BGSU men’s basketball stays on the road, driving two hours east to battle the Kent State Golden Flashes on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Foster Roesti will have the call of the contest on Falcon Radio, streaming on bgfalconmedia.com, beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Matchup History
BG leads the all-time series against KSU 89-86.
However, the Golden Flashes have won 12 straight against Bowling Green, the longest active losing streak against a Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent for the Falcons. BGSU has not beaten Kent State since March 1, 2019.
Last season, the Golden Flashes beat Bowling Green 75-57 in Kent on Jan. 28 and 91-84 in Bowling Green on Feb. 18.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons are fifth in the MAC standings with an 11-4 overall and 2-1 conference record.
Bowling Green is coming off a thrilling 101-100 overtime road win against UMass on Saturday. BG trailed by seven points with 46 seconds remaining before completing the comeback for their fourth 100-point game of the season, the most since the 1963-64 team that had five such performances.
The Orange and Brown are a solid offensive team, ranking third in the MAC with 49.8% shooting from the field, fourth with 89.1 points per game, fifth with 34.1% shooting from deep and sixth with 7.5 3-pointers made per game.
The biggest strength of the Falcons is their depth, as they average 31.8 bench points per contest, the second-best in the conference and top-50 in the country.
However, a big question mark heading into the evening matchup is Justin Thomas’ availability. The senior guard has been a key piece for the Falcons, but did not play against UMass and was seen with a boot on his foot.
The biggest hole in Bowling Green’s game is rebounding, which is neither awful nor elite. BG averages 36.5 rebounds per game, eighth in the MAC.
The Falcons are a stout defensive unit, leading the conference with only 68.7 points allowed per game.
Bowling Green forces 12.5 steals and 19.1 turnovers per game, leading the conference in both categories and ranking first and second in the country, respectively. Through 15 games, BGSU has eight players with double-digit steals, including three with at least 20.
BG has struggled guarding beyond the arc at times, ranking seventh in the MAC by allowing 33.2% shooting on 3-pointers and ninth by allowing 7.8 made 3-pointers per game.
Scouting Kent State
The Golden Flashes are one of four teams still undefeated in MAC play, ranking third in the standings with an 11-3 overall and 2-0 conference record.
Kent State is the model of consistency for a mid-major program. They have 28 straight seasons with a record of .500 or better and are one of eight teams in the country without a losing season in the 21st century.
Head coach Rob Senderoff, the winningest and longest-tenured leader in program history in his 15th season, will be seeking his 300th win at Kent State on Tuesday. He is 20-9 in his career against Bowling Green.
The Golden Flashes are coming off a 77-73 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday. Kent State outscored the Huskies 47-26 in the first half; however, they were outscored 47-30 in the final 20 minutes.
KSU has been a very solid offensive team this season with high-volume output, leading the MAC with 28.4 3-pointers and 27.3 free throws attempted per game.
Kent State ranks third in the conference with 90.6 points and 10.4 3-pointers made per game, fourth with 36.4% shooting from beyond the arc and fifth with 48.1% shooting from the field.
The Golden Flashes also rank 27th in the country with 16.8 fast-break points per game and 35th with 18.1 assists per contest.
KSU is also dominant on the boards, grabbing a conference-leading 39.3 rebounds per game.
Senderoff’s usually stout defensive unit has been faulty this year.
The Golden Flashes rank last in the MAC by allowing 80.7 points per game, 35.8% shooting from deep and 10.4 3-pointers per game.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Javontae Campbell (Bowling Green No. 2)
The reigning MAC Player of the Week has been dominant this season, ranking second in the country with 51 steals and fourth in the conference with 17.7 points and 4.4 assists per game.
The senior guard played all 45 minutes against UMass on Saturday, scoring a career-high 47 points, which is the most road points and fifth-most overall in program history, and the most points by a Falcon since 1964.
In two games against Kent State last season, Campbell averaged 21 points, three assists and three steals per game.
Mayar Wol (Bowling Green No. 9)
The junior forward and former Atlantic Sun Conference Sixth Man of the Year started his first game for the Orange and Brown due to the absence of Thomas on Saturday.
Wol capitalized on the opportunity, scoring a season-high 21 points.
The Raleigh, North Carolina, native has averaged 15 points while shooting 57.1% from the floor and 50% on 3-pointers over the past three games.
Cian Medley (Kent State No. 1)
The junior guard is the main facilitator for Kent State’s offense, averaging 6.2 assists per game, which leads the MAC and ranks 21st in the country. He set the program record with 16 assists against Penn State-Shenango earlier in the season on Nov. 29.
However, Medley has struggled in the past three games, averaging just 5.0 points per contest and recording 14 assists to 10 turnovers. Over the recent span, he has shot just 29.4% from the field and 0-10 on 3-pointers.
The Sicklerville, New Jersey, native recorded a 12-point, 10-assist double-double in the first matchup against Bowling Green last season.
Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State No. 23)
Gillespie has been a force to be reckoned with this year, leading the country with 12 double-doubles and ranking third in the nation with 11.9 rebounds per game.
The 6-foot-8 senior forward also ranks second in the MAC with 45 offensive boards and 26 blocks, third with 19.1 points per game and ninth with 58.1 shooting from the floor.
The Benton Harbor, Michigan, native has averaged 23 points, 15.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 51.7% shooting in two conference games.
