BG MBB Flips Script

So.  Last night's game was a WOW.  If you have been watching Falcon sports as long as I have, you have seen innumerable soul-crushing loses to the Miami RedHawks...there is not enough fog, mud, sleet, 4th down markers, last-second half-court shots...to tell this story.

And, to add to it, the game was at Millet Hall where BG has won something like 20% of the games.

Well, last night the roles were reversed.  Oxford demons must have flown into the frigid night.

I can only say:

Sandwiches.

BG came out strong in the first half and was clearly dominating the play.  With 7 minutes left in the first half, BG led by 10.  Things fell apart big time after that...over the next 14 minutes, they had been outscored 38-21 and MU led by 7.

From there things stabilized, in the sense that the lead stayed between 3-8 points.  With 4 minutes left, MU was still up 6.

It's hard to describe. BG was flat and unable to generate a run.  It just seemed like the good fortune was going to take a detour, where it had so many times for us.

And then it turned on a dime.  Turner scored a 2FG, BG got a shot clock violation, Agee scored a 2FG, drew a charge on Mirambeaux and threw down an offensive rebound on BG's next possession and the game was tied with 1:54 to go.

The run continued.  Reece Potter, the 7-footer having a break out game against BG, missed in the paint.  Agee on the board.  Hill scores in the paint, BG up 2 with 1:16 left.

MU misses a 3FG. Agee on the board. Hill misses in the paint.  Agee offensive rebound. 

BG calls time with :25 left and again with :19 left.  BG inbounds to Hill who splits two defenders, beats another and then shoots over Last Chance Potterville and BG was up 4.

See what you think of this.

Marcus Hill called game! The driving layup to seal the win!#FlyAroundandFindOut x #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/SEwlTh9Xgu

— BGSU Men's Basketball (@BGSUMBB) January 17, 2024

BG wins by 5.  That is a 15-2 doorslammer over the last five minutes or so. A lot of stops embedded in there.

I give our guys credit.  They were struggling but they hung around and kept it close and then turned it on when they needed to.

Total role reversal.  Sandwiches.

Travis Steele, the MU Coach, had this to say.

“I’ll probably get in trouble for this, but I’m tired of the officiating,” he went on, referring to 6-foot-8 senior center Anderson Mirambeaux fouling out with 2:18 left in the game. “Our big guy gets called for some horrendous fouls. Still, we’ve got to be better. Bowling Green is one of the better teams in the league.

 MU was called for 23 fouls and BG for 15.  Boo-hoo. Maybe we foul less.

Both teams are battling injured players. 

With the long stretch between that 10 point lead and the comeback, it is easy to forget the early BG success.  The Falcons led for 21 minutes, Miami for 17.

It was a solid win.  BG had 1.09 points per possession and MU had 1.02.  BG was better than average on both sides of the ball but not in a freaky, unreproducible ways. 

BG was outshot.  Miami is a strong shooting team. They made 54% on 2FG and 39% from 3FG, both good nights.  BG also shot well, with 51% and 35%.  Beyond that, BG won the turnover battle.  Nobody had great offensive rebounding, but BG allowed MU next to nothing.  And BG dominated at the line.  MU was 10 of 15 (67%) and BG was 19 of 31 (61%).  

BG is #335 out of 362 in the country in FT%.  Also last in the MAC in MAC games.  Even so, BG is +22 in 5 MAC games at the line.  BG could be even stronger with a few more FTs.

Marcus Hill was back to his old self, with 23 points on 6 of 11 and 2 of 2 shooting, 5 of 9 at the line, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 TOs.

Agee continues to be a rebound machine. He had 12 rebounds and 15 points on 5 of 10 and 1 of 1 shooting (not a misprint). He was 2 of 6 at the line.  In MAC games, he is #2 in the MAC in rebounds.  Note the summary above, where he was dominant on the board during BG's run.

Trey Thomas had 14. He was 2 of 4 and 2 of 7, with 4 of 4 at the line...so not a great night. He also had 3 assists over 1 TO.

Spurgin had 10, on 2 of t 5 and 0 of 1 shooting, but 4-4 at the line and 9 rebounds, 3 TOs.

And the beat goes on.  BG raced through a weak non-conference schedule, but are now 4-1 in their MAC games, and these are teams they are designed to compete with.  It's incredibly exciting.  Big game Saturday with WMU, also 4-1, with a 7'0 of their own who has played a role in their sudden turnaround.