BGSU men’s basketball heads on the road for the final time this season, traveling north to battle Northern Illinois on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
A win would extend the Falcon’s winning streak to a season-best four games. A victory would also give Bowling Green four straight road wins for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
Matchup History
Tuesday will be the 73rd meeting between BGSU and NIU, with the Falcons leading the all-time series 41-31.
However, NIU has a slight edge when hosting BG, 17-13.
Bowling Green won the first matchup between the teams earlier this season, defeating the Huskies 84-77 at the Stroh Center on Feb. 4.
The Falcons have won eight of the last nine games against the Huskies, including the past four contests in Dekalb, Illinois.
Scouting Bowling Green
BGSU is still on the outside looking in for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament, sitting in ninth place in the conference standings with a 13-16 overall and 7-9 conference record.
However, the Falcons have caught fire recently.
They have won a season-best three games in a row, defeating Toledo, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Bowling Green has also won three straight road games.
BGSU’s offense has been in the middle of the pack in the MAC. The Falcons rank sixth in the conference with 34.2% shooting from deep, seventh with 74.2 points per game and ninth with 43.8% shooting from the field.
Ball movement has been an issue for Bowling Green this season, as they rank last in the MAC with 11.31 assists per game.
The Falcons have scored just 65 points per game over their past three wins, shooting 44.6% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
Bowling Green’s defense has been solid this season.
The Orange and Brown hold opponents to 31.9% shooting on 3-pointers, 74.1 points per game and 45% shooting, ranking fourth, fifth and sixth in the MAC, respectively.
The Falcon’s defense has tightened up recently. Over the recent three-game winning streak, BGSU has held opponents to 60 points per game, 37.8% shooting from the floor and 25.6% shooting from deep.
Scouting Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois had a rough season, sitting in last place in the MAC standings with a 5-24 overall and 1-15 conference record.
The Huskies have lost 10 straight games, last winning on Jan. 25.
NIU’s offense has been the worst in the MAC this season, ranking dead last in the conference with 71 points per game and 41.4% shooting from the field. The Huskie’s field goal percentage is 28th worst out of 355 teams in the country this season.
However, they have been better from deep, ranking eighth in the conference with 33.5% shooting on 3-pointers.
Northern Illinois’ defense has also been one of the worst in the MAC, ranking 10th in the conference with 76.9 points per game and 36.5% shooting on 3-pointers allowed. However, they hold opponents to just 44.4% shooting from the field, ranking fifth in the conference.
The Huskies are the worst rebounding team in the MAC, ranking dead last in total rebounds per game (32.7), offensive rebounds per game (7.2), opponent rebounds per game (41.1) and rebound margin (-8.4).
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Javontae Campbell (Bowling Green #2)
The junior guard has had a historic season, tallying 85 steals, breaking the BG single-season record, leading the MAC and tied for the sixth-most steals in a single season in conference history.
The reigning MAC Co-Player of the Week has been on a tear, scoring at least 20 points in five straight games, all with a broken right hand. Over the past five games, Campbell has averaged 24 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 58.3% from the field.
In BG’s win over NIU earlier in the season, Campbell tallied 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in 28 minutes.
Jamai Felt (Bowling Green #11)
Felt has been a force in the paint for the Falcons this season.
The redshirt freshman forward leads the MAC with 42 blocks, ranking seventh in the MAC with 63 offensive rebounds and ninth with 6.2 rebounds per game.
Quentin Jones (Northern Illinois #1)
The sophomore guard is the center of Northern Illinois’ offense.
Jones leads the MAC with 17.1 points per game, ranking sixth with 3.7 assists per game and 29 blocks.
The Chicago, Illinois, native scored 19 points and dished out five assists in the loss to BG earlier in the season.
Quaran McPherson (Northern Illinois #24)
McPherson is one of the main focuses of NIU’s offense, ranking third on the team with 12.1 points per game and 10th in the MAC with 39% shooting on 3-pointers.
The junior guard has scored double-digit points in seven of the last eight games, including two 20-point performances.
He scored 18 points and drained four 3-pointers in the loss to Bowling Green on Feb. 4.
