Falcons To Host Bobcats Saturday For First Home MAC Matchup

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball program will bring Mid-American Conference play to the Stroh Center on Saturday (Jan. 7), hosting the Ohio Bobcats for the team's second MAC game of the season. The Falcons and Bobcats are set for a 5 p.m. tip. The game between BGSU and OU will be available to watch on ESPN3. Fans can tune in to the action via WFRO Eagle 99. A live stat link will be provided at bgsufalcons.com with live updates available on Twitter (@BGSUMHoops).

Saturday will mark the 152nd meeting all-time between Bowling Green and Ohio with the first meeting played on Jan. 29, 1943. The Falcons lead the series all-time with a record of 83-68, including being 48-23 when hosting the Bobcats. BGSU has won four of the last five meetings, including the last one with an 80-77 win on March 1, 2022. In that game, Samari Curtis recorded 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

At The Game: New Parking Information
Credit cards are now being accepted for parking. Cash will continue to be accepted as well.

A Bowling Green Win Would …

Make the Orange and Brown 2-0 in the MAC for the second time in the last three seasons.
Grant Bowling Green a four-game win streak.
Give the Falcons two consecutive wins over Ohio.
Push BGSU above .500 at 8-7.

Scouting The Bobcats
Ohio enters Saturday's game with an 0-1 MAC record after coming up short against Buffalo 75-72. The loss to Buffalo snapped a three-game win streak for the Bobcats and moved their road record to 2-5, despite being 6-0 at home. OU is led by Dwight Wilson III, averaging 13.0 points per game, followed by AJ Brown (11.4) and Miles Brown (10.8).

Cleaning The Boards
Saturday's game will feature the top two rebounding teams in the Mid-American Conference. Ohio enters averaging 39.7 rebounds per game, leading the conference in all rebounding categories, and Bowling Green enters with an average of 38.4 rebounds. BGSU has recorded 35 or more rebounds in all but two games this season and have eclipsed the 40-rebound mark four times, including each of the last two contests with 42 against Ohio Dominican and 43 against Eastern Michigan.

Offensive Efficiency Leading BGSU
The Falcons have scored 90+ points in three consecutive games, topping Fairmont State 93-74, Ohio Dominican 102-65 and Eastern Michigan 91-65. This marks the first time since the 1989-90 season that BGSU has had three straight 90-point performances. Additionally, the Falcons have managed to shoot above 50% in each win, shooting a combined 54.9% over the three-game stretch. The last time the Falcons shot 50% or better in three straight games was the 2015-16 season, shooting 52.6% over that stretch.

Ball Movement Creating Shots
As a team, the Falcons have recorded 16 or more assists in seven of the last nine games and have had 18 or more in five of the last six. In games this season where Bowling Green has scored 75 or more points, the Orange and Brown are averaging 18.9 assists per game. Over the season as a whole, BGSU is averaging 14.9 assists per game, which is second in the MAC behind only Toledo (15.0).

Ayers Keeping The Hot Hand
Leon Ayers III has paced the BGSU offense in each of the last three games, scoring at least 20 points in each contest, including a career-high 30 against Ohio Dominican. Over the three-game stretch, Ayers is averaging 24.7 points for the Falcons in addition to 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds. Over the course of the season, Ayers has led the Falcons in scoring in eight games with BGSU holding a 6-2 record in those games.

Curtis Among Nation's Leaders
Samari Curtis is currently ranked fourth in the nation, and first in the MAC, for free throw percentage with a mark of 94.0%. This season, Curtis has gone 47-of-50 at the free throw line, including a current streak of 27 attempts made. From last season, Curtis has improved his percentage at the line by 26.9 percentage points, shooting 67.1% from the line during the 2021-22 campaign. Curtis' improvement has been reflective of the team as whole with the Falcons shooting 75.7% from the line this season, which ranks third in the MAC and 34th in the nation.

Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons' men's basketball team on social media
Twitter - @BGAthletics and @BGSUMHoops
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsumhoops'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'

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