Five Falcons Reach Double-Digit Points In Hard Fought Battle Of I-75

Saturday, February 18

Bowling Green, Ohio

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

10-17,4-10MAC

Toledo

21-6,12-2MAC

Toledo

Bowling Green

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

Five Falcons Reach Double-Digit Points In Hard Fought Battle Of I-75

February 18, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Box Score BGSU-Toledo Box Score Coach Huger Interview Kaden Metheny Interview Support Our Student-Athletes Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2 Photo Gallery 3 Photo Gallery 4

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball program took on the Toledo Rockets in the season's second edition of the Battle of I-75. The Falcons and Rockets exchanged runs throughout the game, seeing 12 lead changes and 12 ties with neither team taking a double-digit lead at any point during the contest. An 8-0 run midway through the second half pushed Toledo ahead 62-54. Bowling Green closed the deficit to one possession multiple times, including at 89-86 with five seconds left, but couldn't knot it up with UT taking a 91-86 final. The loss moves BGSU to 10-17 on the season and 4-10 within the MAC.

The Orange and Brown had five players reach double-digit scoring. Samari Curtis led the way with 18 points off the bench, matching his season-highs for field goals made (7) and field goal percentage (53.8%). Kaden Metheny followed with 16 points and a career-high seven assists. Both Brenton Mills and Gabe O'Neal added 13 for the Falcons. Mills also led the team in rebounds (7) and steals (3). The double-digit scorers rounded out with 12 from Leon Ayers III.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Rockets recorded the first three points of the game, but the Falcons responded with a 6-0 run to move out in front 6-3 early in the contest.
Toledo put together a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead, heading to the first media timeout up 13-8 before stretching the lead to 16-8.
The Falcons responded with a run of their own, going on an 8-0 stretch to knot it up at 16-16.
The two teams went back-and-forth before a 12-2 BGSU run pushed the Falcons out in front 30-24.
Toledo was able to tie the game again, this time at 30-30, with a 6-0 run. BGSU and UT traded baskets up until the halftime buzzer with Bowling Green taking a 34-32 lead to the break.
Toledo jumped out in front with the first basket of the second half, but Leon Ayers III soon strung together eight straight points on his own to give the Falcons a 44-38 lead.
The Rockets utilized a 7-0 run to take back the lead, but the Orange and Brown quickly responded to tie the game back up at 50-50.
The ties continued to 54-54, but an 8-0 Toledo run pushed the Rockets out in front 62-54 with just under eight minutes left in the game.
A 5-0 burst for Bowling Green closed the gap to 64-62, but Toledo slowly rebuilt their lead, including a 6-0 run, to move the score to 77-69 with under a minute and a half remaining.
The Falcons got the Toledo lead down to four at 83-79 with 30 seconds left, even getting it down to three at 89-86 with five seconds left, but Toledo was able to maintain their lead down the stretch for the 91-86 final.

STAT LEADERS

Samari Curtis: 18 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds
Kaden Metheny: 16 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Brenton Mills: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Gabe O'Neal: 13 points, 5 rebounds
Leon Ayers III: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist

FALCON STAT FACTS

The Falcons and Rockets entered the game as the top two teams in the MAC from three-point distance during conference play and both teams sank 11 triples over the course of the contest. For BGSU, the 11 is the most in the month of February and ties for the team-high in a MAC game this season, having 11 against Western Michigan on Jan. 14.
Bowling Green had five different players reach double-digit points, the most since the MAC opener against Eastern Michigan.
The Orange and Brown finished the game with 19 assists as a team, the most for the team during conference play. The game marks the fifth this season for BGSU with 19 or more assists in a game. Kaden Metheny led the way with a career-high seven.
As a team, Bowling Green scored 80+ points for the first time in the month of February and the sixth time during MAC play, ending with 86.
Metheny made four three-pointers in the game, bringing his season total to 64 threes. Metheny needs two to tie and three to pass Trey Diggs for 10th all-time in program history for three-pointers in a single season. Diggs made 66 during the 2021-22 campaign.
Metheny ended the night with 16 points for the Falcons. That brings his season total to 266 points, setting a new career-high for points in a single season. The mark for Metheny was previously set at 265 points from the 2020-21 season. Metheny also set a new single-season-high for steals with a pair, bringing his total to 29 this year, topping his 28 from 2020-21.
Samari Curtis led Bowling Green in scoring with 18 points, matching his season-high for field goals made (7) and field goal percentage (53.8%). Curtis also added six assists to his stat line, second on the team behind only Metheny's seven.
Brenton Mills led the Falcons in both rebounds and steals, ending the game with seven and three, respectively. Both set season-highs for Mills while the steal total matched his career-high.
Gabe O'Neal went a season-best and perfect 6-of-6 from the field, finishing the game with a season-high 13 points. O'Neal also matched his season-high for offensive rebounds with three.

TODD WALKER RADIO CALLS
O'Neal And-One
Me-THREE-ny
Curtis Long Ball
Ayers Steal And Finish
Curtis Slam To Tie
Metheny Triple For The Lead
Mills Three
Another Metheny Three
Late Mills Triple

QUOTE FROM COACH HUGER
"I thought our guys did a really good job of fighting back and playing extremely hard. I'm proud of what we've done today and we have to have that same effort moving forward and we'll be in Cleveland."

Full postgame interview with Todd Walker

UP NEXT
The Falcons will return to the road for their contest, traveling south to Oxford, Ohio against the Miami RedHawks on Feb. 21. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip.

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