Bowling Green's Electric Second Half Erases Deficit In Comeback Win

Saturday, December 3

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

3-5,0-0MAC

Morgan State

3-6,0-0MEAC

Morgan St.

Bowling Green

Photo by: Chad Huffman, BGSU Athletics

Bowling Green's Electric Second Half Erases Deficit In Comeback Win

December 03, 2022 | Men's Basketball

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By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball program overcame a 14-point second half deficit on Saturday (Dec. 3) to best Morgan State 86-76. The Falcons were sparked by a 9-0 run early in the second half before typing it up at 51-51. A late 7-0 run for Bowling Green sealed the deal to move ahead 81-70 to capture the 86-76 final. The win moves the Falcons to 3-5 on the season while being 2-2 at home.

Leon Ayers III led the scoring for the Falcons with his third 20-point game of the season, tallying 22. Samari Curtis added 18 points, including four key free throws during the late 7-0 run, to the Bowling Green effort. Rashaun Agee narrowly missed a double-double with 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds. The double-digit scoring rounded out with Chandler Turner netting 13 for the Falcons in addition to six rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Falcons scored first with a Chandler Turner basket, but a 10-0 run for Morgan State pushed the Bears out in front 13-5 at the first media timeout.
Bowling Green cut down the deficit with a 4-0 stretch to close the gap to 18-14 with an alley oop from Anthony McComb III to Rashaun Agee to highlight the run.
MSU saw a 6-0 stretch to rebuild their lead to double-digits with the score at 27-17.
The Orange and Brown had a 6-0 run of their own to work back into the game to cut the score down to 34-28.
Morgan State maintained the advantage through the end of the first half, taking a 42-34 lead into the halftime break.
The Bears opened the second half with a 6-0 run to increase their lead to 48-34, forcing a BGSU timeout early in the half.
The Falcons worked to chip away at the lead, utilizing a 9-0 run to cut the deficit down to 49-46 and force a Morgan State timeout.
The Falcons tied it up at 51-51 with a Leon Ayers III tip-in layup and a foul, converting the free throw, to cap a 5-0 BGSU stretch.
The two teams traded buckets before another and-one opportunity for the Falcons with Willie Lightfoot drawing a foul on a drive to the basket to whistle the media timeout with the score tied at 55-55. Lightfoot made the free throw after the timeout to give BGSU the 56-55 lead.
The trading of buckets resumed from that point moving forward with the Falcons taking a 63-62 lead in the media break.
Rashaun Agee powered up in the paint for an and-one, converting the free throw after another media timeout, to push the BGSU lead to 72-68.
With the Falcons leading 75-70, a double technical was called on the Morgan State coach, resulting in an ejection and four free throws for Bowling Green. Samari Curtis hit all four shots at the line to increase BGSU's lead to 79-70 with just under two minutes left to play.
Agee made a layup the next time down the court for the Falcons, stretching the BGSU lead to 81-70 in the midst of a 7-0 run.
The Falcons were able to maintain their lead to the final whistle, capturing an 86-76 win to snap a five-game skid.

STAT LEADERS

Leon Ayers III: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Samari Curtis: 18 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block
Rashaun Agee: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Chandler Turner: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Willie Lightfoot: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Anthony McComb III: 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

FALCON STAT FACTS

The Falcons attempted a season-high 42 free throws in the game. That mark is the most free throws attempted by the Falcons since putting up 43 against Akron on Jan. 13, 2018. BGSU made 29 against the Zips for a 67.4% mark. Tonight, the Orange and Brown netted 30 for a 71.4% mark at the line, the most free throws made by BGSU since making 36 against Ohio on Dec. 30, 2020.
Rashaun Agee had a career night for the Falcons. He posted a career-high 17 points with a career-best 60% from the field. Agee added a career-high nine rebounds, narrowly missing what would have been his first double-double with Bowling Green.
Leon Ayers III led the Orange and Brown in scoring with his third 20-point game this season, finishing with 22 for the second time this year. Ayers had career-highs at the free throw line, making a team-high nine free throws on a team-high 11 attempts, both career-highs.
Samari Curtis posted a season-high 18 points for the Falcons, making a season-high three triples and a season-high seven free throws. Curtis tallied his first block of the season as well.
Chandler Turner added to the double-digit scoring efforts for the Falcons with 13 while adding a season-high three assists that matched his career-high.
Willie Lightfoot filled the stat sheet with a career-high three steals, tying for the team-lead, as well as a career-high three rebounds.
With the win, the Falcons move to 2-0 against Morgan State all-time, also defeating the Bears on Nov. 26, 2016 by a score of 90-58.
The win for Bowling Green snaps a five-game losing streak and moves BGSU back to .500 at home this season with a 2-2 standing in the Stroh.
The win marks the first time this season the Falcons have overcome a halftime deficit as well as being the first time BGSU has logged a better shooting percentage than their opponent this season. Bowling Green is now 90-7 during the Coach Huger Era when having a better shooting percentage than their opponent.
Bowling Green tallied 38 rebounds in the game to outrebound the Bears. When outrebounding their opponent this season, BGSU is 3-0.

TODD WALKER RADIO CALLS
Turner And-One
McComb, Agee Alley Oop
Curtis From Deep
Another Curtis Triple
Ayers Tip-In And-One
Lightfoot And-One
Agee And-One
Falcons Win!

QUOTE FROM COACH HUGER
"We were looking for something to energize us. I thought we came out flat. To start the second half we went to our press and a couple different presses that we threw at them and were able to speed them up and get a couple turnovers. We got a couple buckets out of the turnovers and made it a game, cut it to about six. Now it's a game. Now guys have to be able to play and react. We put a little more pressure on them and those guys not being comfortable and just playing that way. I thought we did a good job of amping up the pressure and making it a real run and shoot game."

Full postgame interview with Todd Walker

UP NEXT
The Falcons will have a week off before going on the road to face Hampton on Dec. 11. The game will be the first of a two game stretch on the road, playing against Norfolk State on Dec. 14. The game against Hampton is set for a 4 p.m. start and will be available to stream on FloHoops.

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