BGSU men’s basketball (8-3) travels to Athens, Ohio, to take on the Ohio Bobcats (5-6) on Saturday, with tip-off set for 4 p.m. in the first Mid-American Conference (MAC) game of the season.
Falcon Media Sports Networks’ Foster Roesti and Kevin Hutchinson will have the live radio broadcast on Falcon Radio, streaming on bgfalconmedia.com, with the pregame show set to start at 3:45.
Matchup History
The Falcons lead the all-time series against the Bobcats, 83-73, but Ohio has won the last two games against Bowling Green.
Scouting Ohio
OU enters the contest on a four-game win streak, with their last game being a victory over Ohio Wesleyan, 89-56. The signature victory in the recent winning streak is an overtime win over St. Bonaventure, who is 10-2 after that loss.
The Bobcats are led in scoring by Jackson Paveletzke with 16.5 points per game, shooting 37.5% from deep. It’s not just scoring that makes Paveletzke a dangerous offensive player; he also has great court vision, averaging 4.3 assists a game this season. An integral part of the Ohio offense, Paveletzke has played less than 30 minutes in just two games this season.
In the paint, Aidan Hadaway controls the glass for the Bobcats with 7.6 rebounds per game; the 6-foot-8 forward puts plenty of pressure on teams to keep him off the boards. With 1.8 offensive rebounds a game, the forward gets the team plenty of second-chance opportunities to score.
The Bobcats enter this game averaging 76.5 points per game, good for ninth in the MAC, and look to get their scoring right as they enter this game.
Scouting Bowling Green
BG enters the game off a 76-55 win over the Chicago St. Cougars with the final score of 76-55, their second straight victory.
Led by senior guard Javontae Campbell on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, with 16 points and 3.6 steals per game. The guard does a majority of his work in the paint, shooting 48.4% from the field.
Adding a scoring punch is senior forward Sam Towns, who adds 13 points per game on a solid 43.9% from the field and 32.4% from 3-point range. This season, Towns has recorded two double-doubles, including one in his last game against Chicago State.
The Falcons enter this game ranked number one in the MAC defense, holding opponents to 64.8 points per game.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Troy Glover II (Bowling Green #16)
Glover has been finding his footing for the Falcons in recent games, and coming off a 10-point, 10-rebound game, look for the forward to do work on the glass early and often.
An important bench piece for Bowling Green, with 11.4 points per game off the bench, watch Wol to get involved in the offensive gameplay the moment he first subs into the game.
Ajay Sheldon (Ohio University #0)
The guard has been a huge part of moving the ball in the offense, averaging 2.5 assists in 11 games this season. Look for Sheldon to get others started before he looks for his own opportunities to score.
Kelly has been a major contributor during the Bobcats’ four-game winning streak, averaging 13.5 points per game in the last four wins. Adding 1.5 steals per contest over those four wins, the freshman has found a groove on the court.
