BGSU men’s basketball (6-3) fell to the Utah Valley Wolverines (6-3) 82-71 in their first home match in the Stroh Center since Nov. 19. One of the biggest problems that the Falcons faced during this game and early in the season has been that the Falcons’ shooting has fallen into a slump.
After three games on the road, against Bucknell, the Virginia Military Institute, and Kansas State, where they shot over 35% from three in all three games.
As they returned to the Stroh Center to take on Utah Valley, they shot 4-24 for 16.7%, with three of their four total 3-pointers coming in the final minute of the game.
“You know we make three threes in the last couple of minutes, but one three in the first 37 minutes is not going to cut it, and that’s going to put you behind the eight ball, no matter who you play,” head coach Todd Simon said.
Although they are getting up to three, they are not bad attempts, but just a multitude of unlucky outcomes.
“It’s not like they’re bad looks, they’re wide-open looks. So, we got to figure out how to make some shots at home, and we’re making them on the road for sure,” Simon said. “I know, in the William & Mary game, we showed we had 19 shots where we had guys open by four or five feet and didn’t make one of them. So, I imagine when you rewatch this game, it’s probably very much the same.”
For the Falcons this season, it is their third game of the season that they had a shooting percentage from three that was below 25%.
The players are not worried about finding the range, as they have faith in one another to figure out their shooting level.
“I trust the players that are shooting the ball to put the work in, I think that water will find its level, so I’m not too worried about it, and everyone has off shooting nights,” Sam Towns said.
The lack of three-point making also reflects in other parts of the game, like the 21-10 difference in assists.
“You make some shots, and it just opens the floor up a little more and trusts the guys a little more. Make shots, we are gonna have more assists, more driving lanes, just make basketball a little easier,” Towns said.
The Falcons have had stretches of bad shooting nights that seem to come out of nowhere. Those types of problems will cost them, especially when Mid-American Conference play begins.
Bowling Green is back in action on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. as they welcome Aquinas to the Stroh Center. Falcon Media Sports Networks’ Artie Abrego and Andrew Helkowski will have the live radio broadcast with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes before tip-off.
