Falcons' Defense Holds VMI To 20-Percent From The Field In 81-48 Win

Wednesday, November 26

Fort Myers, Fla.

11 a.m.

Bowling Green State University

5-2,0-0MAC

VMI

3-6,0-0SoCon

Bowling Green

VMI

Photo by: Brandon Belcher

Falcons' Defense Holds VMI To 20-Percent From The Field In 81-48 Win

November 26, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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

Towns Hauls In 18 Rebounds, Posts First BGSU Double-Double

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team put on a defensive display against VMI Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 26) at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Capturing an 81-48 victory, the Falcons held the Keydets to just 20-percent shooting from the field with only 10 made field goals, both believed to be program records based on available statistics. Additionally, Mayar Wol totaled a team-high 21 points, his first 20-point game of the season. Sam Towns added the first BGSU double-double of the season, registering 12 points in addition to 18 rebounds, the most by a Falcon since 2020-21. The Falcons close out the Fort Myers Tip-Off with a 2-0 record and are now 5-2 on the season, the best start to a season since 2020-21.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Troy Glover II started the game strong with the first two baskets of the day for a 4-0 run on his own. VMI's first bucket came via three for a 4-3 tally, but Glover responded with another layup, scoring BGSU's first six points.
Sam Towns took over from there for the Falcons with a pair of layups, making it a 6-0 run for the Falcons and a 10-3 lead in the early going, forcing a VMI timeout. The same score carried to the first media timeout of the half.
After the media break, Javon Ruffin made two at the line for the Falcons. VMI added two of their own at the line, but the free throw trading continued with Towns making two for the Orange and Brown for a 14-5 score. Josiah Shackelford made the next field goal, going nearly coast-to-coast for a fast break layup off a Glover rebound and assist for a 16-5 BGSU lead at the under-12 media timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Ruffin sank the first BGSU three-pointer of the game. VMI made one at the line, but Shackelford followed with another three. Two sets of two free throws for the Keydets made it 22-10.
Towns worked for a tip-in layup for the Falcons before VMI made just their second field goal of the game, a layup in the paint to snap a drought from the field that spanned nine-and-a-half minutes of game action. The back-and-forth continued on the court with a layup from Glover and then a layup from VMI as well, bringing the score to 26-14 at the under-8 media timeout.
After the timeout, Glover sank one at the line followed by a fast break layup for Javontae Campbell. VMI made one at the line, but another Campbell layup pushed the score to 31-15 Falcons. Campbell kept it going with another fast break layup, this time off a Makhi leach steal. However, VMI answered with a second chance bucket, keeping the score at 33-17.
The Keydets made one at the line, but Mayar Wol and Makhi Leach each added two points to the BGSU effort, making it a 37-18 advantage at the final media timeout of the first half.
The first points after the stoppage came on a fast break for BGSU. Ruffin swiped a steal and found Wol for a massive dunk. Towns later added a free throw followed by a Wol three for a 10-0 BGSU run and 43-18 lead. VMI ended the run with a layup, but Wol matched the points with a jumper for the Orange and Brown for a 45-20 halftime tally.
The first points of the second half came at the free throw line for VMI with one. Campbell tallied the first BGSU points with a layup. Ruffin followed with a three from the corner. VMI made two at the line to end the BGSU burst with a 50-23 score at the first media timeout of the second half.
After the timeout, Shackelford made a three for the Falcons. A free throw and dunk for VMI matched the points, but Wol quickly answered with another three for BGSU with the score 56-26. The Falcons kept it going with Wol finding Glover underneath the basket for a dunk. Wol then hit a three, creating an 8-0 BGSU run to push the lead to 61-26. A layup for VMI ended the run. They later added a three for a 5-0 burst of their own, bringing the score to 61-31 at the under-12 media timeout.
The first points out of the break came at the line for BGSU with Camden Karel making three across two trips. Towns kept it going with a three, but VMI matched for a 67-34 score at the under-8 break.
A layup for VMI restarted the scoring after the timeout, but a three from Wol more than matched the points for the Falcons. The back-and-forth continued with Shackelford making two at the line, bookended by two sets of free throws for VMI, resulting in a 72-40 score.
Wol connected on another three-pointer, pushing him past the 20-point mark for the game and increasing the lead to 75-40 at the under-4 media timeout.
VMI made two at the line after the stoppage, but Shackelford responded with a jumper. Leach followed with a floater of his own. The back-and-forth continued with two at the line for VMI. They later added four more for a 79-48 score. Down the stretch, Christian Dedivanaj got a layup to fall for the Falcons for the 81-48 final score.

STAT LEADERS

Mayar Wol: 21 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Sam Towns: 12 points, 18 rebounds, 10 offensive rebounds, 2 assist, 1 block
Josiah Shackelford: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Troy Glover II: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Javontae Campbell: 8 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
Javon Ruffin: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

FALCON STAT FACTS

The Falcons held VMI to 20-percent shooting from the field with only 10 made field goals in the game. Based on available records, both are believed to program records for the Falcons.
In the first half alone, Sam Towns hauled in 15 rebounds, becoming the first Falcon with 15+ rebounds in a game since Rashaun Agee on March 14, 2024 with a career-high. Nine of his 15 were on the offensive end, also a career-high. Towns finished the game with 12 points and 18 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards, for the first BGSU double-double of the season. The rebound total is the most rebounds by a Falcon since Daeqwon Plowden had 18 on March 2, 2021 against Miami (OH).
Mayar Wol led all scorers in the game with 21, his first 20-point game as a Falcon. Wol is now the third different Falcon with a 20-point game this season through the first seven games. Wol made a season-high five three-points, giving BGSU a player with five threes in back-to-back games after Javon Ruffin made five against Bucknell.
Josiah Shackelford recorded 12 points for the Falcons, giving him double-digit points in six of BGSU's first seven games.
Troy Glover II tallied 11 points for Bowling Green and logged five rebounds, matching his season-high.
Jason Kimbrough Jr. tallied a season-high five assists for the Falcons, leading the team in the stat.
Makhi Leach totaled four points for the Falcons while swiping a season-high three steals and adding two rebounds and two assists.
Christian Dedivanaj recorded his first two points at the collegiate level, making a layup for the Falcons. Dedivanaj added an offensive rebound as well.
The Falcons carried a 45-20 lead into the halftime break. The 25-point margin is BGSU's largest halftime lead so far this season. The 20 points for VMI are also the fewest for a BGSU opponent in the first half of a game this year.
As a team, the Falcons hauled in 51 rebounds, tying for their highest mark of the season after having 51 against Bethany College as well.
With VMI scoring just 48 points, it marks the second time this season BGSU has held an opponent under 50 after holding Texas State to 48 in the season opener.
Going 2-0 this year with the Falcons, Coach Simon is now 4-1 all-time at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, posting a 2-1 record at the event in 2021-22 with Southern Utah.
With the matchup being the first in program history against VMI, the win is also the first. BGSU has now defeated 272 different opponents in program history, adding five teams to the list this season (Texas State, Bethany College, Le Moyne, Bucknell, VMI).

UP NEXT
The Falcons will continue their time on the road, heading west for their next game. Bowling Green will take on Kansas State on Monday (Dec. 1) with an 8 p.m. EST tip.

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