BGSU men’s basketball (13-9, 4-6 MAC) collapsed in the second half against the Central Michigan Chippewas (7-15, 3-7 MAC), losing 62-59 Saturday night at McGuirk Arena.
Despite building a dominant 14-point lead in the first half and carrying a double-digit advantage into the locker room, the Falcons couldn’t withstand a massive second-half surge by CMU, who outscored Bowling Green 42-27 in the final period.
The Falcons controlled the tempo early, relying on stifling defense to hold the Chippewas to just 20 points in the first half. Javontae Campbell sparked the offense, turning defense into transition points. Campbell recorded multiple steals and converted them into fast-break layups during a crucial stretch, helping fuel a 15-0 scoring run that gave BGSU a 26-12 lead. Campbell led the charge before the break, heading into halftime with 11 points.
However, the Falcons looked like a different team emerging from the locker room. Central Michigan opened the second half with renewed intensity, shooting 53 percent from the field to chip away at the deficit. The Chippewas erased the Bowling Green lead entirely midway through the half, going up 42-39 on a second-chance tip-in by CMU’s Keenan Garner.
Bowling Green managed to stop the bleeding, turning the game into a back-and-forth affair that saw the score tied five times down the stretch. Sam Towns helped keep the Falcons in the game on the glass, securing seven rebounds, but late execution errors proved fatal.
With the game tied 56-56 entering the final minute, a costly turnover allowed CMU’s Phat Phat Brooks to score a transition layup, pushing the Chippewa lead to 60-56 with 20 seconds remaining.
Josiah Shackelford kept hope alive for Bowling Green, draining a three-pointer with nine seconds left to cut the deficit to 60-59. After CMU hit two clutch free throws to extend the lead back to three, Shackelford’s buzzer-beating three-point attempt missed the mark, sealing the loss.
Campbell led the Falcons with a game-high 21 points and four steals in 39 minutes of action. Shackelford added 17 points and was a force on the boards, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.
The Falcons are back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 3, against Ball State in the Stroh Center, with tipoff at 7 pm.
