After a monumental upset in the battle of I-75, Bowling Green continued their momentum in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on Tuesday, defeating Eastern Michigan 65-60.
The Orange and Brown secured back-to-back Mid-American Conference (MAC) victories and three straight road wins for the first time this season.
Junior guard Javontae Campbell stayed hot, breaking DeMar Moore’s program record for steals in a season with 83.
Here’s how it all went down:
First Half
The first half saw just about everything that you could think of, including the Falcons coming out swinging early as they neared the double-digit scoring mark before the first timeout of the game.
The half also saw a lot of inconsistencies from the Eagle’s side of the ball, as they were called for three traveling fouls in the first seven minutes.
But it also led to turnovers from both sides of the ball until senior guard Derrick Butler broke away with his first three-pointer of the night, with BG leading 19-12.
However, one inconsistency that was plaguing the Falcons was Eastern Michigan out-rebounding the team early 14-9.
The later portions of the half saw senior guard DaJion Humphrey become the first Falcon of the night to break through in double-digit scoring, as he broke through with 11 points. It also saw Campbell earn his 79th steal of the season, breaking his own personal record and putting him four away from all-time.
Bowling Green would leave the court and into the locker room as they led big time in the half (35-19).
Second Half
The second half is when the momentum started to favor the Eagles, as within the first three minutes, they would go on a 7-0 run but still down 35-27—ultimately leading to the first timeout of the half.
After a fast break bucket from EMU’s sophomore guard Arne Osojnik, the pace from both sides would stand still for a bit as each of the Falcons and Eagles would fight for rebound after rebound.
During this time, sophomore guard Braelon Green would take a hard tumble and would leave the middle portion of the half with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. Green would return to the sideline after getting checked out.
What was a dominating lead for BG quickly diminished, as Osojnik would hit a three from the left wing to tie the game up 36-36. It was a completely polar opposite scene of what many saw in the opening half, but it left everyone in the George Gervin GameAbove Center on their feet. Bowling Green is, of course, no stranger to close situations, and it’s all about staying calm and continuing to do your job, as coach Simon would say.
“You just attack what we’re doing wrong” Simon replied. “We still gotta be on attack. Eastern Michigan is not rolling over; this is the time of year where everyone is trying to get to March.”
The Falcons would maintain a lead, albeit by a small margin. Campbell would do some of the heavy lifting as he would become the second of Bowling Green to hit the double-digit scoring mark at 18 points before the next timeout, with BG leading (53-45).
The last two minutes of the game became incredibly crucial, as coach Simon’s squad were barely hanging on by a thread, leading 62-56. As the clock continued to shrink minute by minute, Eastern Michigan was trying to find any sort of real estate possible, as they were able to get an off-the-glass bucket from Jalen Terry with just 37.9 seconds left. Then, with just 11.4 seconds left, the moment had finally happened: Javontae Campbell surpassed DeMar Moore in steals in a single season record with 83, which would end up sealing the game for the Orange and Brown as they would score their second consecutive conference win 65-60.
Head coach Todd Simon had a lot of praise for the young player, who has not only done great work individually but also stepped up in a big way for the team, while things have gotten worrisome at times.
“What a special player and special human being”, Simon added. “I can’t say enough good things about him.”
The Falcons will return home with a newfound sense of consistency, as they will return to the Stroh Center on Saturday, March 1, as the Ball State Cardinals fly into town, with tip-off set for 2 p.m.
