Falcons’ Dominant Defense Downs The ‘Cats In The Convo

Saturday, December 20

Athens, Ohio

4 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

9-3,1-0MAC

Ohio

5-7,0-1MAC

Bowling Green

Ohio

Photo by: Kate Laney, BGSU Athletics

December 20, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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BGSU Opens MAC Play With 10-Point Win Over Ohio

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

ATHENS, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team opened up play within the Mid-American Conference on Saturday (Dec. 20) against the Ohio Bobcats, claiming a 68-58 victory on the road. The Falcons worked to build a 13-point lead at the halftime whistle, growing to as many as 19 in the second half. The Bobcats attempted a comeback, but the Falcons' defense held strong, forcing Ohio to shoot just 37.0-percent from the field, including only six made field goals in the second half. The win moves BGSU to 9-3 on the season while beginning MAC play with a 1-0 standing.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Bowling Green won the opening tip, but it was Ohio with the first points, making a mid-range jumper. Justin Thomas answered for the Falcons with a bucket in the paint.
The back-and-forth continued with a Javon Ruffin three for the Falcons, bookended by Ohio points in the paint. The Bobcats added another layup, but a Thomas triple tied it, 8-8. A jumper for Ohio gave them a 10-8 advantage at the first media timeout.
Out of the break, Javontae Campbell dished it to Towns for a floater, tying the score again, this time at 10-10. Thomas swiped a steal and found Campbell on a fastbreak. A foul sent Campbell to the line, making both. Thomas followed with another three the next time down, making it a 7-0 BGSU run and 15-10 lead.
Ohio ended the run with a three, pulling back within a possession. For the Falcons, Mayar Wol made two at the line to restart the scoring after drawing a foul off a fastbreak that was started by a Troy Glover II steal. The Bobcats made another three, but a technical foul sent Ruffin to the line, making both for a 19-16 lead at the under-12 media timeout.
The Bobcats pulled within one, but a three from Towns kept the Falcons in the lead. A layup from Ruffin began a back-and-forth that included a Campbell layup as well. A free throw for Ohio made it a 26-23 score at the under-8 media timeout.
The first points out of the break came on a quick BGSU basket. Thomas made a long pass to Josiah Shackelford underneath the basket for two. Ohio Later matched to stay within a possession.
Makhi Leach answered for BGSU with back-to-back buckets in the paint. Camden Karel kept it going with a layup for a 6-0 run and 34-25 lead. Ohio ended the run with a three for a 34-28 score at the final media break of the first half.
After the timeout, Campbell went to the line for Bowling Green, making both in the trip. Ohio made one at the stripe, but Towns sank another two for BGSU. Towns added a tip-in layup off an inbound and Campbell got a layup to go before the half, making it a 42-29 score at the break following an 8-1 run for the Falcons to close the half.
The first point of the second half came on an Ohio free throw followed by a three. Campbell got the scoring going for the Falcons with a layup. Campbell then swiped a steal before Thomas found Glover for a slam, making it 46-33 at the first media stoppage of the half, coming from an Ohio challenge. The same score held to the under-16 media timeout as well.
Ohio added two free throws, but Aiden Goins answered with a basket through traffic.The Bobcats made another free throw, but Towns responded with a three for the Falcons. Campbell later drew a three-point foul, making all three at the line. Ohio again made one at the line for a 54-37 BGSU lead at the under-12 media timeout.
Out of the break, Campbell drove for two, but the Bobcats worked for four at the line. Towns ended the brief Bobcat burst with points in the paint followed by a dunk for Glover, both assisted by Campbell, for a 60-41 lead at the under-8 timeout.
OU made two free throws after the break. Another Glover slam answered, but a 7-0 Bobcat run cut into the lead, 62-50 at the final media timeout in regulation.
After the break, Ohio made four at the line across three trips, cutting the lead to single-digits, 62-54, with an 11-0 run. A second-chance OU jumper made it 62-56 before a BGSU timeout.
Campbell ended the run for the Falcons, making two at the line. Ohio answered with a layup before burning a timeout with 24 seconds on the clock. Towns went to the line for BGSU, making two. Campbell then went back to the stripe, making it the eventual 68-58 final.

STAT LEADERS

Javontae Campbell: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals
Sam Towns: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Justin Thomas: 8 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Javon Ruffin: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Troy Glover II: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

FALCON STAT FACTS

The Falcons held Ohio to 37.0-percent from the field, the seventh different opponent this season that the Falcons have held below 40-percent shooting.
Javontae Campbell flirted with a triple-double once again, finishing with a team-high 19 points, a team-high seven assists and seven rebounds, one shy of the team lead and tying his season-high. This marks the fourth time this season that Campbell has led the team in both points and assists in the same game.
Of Campbell's 19 points, 11 came at the free throw line going a perfect 11-for-11. He's the first Falcon to have double-digit made free throws since he himself had 10 on Feb. 25, 2025 against Eastern Michigan.
Sam Towns played a team-high 39 minutes and nearly posted a double-double. Towns tallied 16 points while leading the team in rebounds with eight. The once-Ohio Bobcat also swatted away BGSU's lone block for the game in his return to Athens.
Justin Thomas did a bit of everything for the Orange and Brown. He finished third on the team in points with eight while being second in assists with five. He added three rebounds and a steal to complete his stat line.
With the win, Bowling Green has now won seven of their last nine MAC road openers with three of those seven wins coming in Athens.
The win for the Falcons marks the first for BGSU inside The Convo since Dec. 30, 2020 when they topped OU, 83-75.

QUOTE FROM COACH SIMON
"[The defense] was fun to watch. I thought we even left possessions where we could even improve more, but to give up six field goals for the whole second half on the road. I was really proud of the guys' execution and focus."

UP NEXT
The Falcons will return home for their next contest, hosting the Siena Heights Saints on Monday (Dec. 22) inside the Stroh Center for a 2 p.m. tip. After a break for the holidays, the Falcons will resume play on Dec. 30, hosting Miami (OH) for a 7 p.m. start.

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