Last year at Savage Arena, Bowling Green (13-7, 4-4) came out with a huge comeback win against Toledo (11-9, 5-3), with BGSU senior guard Javontae Campbell hitting a game-winning layup in the final seconds.
This year, the roles have reversed, with the Rockets coming from behind, and freshman guard Leroy Blyden Jr. hit a game-winning three after going 0-for-6 from three until that point.
“[Blyden Jr.] makes plays at both ends,” said Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk, “And he’s just got great pace and a great feel for the game.”
The Freshman powered through an eye injury, sustained while playing tough defense on Falcon junior forward Mayar Wol in the first half, and still had the sight to bury an extremely clutch shot.
The game started with both offenses in a groove, with BG leading 9-8 over the Rockets with just under 16 minutes left in the first heading into the first media TO.
Second-chance opportunities for Toledo played a significant role in their early success. They carried over into the rest of the game, as they outscored the Falcons 14-2 on second-chance points.
“They had more offensive rebounds,” stated BG senior forward Sam Towns, “They had more chances to put it in. I think we did a good job defensively. They were missing shots, but they took advantage of the offensive rebounds they got.”
Bowling Green senior center Troy Glover II was assigned an early technical foul following being called for an offensive foul. Toledo sank the following free throw and took a 13-9 lead.
The Falcons would tie the game at the 11:45 mark of the first at 15 points apiece, thanks to two free throws from BG forward Josiah Shackelford.
Both offenses continued to operate at a smooth and fast pace, but the defense had stepped up as the contest continued. This matchup became very physical very quickly, with the score remaining close at 24-23 with under eight minutes to go in the half.
Two runs would bring a close to the action in the first portion of the game, with BG going on an 8-2 run answered by an 8-0 run. The game would return to a back-and-forth contest, and the half would end with the Rockets leading 39-38.
Campbell was playing great physical defense in the first, and it was paying off on the other end. He led the game with two steals, four assists, four rebounds and 14 points to end the half.
Toledo junior center Austin Parks was also having himself a great game, scoring 12 first-half points and helping lock down the paint when the Falcons tried to enforce their will on offense with three blocks.
Offenses were clicking right away, again coming out for the second half; however, the Rockets were getting hot from three, thanks to open looks from the corner due to the Falcons’ zone defense. They led 50-46 with a little over 15 minutes remaining.
Fast breaks and points off turnovers played a huge role in the battle, with Toledo causing major turnovers in big moments, forcing 16 Falcon turnovers in comparison to only eight for UT.
“Well, our goal is nine or less turnovers,” said Kowalczyk, “We kept it to that, and that’s why we won the game.”
Despite costly turnovers, a few fast-break plays and great offense by Campbell allowed the Orange and Brown to tie things at 60 with 7:30 left.
The Campbell show continued, hitting two straight threes, his first of the game, and a tough layup through contact for an 8-2 run all by himself. Propping BG up 66-62 in the contest.
It became UT’s turn to force turnovers, getting an open three-ball for senior guard Kyler Vanderjagt, causing a media timeout, and the BG lead shrank to four at 71-67.
After a made free throw from Bowling Green and another three-pointer from Toledo, the score was 72-70. Toledo got the ball back in the final seconds, left it in the hands of Blyden Jr., and he hit his first three of the game, hitting a celebration as he made his way back down the floor.
Toledo called a timeout right after and played solid defense to force a deep, contested shot that missed and secured the Rockets a victory.
“We didn’t get very good ball pressure,” said the Orange and Brown Head Coach Todd Simon, regarding the open game-winning shot, “Our guys kind of ran back, packed the paint, and worried about giving up the two, and gave the guy an open look from three.”
“We just can’t let this one trickle onto more losses,” commented Towns, “We need to stop the bleeding now, we need to move on, we’ve got a lot of games left, we’ve got to try to finish out and win all of them.”
These two squads will meet again at the Stroh on February 14th at 5 p.m.
Regardless of the loss, Campbell played phenomenally, closing the matchup with 29 points on 60% shooting from the field, to go along with eight assists, six boards, and three steals.
On Toledo’s side, Parks had a solid all-around game, with a ton of first-half success. To end the game, he had 14 points on 50% shooting, six boards, and five blocks.
Next on the schedule for the Falcons is Buffalo inside the Stroh Center on Tuesday, January 27th at 7 p.m. Join Falcon Media Sports Network’s Artie Abrego and Noah Seeley on the call starting at 6:45 p.m., with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m.
