Campbell, Towns Lead Way As Falcons Challenge No. 22 Michigan State In Exhibition

Thursday, October 23

East Lansing, Mich.

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

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#22 Michigan State

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Bowling Green

Michigan St.

Photo by: Scott W. Grau

Campbell, Towns Lead Way As Falcons Challenge No. 22 Michigan State In Exhibition

October 23, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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Towns Posts 20-Point, 12-Rebound Double-Double

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team took on the Michigan State Spartans in an exhibition Thursday night (Oct. 23) at the Breslin Center on MSU's campus. The game marked the first action of the season for either team and proved to be a tight contest. Throughout the game, the lead changed hands five times while the score was tied six times. Despite the Falcons winning the rebounding battle, Michigan State pulled ahead for the 75-66 final. Combined with last year's regular season game, Bowling Green has now led for over 29 minutes of action inside the Breslin Center over the two games played.

Individually, Sam Towns spearheaded the BGSU effort, leading the team with 20 points as well as 12 rebounds. Towns connected on a team-high four three-pointers as well, sinking more than half of the team's made baskets from three. Javontae Campbell nearly joined the double-double effort, scoring 12 points while adding nine rebounds and a team-high five assists. Josiah Shackelford rounded out the BGSU double-digit scorers with 14.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Michigan State won the opening tip, but it was the Falcons that struck first. After a strong defensive possession, Javontae Campbell located Sam Towns for a three to put BGSU on the board first, 3-0.
The Spartans worked for a bucket, but an inbound pass from Campbell found Justin Thomas for a layup. A three from MSU tied it up at 5-5. Towns broke the early tie with his second triple of the game followed by a layup for MSU to make it an 8-7 BGSU lead at the first media break.
After the timeout, a dunk for the Spartans put them in front, but Josiah Shackelford answered with a layup of his own to swing the score back to BGSU. A free throw from MSU knotted it up at 10-10 just under five minutes into the contest.
The tie held for two minutes of action before a second-chance layup for Towns made it a BGSU lead, but MSU answered with a three. A layup for Michigan State extended their lead to 15-12 at the second media timeout.
After the timeout, Campbell hit one of two free throws. On the missed second attempt, Towns snagged a rebound and put up a layup for a 15-15 tie.
Michigan State got a layup to go, but a three from Javon Ruffin answered to put the Falcons in front. Troy Glover II converted a layup before a Towns runner for a 7-0 BGSU run and 22-17 lead. Michigan State responded with a 5-0 run to tie it up at 22-22, stretching the run to 8-0 for a 25-22 advantage.
Shackelford ended the run with a three to tie it up at 25-25, but the Spartans answered with a three of their own to reclaim the lead. The back-and-forth continued with a Campbell layup, trimming the score to 28-27 at the under-8 media timeout.
MSU rebuilt their lead after the timeout, reaching a 35-27 score. Towns ended the run with a three, but the Spartans answered for a 38-30 tally at the final media timeout of the first half.
Shackelford converted a free throw after the break while Aiden Goins sank one as well to match an MSU bucket between. The point-trading continued with a Spartan layup followed by three at the line from Shackelford for a 42-35 score with two minutes left in the first half.
The points at the line carried to the MSU side with one free throw, jump-starting a 4-0 MSU burst. A driving layup from Campbell ended the run, but MSU responded in the same fashion. Mayar Wol joined the scoring with a pair at the line, making it a 48-39 score at the half.
Like the first half, Michigan State started the second half with the ball, but the Falcons scored first. Campbell drove through the lane for a layup, but MSU later answered the points for a 50-41 start to the second half.
The back-and-forth continued with Glover adding a bucket for the Orange and Brown followed by two at the line for Michigan State. Shackelford connected on a corner three before another Spartan basket for a 54-46 score at the first media timeout of the half.
After the break, Campbell made one at the line before Glover converted an and-one opportunity to pull the Falcons within four, 54-50. The Spartans answered with an and-one of their own to push the score back to 57-50. A layup from Campbell closed the gap to 57-52 at the under-12 media timeout.
A jumper from Towns pulled the Falcons within a possession before he connected on his fourth three of the game, tying it up at 57-57. A 5-0 run for the Spartans reclaimed the lead, 62-57. Goins worked in the paint for two, but a basket from Michigan State with a foul made it 64-59 at the under-8 media timeout.
Michigan State converted the free throw after the timeout, but another Campbell driving layup cut the deficit down to 65-61. A 9-0 burst for the Spartans followed to push the score to 74-61.
Goins ended the run with an and-one layup just ahead of the final media timeout of the second half with the score at 74-63. Goins made the free throw after the break with MSU later adding one at the line as well.
The free throw scoring moved back to the BGSU side of the court with two from Shackelford, marking the final Bowling Green points of the night for the 75-66 final.

STAT LEADERS

Sam Towns: 20 points, 12 Rebounds, 4 Three-Pointers
Javontae Campbell: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal
Josiah Shackelford: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Troy Glover II: 7 points, 4 rebounds

FALCON STAT FACTS

Sam Towns led the way for the Falcons, putting up 20 points and 12 rebounds, including four three-pointers. While the stats won't count due to the exhibition, all three statistics would have been career-highs for Towns. The double-double would have also been his third as a Falcon while the double-digit rebounding game would have been his seventh.
The Falcons outrebounded the Spartans in the game with a 42-41 count. Last year, Michigan State ranked 14th in the nation for rebounds per game.
Javontae Campbell just missed a double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds. He added a team-high five assists while swiping a steal.
In the second half, the Falcons held Michigan State to just 27 points while forcing them to a 31.0-percent mark from the field.
Josiah Shackelford joined the double-digit scoring effort for the Falcons with 14, including going 6-for-8 at the free throw line.
In total, 11 different Falcons saw the floor in the game with eight registering points.

UP NEXT
Bowling Green will continue their list of exhibitions, taking on Dayton on Monday (Oct. 27) with a 7 p.m. start at UD Arena. The regular season will begin for BGSU on Nov. 3, hosting Texas State for a 7 p.m. tip inside the Stroh Center.

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