BGSU Nearly Completes Late Comeback Against Undefeated Davidson

Saturday, November 15

Davidson, N.C.

6 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

3-1,0-0MAC

Davidson

4-0,0-0Atlantic 10

Bowling Green

Davidson

Photo by: Avery Zuercher, BGSU Athletics

November 15, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score BGSU-Davidson Box Score Support Our Student-Athletes

Falcons Outscore Wildcats 23-9 In Final Three Minutes

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

DAVIDSON, N.C. - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team nearly overcame a 21-point second half deficit Saturday night (Nov. 15) against Davidson. The Wildcats built a 67-46 lead with nine minutes left in the game, holding to an 82-66 score with three minutes to go, but the Falcons came storming back. Over the final three minutes, Bowling Green outscored Davidson 23-9, cutting the lead down to as little as a point, but Davidson managed to hold on for the 91-87 final. The loss marks the first of the season for Bowling Green, moving to 3-1 on the young season ahead of their return home on Wednesday (Nov. 19), hosting William & Mary at the Stroh Center.

The Falcons were paced by Josiah Shackelford, logging 23 points and six rebounds, leading the team in both stats, as well as three steals. Javontae Campbell added 21 points of his own while both Sam Towns and Mayar Wol tallied 16. Justin Thomas added a full stat line as well, finishing with six rebounds, six assists and four steals, leading the team in all three categories.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Davidson tallied the first two buckets of the game before Javontae Campbell put the Falcons on the board. He later added a free throw while Justin Thomas sank one at the line as well to match a Davidson basket for a 6-4 score at the first media timeout.
Out of the timeout, Campbell slammed home a two-hand baseline dunk to tie the score up at 6-6. Davidson answered with a 6-0 run, rebuilding their lead at 12-6.
Campbell ended the run with his second steal of the game, turning into an and-one conversion. The Wildcats matched the points with a three the next time down for a 14-9 tally.
The back-and-forth continued with Mayar Wol joining the scoring for the Falcons, but another three for Davidson came next for a 17-11 score at the under-12 media timeout.
After the break, Wol connected on two at the line for the Falcons. Campbell later added two of his own at the line, cutting the score to a possession at 17-15.
The Wildcats responded with a 6-0 run to push their advantage to 23-15. Wol ended the run with a mid-range jumper off a Davidson turnover, but a layup for the Wildcats matched the points, 25-17 at the under-8 media break.
Davidson hit a three after the break, but the Falcons were able to put together a run. Josiah Shackelford started it with a driving layup. Sam Towns kept it going with an and-one, sinking a layup and a free throw. Shackelford then took back over with one at the line before finding Aiden Goins for two later on for an 8-0 run and 28-25 score.
Davidson ended the run, but Shackelford went back to work hitting one from the line and later a three to pull BGSU within a point, 30-29. The Wildcats and Shackelford exchanged threes, moving the score to 33-32 at the final media timeout of the first half.
Out of the break, Campbell drove for two for the Falcons, giving BGSU their first lead at 34-33, but back-to-back threes from the Wildcats quickly swung the score back to Davidson, 39-34.
Wol ended the run for Davidson with an elbow jumper, but Davidson connected on another triple. Troy Glover II got a layup for BGSU, but a buzzer-beater for the Wildcats made it 45-38 at half.
Davidson tallied the first seven points of the second half, creating a 10-0 run across the break for a 52-38 lead. Towns ended the run with a two-handed dunk, leading to a 52-40 score at the first media timeout of the second half. Campbell hit a free throw after the break to add one to BGSU's tally.
The Wildcats hit a three, but Campbell quickly responded with a coast-to-coast layup. Davidson added one at the line before Thomas threw a touchdown pass to Shackelford under the basket for a layup, making it 56-45 at the next stoppage.
A 5-0 run for Davidson followed the timeout for a 61-45 score at the under-12 media timeout. After the timeout, the run extended to 7-0 with a 63-45 score. A free throw from Makhi Leach ended the run, but the stretch reached 11-1 with a 67-46 score.
The Falcons responded with a 7-0 run. Towns got it started with a jumper before hitting a three, creating the first five points on his own. A layup from Thomas continued the run, cutting the score down to 67-53 at the under-8 media timeout.
Davidson connected on two free throws after the break, but a layup from Campbell matched the points. Davidson made two more at the line, but an and-one from Campbell followed for a 71-58 score.
A layup and later a free throw increased Davidson's tally before Towns drove through the lane for two. Davidson continued with two more free throws and then a layup. Towns added two of his own at the line with Wol later adding a dunk separated by two Wildcat free throws for an 80-64 score at the final media timeout of regulation.
Davidson made two free throws, but a tip-in from Towns matched the points for BGSU. Davidson tallied three at the line, but a Shackelford layup, two at the line for Wol and then a dunk by Wol put the Falcons back in the scoring column with a 6-0 run, 85-72.
The Wildcats made one at the line, but BGSU kept the pressure on. Shackelford converted a layup before a steal by Wol resulted in him going to the line, sinking two to cut the deficit down to 10, 86-76.
Shackelford swiped a steal, made a layup and drew a foul to cut the lead down to single-digits. A Davidson foul sent Shackelford back to the line, making two more for a 5-0 run on his own and an 86-81 score with just under a minute left.
Shackelford and Javon Ruffin each added baskets for the Falcons, bringing the game down to a one-point difference, 86-85. Davidson got a bucket to go, stretching their lead back to three, 88-85 with 17 seconds left and a BGSU timeout.
Campbell made one at the line to cut it down to two, but Davidson answered with one of their own to move the score to 89-86. Thomas responded with one for BGSU, cutting it back down to 89-87 with four seconds left.
Davidson converted two at the line for a 91-87 score with three seconds left, seeing the Falcons use their final timeout, but the score held to the final.

