Falcons, Golden Flashes Exchange Lead 22 Times With 17 Ties In Close Contest

Tuesday, January 6

Kent, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

11-5,2-2MAC

Kent State

12-3,3-0MAC

Bowling Green

Kent St.

Photo by: Kent State Athletics

Falcons, Golden Flashes Exchange Lead 22 Times With 17 Ties In Close Contest

January 06, 2026 | Men's Basketball

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Campbell Nearly Logs Double-Double With 28 Points, 9 Assists

By: by Kyle Edmond, BGSU Athletics

KENT, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team took the Kent State Golden Flashes down to the wire on KSU's home floor Tuesday night (Jan. 6). Over the course of the game, the lead changed hands 22 times with 17 ties along the way as well. In the end, Kent State pulled out a 96-93 final score despite Javontae Campbell's near double-double with 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds. The loss moves Bowling Green to 11-5 on the season while being 2-2 to begin MAC play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Kent State won the opening tip and worked for a layup for the first points of the game. The Golden Flashes began with a 5-0 run, but Troy Glover II ended the run with a layup. KSU answered with a layup, but two free throws from Javontae Campbell continued the back-and-forth. Kent State added one at the line before layups from Sam Towns and Campbell tied it at 8-8.
The trading of points continued with a Kent State layup to reclaim the lead. Towns drilled a three to push back in front, but the Golden Flashes answered the bucket for a 13-11 score at the first media timeout of the game.
Kent State worked for the first points out of the break. Towns hit a three for the Falcons, but the Golden Flashes responded with one of their own, sparking a 5-0 burst. Campbell made two at the line followed by a layup from Josiah Shackelford to narrow the score to 20-18, bringing on a Kent State timeout and the under-12 media break.
Aiden Goins sank home a three after the timeout to put the Falcons in front. A layup from Kent State swung the score back to them before one at the line from Shackelford tied it, 22-22. A similar sequence followed with Campbell making two for a 24-24 score. KSU used a three for a lead with Campbell adding two more at the stripe. Makhi Leach made two free throws of his own for a 28-27 BGSU advantage at the under-8 media break.
An and-one for Kent State restarted the scoring, but a Shackelford floater knotted it up and started a 6-0 run with a three from Wol and a free throw from Campbell for a 34-30 lead. The burst ended with a 4-0 spurt for Kent State, tying it at 34-34. A layup from Shackelford put the Falcons back in front, 36-34, at the final media timeout of the first half.
After the timeout, Kent State made two at the line to again tie it. Wol hit a three, but the Flashes answered to keep it tied. Two at the line for Kent State followed with a Campbell layup matching. Leach swished home two at the line for a 43-41 lead. The back-and-forth continued with a Camden Karel layup on the BGSU side for a 45-45 score at the half.
Kent State started the second half scoring with a 7-0 run, forcing a Bowling Green timeout with the score at 52-45 just over two minutes into the half.
Campbell worked for a layup out of the break for the first BGSU points of the half, but the Golden Flashes answered with a 4-1 burst with the Falcon tally being a Shackelford free throw. A layup from Glover came for BGSU, but KSU responded with a three for a 59-50 score at the under-16 media timeout.
After the stoppage, Leach made a pair at the line. Campbell kept it going with a layup before Goins went to the line, making both for a 6-0 run to close the gap to a possession, 59-56. A basket for the Golden Flashes ended the run, but a Leach layup matched. KSU worked a 5-0 run, ended by a Towns three for a 66-61 score at the under-12 media timeout.
Out of the break, Towns made two free throws to draw within a possession, 66-63. Campbell worked for a 5-0 run on his own, including an and-one, creating a 10-0 BGSU run for a 68-66 advantage and a Kent State called timeout.
The Golden Flashes hit a three after the timeout to move back in front. Shackelford worked for a jumper followed by a Campbell layup, but a three from Kent State tied it at 72-72 with the under-8 media timeout.
Glover flicked a hook shot after the timeout, but KSU responded with two at the line. Campbell put the Falcons back in front with a layup, a steal and two at the line for a 78-74 advantage. Kent State tallied a 6-0 run to move in front, but a Shackelford layup through traffic kept it tied, 80-80. Wol made one at the line to put BGSU back in the lead. The teams continued going back-and-forth, including a three from Shackelford for an 84-84 tie at the under-4 break.
Wol converted two at the line after the break to swing the score back to BGSU, but Kent State responded with an and-one for an 87-86 lead. An inbound from Campbell to Shackelford answered, but another and-one for KSU put them in front, 90-88.
A second-chance basket from Glover tied it up for the Falcons before a corner three from Wol made it a 5-0 run and a 93-90 advantage to force the final Kent State timeout.
Out of the break, Kent State worked for a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead, 96-93 to force a BGSU timeout with 4.1 seconds left in the game and possession, but the score held to the final.

STAT LEADERS

Javontae Campbell: 28 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Josiah Shackelford: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Sam Towns: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Mayar Wol: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Troy Glover II: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block

FALCON STAT FACTS

Playing the entirety of the game for the second consecutive contest, Javontae Campbell nearly posted a double-double for the Falcons, finishing with 28 points and nine assists, both marks leading the team. Over the last two games, Campbell has totaled 75 points and 17 assists for the Falcons while playing in 85 minutes of action.
After going 20-for-27 at the line against UMass, Campbell went 12-for-13 against Kent State, making him 32-for-40 (80.0-percent) at the line over the last two games.
Troy Glover II led the Falcons in rebounds with eight, his first time solely leading the team in the stat this season. He added eight points, coming close to a double-double of his own.
Josiah Shackelford moved back into the starting lineup for the game, posting 17 points, finishing second on the team. Sam Towns (13) and Mayar Wol (12) followed in the scoring line with all five starters logging at least eight points for the Falcons.
Makhi Leach led the bench scoring with eight for the Falcons, including a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line, a new career-high for both free throws attempted and made in a game.

QUOTE FROM COACH SIMON
"Obiovusly, Kent is a very good basketball team. They are very difficult to beat at home, they have a tremendous record here. We came up short, we didn't do enough. Offensively, we played really well. Defensively, we didn't get enough stops and we have to remedy that. We have to get tougher and we have to make those plays down the stretch when we need to."

UP NEXT
Bowling Green will return home to host Akron on Friday (Jan. 9) for a nationally televised game in the Stroh Center, scheduled for an 8 p.m. start.

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