Bowling Green (12-6, 3-3) took down Eastern Michigan (9-10, 3-4) 85-79 on Saturday, a game that came down to the wire due to a second-half surge by the Eagles.
“A wild game of runs back and forth; that’s a good team with Eastern (Michigan),” said head coach Todd Simon. “They had some guys really step up, and they’re a well-coached team. They did a heck of a job, but have to give credit to our guys; we did a good job of scoring the basketball today.”
After both teams went back-and-fourth in the opening minutes, the Falcons jumped to a double-digit lead in the first half. Bowling Green ended the first half up 46-36, a double-digit lead over their Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition.
At the half, Mayar Wol had 19 points, a team high, with Javon Ruffin scoring 10—combining for 29 of BG’s 46 first half points.
The Orange and Brown began the second half as strong as can be, with Sam Towns hitting a top of the arc three and a second four-point play by Wol, pushing the Falcons lead up even higher and forcing the Eagles forced to use a timeout early down 55-36.
Eastern Michigan came out of their timeout on fire, going on a 11-0 run to cut the lead to 57-47, a 10-point deficit after being down 21 earlier. Eastern Michigan finally took their first lead off a Gregory Lawson ll triple, up 70-67.
After being down for so long, the Falcons finally retook the lead off a driving one-handed Campbell layup, bringing the entire Stroh Center to it’s feet with a thunderous roar, up 79-78 with 1:21 left to play.
After nearly allowing a second half comeback, Bowling Green pulled together for a 85-79 win over Eastern Michigan for their third MAC win of the season.
“We just had to get back to our defensive principles and rebounding, that’s what was really killing us,” said Troy Glover II. “We were dialed in and ready to get stops and that’s what got us back into it.”
Wol finished with a team high 25 points, while Campbell finished with 18 points. Former Falcon Braelon Green finished with a team and career-high 22 points for the Eagles.
Glover finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals.
Bowling Green will have a couple days of rest before they take on Western Michigan on Jan. 20, with tip-off at 7 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
