BGSU men’s basketball (16-13, 7-9) took on the Western Michigan Broncos (10-18, 4-11) Tuesday night at the Stroh Center, falling short 88-79.
Senior guard Javontae Campbell broke the single-season steals record for the second time in his career. His lone steal of the night brought his total to 91 on the season. The previous record for steals in a single season was 90 steals, also done last season by Campbell.
“He’s been such a pleasure to coach. He gives us his all,” Head coach Todd Simon said at the press conference. “To have a record of that nature, it just kind of tells you how hard he plays.”
Bowling Green was very hot and cold when it came to shooting. In the first half, they were extremely effective, shooting 46.4% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. In the second half, however, they took a big drop off. The Orange and Brown only shot 38.7% in the paint and 25% from three.
“We’re just missing open shots,” said Simon. “We don’t have the consistency, and we really haven’t had it all year.”
BG also really struggled with their free throws. They were only 65.6%, much lower than their season average of 73.2%.
“I think it’s all about focus after halftime, just coming out, getting more shots up and staying focused,” Campbell said postgame.
The first half was a close battle between the two teams. Late in the half, the Falcons had finally pulled ahead, boosting a six-point advantage. The Broncos were unfazed, however, scoring six unanswered points of their own to keep the game locked at a 30-30 tie.
When the buzzer sounded for halftime, the Orange and Brown were slightly behind at 41-38. Bowling Green’s offensive success was highlighted by a fantastic performance from senior forward Sam Towns. He was an impressive 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
For the Broncos, sophomore guard EJ Ryans was their go-to shooter. He shot 5-for-8 in the paint and 2-for-3 from deep in his 20 minutes of game time.
The back-and-forth nature of the first half continued into the second. WMU began to pull away and was leading by eight, but two dunks from senior forward Troy Glover II closed the score to 54-50.
As the second half continued, we saw each team go on a run. First, Western Michigan went on a 9-1 run, and Bowling Green responded with a 9-2 run of their own. Despite this, the Broncos still held a convincing 73-64 lead with 3:37 to go in the game.
“I feel like we’re on roller coasters during the game. You just have to stay high and hold for 40 minutes,” said Campbell.
The Falcons were unable to overcome their deficit to the Broncos, with WMU winning 88-79. This marks Bowling Green’s third consecutive loss after its big win over Toledo.
Despite the loss, Towns continued his great performance until the end of the game. He racked up a total of 22 points. He also shot 6-for-15 from the field and 5-for-10 from three. He was also responsible for eight rebounds, seven of them being defensive
Bowling Green now turns their attention to UMass on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m in the Stroh Center, for their final home game of the regular season
