at Gervin GameAbove Center this season.
The Eagles have won three straight games this season, defeating Toledo, Miami (OH) and Northern Illinois.
EMU’s offense has been solid this season.
They rank fifth in the MAC with 34.7% shooting from deep, sixth with 46% shooting from the field and eighth with 73.4 points per game.
The Eagles have two of the top three scorers in the MAC with Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson, who average 16.8 and 16.4 points per game, respectively.
However, they have struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away 13.0 times per game this season, the second-most in the conference.
Eastern Michigan’s defense has been one of the weakest in the MAC this season.
The Eagles allow opponents to score 76.9 points per game and shoot 46.3% from the field, ranking ninth in the MAC. They also allow opponents to shoot 36.4% on 3-pointers, the second-worst mark in the conference.
One of EMU’s biggest weaknesses is rebounding, as they average just 32.3 boards per game, the fewest in the MAC.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Javontae Campbell (Bowling Green #2)
Campbell has been red hot for the Falcons lately, scoring at least 20 points in three straight games.
The junior guard made the game-winning layup against Toledo with 1.6 seconds remaining on Friday.
The Muskogee, Oklahoma, native has been a wizard on defense, tallying 77 steals, leading the MAC and ranking fourth in the country. He is five steals away from tying DeMar Moore’s BGSU single-season record of 82 during the 1996-97 season.
Wilguens Jr. Exacte (Bowling Green #7)
Exacte has emerged as a key contributor for the Falcons, with head coach Todd Simon referring to him as a “heart and soul guy.”
The sophomore forward grabbed a career-high 12 total rebounds and five offensive boards in the win against Toledo.
Over the past three games, Exacte has averaged 7.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.0 offensive rebounds per game.
Jalen Terry (Eastern Michigan #3)
Much like Campbell, Terry had recent heroics for EMU, hitting a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat Northern Illinois.
Terry has been an offensive force this season, leading the MAC with 75 3-pointers and ranking second with 16.8 points per game.
The senior guard tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in Eastern Michigan’s win over BG earlier in the season.
The Flint, Michigan, native is the reigning MAC Player of the Week and has averaged 28.8 points per game over the past four contests.
Da’Sean Nelson (Eastern Michigan #2)
Nelson is the other half of EMU’s dynamic scoring duo alongside Terry.
The senior forward ranks third in the MAC with 16.4 points per game. Defensively, he ranks fourth in the conference with 30 blocks.
The Toledo, Ohio, native has scored 20-plus points in two of the past three games.
