Well, here we are. It is the last game of the regular season. I'm sure to the team it seems like the season lasts forever, but it seems to go by in a blink of an eye to me.
We finish the reason down in Athens with the OU Bobcats, with 9th place in the balance. But you must always remember....
and indeed, I am sure our guys will play to win the game. Let's take a quick look at OU and see what we see.
BG won by 8 at AA in the first meeting of these two teams. OU is a pretty good offensive team, but the Falcons held them to 57 points, 38% shooting and 3 of 21 from beyond the arc, and when the Falcons get that kind of defense, they're going to be very hard to beat. It was one of those games where BG did close well, getting the game's last 7 points on the road to victory.
BG and OU are even-steven in the MAC this year, and OU had a couple more wins and the same number of losses as BG. OU has played a considerably tougher schedule than BG, and has beaten pretty good Illinois State, IUPUI and Wright State teams at the Convo. They are 12-4 overall at home this year.
Like the first time, I think this game will come down to what BG does on defense. OU plays at among the higher paces in the MAC, and is among the top scoring teams in the conference. On a tempo free basis, they are 4th in the MAC. They do not shoot especially well, and the difference is in good 3 point shooting. As noted, BG held them to very poor 3 point shooting last time. OU takes really good care of the ball and gets to the line, and all the together is the challenge for the Falcons.
Now, flipping things around, OU is not an especially good defensive team, and that does present an opportunity for BG to get some points too. As you can see below, these teams are pretty evenly matched on this end. BG has been playing pretty well on this end, and if Otis continues to produce on the inside, we remain a more productive team.
So, that's the story of the game Thursday. Pretty evenly matched, but on OU's court and without a whole lot at stake. But you play to win the game, and I'll be right here listening.
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