Falcons Punch Ticket To Cleveland With Victory Over Western Michigan

Tuesday, March 5

Kalamazoo, Mich.

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

18-12,9-8MAC

Western Michigan

11-19,8-9MAC

Bowling Green

Western Mich.

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

Falcons Punch Ticket To Cleveland With Victory Over Western Michigan

March 05, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score BGSU-WMU Game Stats Buy MAC Tournament Tickets MAC Tournament Alumni Information Support Our Student-Athletes

Agee Registers Fifth-Straight Double-Double, Leads Team In Points And Rebounds For Third-Straight Game

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament with a win over Western Michigan Tuesday night (March 5) in Kalamazoo. The Falcons and Broncos went back-and-forth early, but BGSU earned a 31-29 halftime lead and didn't look back. Western Michigan challenged, tying the game at 54-54, but Bowling Green reclaimed the advantage and held strong to the final whistle for a 73-65 final.

The Falcons were paced on the stat sheet by Rashaun Agee with 17 points and 15 rebounds, both leading the team with the rebound total matching Agee's career-high. Jason Spurgin followed with 16 points and five rebounds. Marcus Hill provided a similar stat line with 13 points, six rebounds and a team-leading five assists. Trey Thomas rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, including six at the free throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Falcons took the opening tip and immediately lit up the scoreboard with Marcus Hill locating Jason Spurgin for three. Western Michigan banked a three to answer.
A similar sequence followed. Hill dished to Rashaun Agee for a two-hand slam before a Western jumper kept it tied, 5-5.
Trey Thomas joined the scoring column with a driving layup before another WMU jumper tied it at 7-7 at the first media timeout of the game.
Out of the timeout, Western Michigan moved in front with a layup before Thomas converted two free throws for a 9-9 tally. WMU responded with a 5-0 burst to move in front 14-9 at the under-12 media timeout.
The run continued through the timeout for the Broncos, stretching to 7-0 with the score at 16-9. The run ended with EJay Greer finding Agee inside for a layup. Sam Towns followed with a layup of his own on the next possession to cut the deficit down to 16-13.
BGSU continued to press on the offensive end with Agee getting a hook shot to fall followed by a three from Greer to make it 20-18 at the under-8 media break.
A WMU layup after the timeout extended their lead, but Hill responded with a transition layup to bring it to 22-20 on the scoreboard.
WMU added another layup before a 4-0 run by Spurgin, both layups, to knot it up at 24-24. Greer jumped a route for a steal with a transition layup on the other end for a 6-0 BGSU run and 26-24 lead at the final media timeout of the first half.
Out of the timeout, Da'Shawn Phillip hit a three to stretch the run to 9-0 with a 29-24 lead before a WMU layup ended the stretch. A 5-0 spurt for the Broncos tied it at 29-29.
A transition layup for Hill after a rebound put BGSU on top 31-29 at the halftime break.
Western Michigan started the second half with a hook shot to tie it up at 31-31. Spurgin responded with back-to-back dunks to push the Bowling Green lead to 35-31.
The two teams went back-and-forth with a Hill layup and one Agee free throw for the Falcons and a 38-35 score. A WMU hook shot cut it to 38-37.
The trading of buckets continued with a Phillip three and Agee second-chance layup for the Falcons to push the score to 43-41 Bowling Green at the first media timeout of the second half.
Out of the break, a pull-up jumper for Thomas extended the lead to 45-41. WMU made a layup before DaJion Humphrey answered with one of his own. Hill added another BGSU layup for a 51-48 score at the under-12 media timeout.
Agee opened up the post-timeout play for Bowling Green with an and-one conversion to push the lead to 54-50. WMU worked to tie the game at 54-54.
Agee ended the run with two free throws to reclaim the lead at 56-54. BGSU forced a turnover which resulted in Hill finding Spurgin for a layup to make it 58-54 at the under-8 media break.
Two free throws for WMU cut into the score, but quick hands for Agee resulted in a touch pass assist on a dunk for Towns. Hill followed with a layup to push the lead to 62-56. A WMU triple brought the score to 62-59 at the final media timeout of regulation.
The Broncos added a jumper out of the timeout to cut the score to one, but Jason Spurgin banked in a three followed by an Agee and-one to push the BGSU lead to 68-61 and force a timeout from the Bronco bench.
Western Michigan got a layup to fall to cut the score to 68-63 with Bowling Green utilizing a timeout.
The Falcons converted free throws down the stretch with one from Hill and four from Thomas for a 73-65 final.

STAT LEADERS

Rashaun Agee: 17 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Jason Spurgin: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
Marcus Hill: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block
Trey Thomas: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Da'Shawn Phillip: 6 points, 1 rebound

FALCON STAT FACTS

With the win, the Falcons have clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2020-21. BGSU now holds tiebreakers that secure them at least the seventh seed.
The Falcons had four scorers reach double-digits for the first time since beating Toledo on Feb. 23.
Rashaun Agee led the Falcons in both points and rebounds for the third-straight game. He finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season. The 15 rebounds also match Agee's career-high in a game and brings his rebound total to 297 for the season, just two away from the Top 10 all-time. Agee now has a double-double in five straight games.
Marcus Hill finished with 13 points, bringing his season point total to 615. That mark moves him up to seventh all-time for points in a single-season, passing Martin Samarco's 604.
Hill also led the team in assists with five while flirting with a double-double, adding six rebounds to his stat line as well.
Jason Spurgin finished with 16 points for the Falcons, one shy of the team lead. Spurgin went 7-of-12 from the field, matching his season-high for both field goal attempts and field goals made.
Trey Thomas reached double-digit points for the Falcons, going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.
The Falcons are now .500 all-time when playing against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo with a record of 32-32. It's also the first time BGSU has swept the season series against WMU since 2018-19.

TODD WALKER RADIO CALLS
Towns Reverse Layup
3Jay Greer
Greer Steal And Score
Spurgin Steal And Slam
Agee And-One 1.0
Towns Dunk Off Agee Touch Pass
Spurgin Bank
Agee And-One 2.0
Falcons Win!

QUOTE FROM COACH SIMON
"I thought our physicality ramped up. We were able to get 46 points in the paint, which has to be part of our identity. We made 75-percent of our free throws and took care of the ball, so that's going to give you a chance every time."

Full Postgame Interview with Head Coach Todd Simon

UP NEXT
The Falcons will return home to the Stroh Center for the regular season finale on Friday (March 8). BGSU will host the Ball State Cardinals for a 7 p.m. tip with Senior Night festivities before the game.

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