STAT LEADERS

Josiah Shackelford: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist
Javontae Campbell: 21 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
Sam Towns: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
Mayar Wol: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Justin Thomas: 4 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals

FALCON STAT FACTS

Bowling Green has now scored 80+ points in each of their first four games to start a season for the first time since 1973-74.
The Falcons forced Davidson into 18 turnovers. Through four games, the Falcons have forced 93 turnovers. They entered the week leading the nation in turnovers per game, averaging 25.0. The average now adjusts slightly to 23.3.
Josiah Shackelford led the Falcons in scoring with a season-high 23 points, his first 20-point game with BGSU. He also tied for the team lead in rebounds with six and added three steals with all three stats being new season-highs.
Javontae Campbell posted his third straight 20-point game, finishing with 21. He's now recorded 11 20-point games in the Orange and Brown. Campbell also swiped two steals, bringing his season total to 19.
With Shackelford and Campbell both eclipsing 20 points it marks the first time this season that BGSU has had two 20-point scorers in the same game.
Justin Thomas led the Falcons in assists with a season-high six. He's now either solely led or shared in the team lead for assists in three of BGSU's four games. Thomas added six rebounds, tying for the team lead, and a team-high four steals, which was also a season-high for him.
Sam Towns posted a season-high 16 points for the Falcons. He also tied for the team lead in rebounds with six, including a season-high four offensive rebounds.
Mayar Wol led the Falcons off the bench with 16 points while matching his season-high for rebounds with four. Through four games, Wol is averaging 13.8 points per game off the bench.
Jason Kimbrough Jr., Makhi Leach and Javon Ruffin all logged their first blocks in the Orange and Brown. Ruffin also added a season-high four rebounds.

QUOTE FROM COACH SIMON
"The fight was tremendous. To battle it within a possession there at the end... They never quit and played really hard. We have that to build on."

UP NEXT
Bowling Green will return home for their next contest hosting William & Mary on Nov. 19 for a 7 p.m. tip. The game will be Casino Night at the Stroh Center with games available on the concourse for fans.

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