Falcons Fend Off Bucknell For Victory In Fort Myers

Monday, November 24

Fort Myers, Fla.

12 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

4-2,0-0MAC

Bucknell

2-5,0-0Patriot

Bucknell

Bowling Green

Photo by: Avery Zuercher, BGSU Athletics

November 24, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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

BGSU Drains Season-High 11 Three-Pointers, Ruffin Leads Way With Career-High Five

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team kicked off the Fort Myers Tip-Off with a victory over Bucknell, topping the Bison 71-66 Monday afternoon (Nov. 24). The Falcons utilized a 19-1 stretch in the first half to build their advantage, maintaining the lead through the end of the game. Javon Ruffin led the way, scoring 15 points, all from behind the arc with five triples. Sam Towns added 15 of his own, including a perfect 8-for-8 at the line. Javontae Campbell added 14 points while swiping another six steals as well. BGSU advances to 4-2 on the season with another game on-deck in Fort Myers, taking on VMI at 11 a.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 26).

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Falcons started the scoring with a three from Sam Towns off a Javon Ruffin assist. Bucknell added two, but another three, this time from Ruffin, made it 6-2. The back-and-forth continued with a layup for Bucknell followed by a Justin Thomas three, giving the Falcons a 9-4 lead to force a Bison timeout.
After the stoppage, Mayar Wol joined the three-point barrage, hitting one in transition, but Bucknell responded with triples of their own for a 9-0 run, moving in front 13-12 in the contest.
Troy Glover II stopped the run with a hook shot off a Ruffin feed, but a Bucknell three followed for a 16-14 score at the under-12 media timeout.
Coming out of the break, the Falcons went back to work. A three from Thomas pushed BGSU in front with Ruffin adding one of his own for a 6-0 BGSU burst and 20-16 advantage at the under-8 break.
Ruffin kept the three-point shooting going after the timeout, hitting two more for a 12-0 BGSU stretch and 26-16 lead, including nine straight from Ruffin alone. Bucknell ended the run with one at the line.
The Falcons kept the pressure on with Ruffin finding Javontae Campbell underneath the basket for two, making it a 28-17 score at the final media timeout of the first half.
With just under three minutes to go in the first half, Glover made two at the line for BGSU before a Campbell three from the corner for a 33-17 advantage. Bucknell ended their drought from the field with two, coming with just under two minutes left in the half. Campbell answered on the BGSU end with a layup for a 35-19 score. Bucknell added two at the line and then a three to close the half with BGSU ahead 35-24.
The Bison started the second half scoring with a three and later a free throw, creating a 9-0 run across the half for Bucknell, cutting the lead down to 35-28. Towns began the second half scoring for the Falcons with a hook shot in the paint, bringing the score to 37-28 at the first media timeout of the half.
A 5-0 burst for Bucknell cut the BGSU lead down to 37-33, but a layup from Wol followed by two free throws from Josiah Shackelford pushed the score to 41-33 Falcons. The back-and-forth resumed from there with a three from Bucknell before a layup from Shackelford. Campbell later added a free throw to move the score to 44-36 at the under-12 media timeout.
After the timeout, Campbell added another at the line, but the Bison kept chipping away, this time with a layup. Wol answered, but a free throw from Bucknell made it a 47-39 score. For the Falcons, Shackelford found Glover in the paint for two, pushing the score to 49-39 at the under-8 media timeout.
Soon after the timeout, Thomas made two at the line, but an and-one for Bucknell answered. Campbell kept the point-trading going with a driving layup for a 53-42 score. Three at the line and then a three-ball built a 6-0 run for Bucknell, trimming the deficit down to 53-48. Campbell hit a three for BGSU, but Bucknell worked for a layup and then called a timeout with the score at 56-50.
Bucknell added a layup before the under-4 media timeout with the score at 56-52. They made a free throw after the timeout as well. Towns drew a foul for the Falcons and sank both at the free throw line, pushing the lead back to 58-53. On the defensive end, Glover recorded a key block for the Falcons before a three from Ruffin extended the Bowling Green lead to 61-53 with a Bucknell timeout.
Bucknell made two at the line with BGSU calling timeout with the score at 61-55. Wol later added one at the line for the Falcons, but the Bison converted two at the line for a 62-57 score.
With 43 seconds left, Towns made two at the line for BGSU. Bucknell responded with a layup at the other end, keeping the difference at five, 64-59. A similar sequence followed with Towns making two more at the line followed by an and-one for Bucknell, bringing the score to 66-62.
Thomas made one at the line for BGSU, but a layup for Bucknell followed to bring the score to a one-possession game, 67-64. Towns made two at the line, answered by a Bucknell layup. Towns worked down court for a slam dunk before a Campbell steal, his sixth of the game, sealed the 71-66 final.

STAT LEADERS

Sam Towns: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 8-for-8 from the free throw line
Javon Ruffin: 15 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Javontae Campbell: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 6 steals
Justin Thomas: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Mayar Wol: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

FALCON STAT FACTS

In the first half, the Falcons went on a 19-1 stretch that spanned more than eight minutes of game action. Bowling Green held Bucknell to just 24 points in the first half, the fewest points for a BGSU opponent in a half so far this season.
As a team, Bowling Green tallied 12 steals and forced 18 turnovers, continuing their streak of at least 11 steals and 18 turnovers forced in each game this season.
Javon Ruffin made his first start as a Falcon and made it count. He scored a season-high 15 points for the Falcons, all from three, while adding four assists. He tied for the team-lead in both stats. Ruffin is also the first Falcon with five three-pointers in a game this season.
Sam Towns tied Ruffin for the team lead in scoring with 15. Towns went a perfect 8-for-8 from the line while adding four rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. His eight makes at the line set a new career-high.
Javontae Campbell kept his double-digit scoring streak going, logging 14 points for BGSU. He's now the only Falcon this year with double-digit points in each game. Campbell also swiped a team-high six steals, giving him 28 on the season through just six games.
Justin Thomas filled the stat sheet for the Falcons, doing a little of everything. He scored nine points while leading the team in rebounds with seven and tying for the team lead in assists with four. Thomas added a trio of steals and a block as well.
With the game marking the first all-time for BGSU against Bucknell, the win is the first against the Bison. Bowling Green has now defeated 271 unique opponents in program history.

UP NEXT
The Falcons will continue play in the Fort Myers Tip Off on Wednesday (Nov. 26), scheduled for an 11 a.m. tip against VMI.

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