BG Looks for Memorable Game Against BSU. (MBB).

 

Just 3 games left.  With a win, BG can move into a tie for 7th or 8th including with WMU, who they finish the year against.  They need to get to 8 wins...and this one is key to doing that.

The first game in Muncie was forgettable.  Ball State led for 37 minutes. BG battled to get the game back to 6 with 5:33 left, but the Cards went 27-11 from that point on to win by 22.  Coach Simon was T'd twice and DQ'd.

As you can see, the big difference was shooting.  The 47% for BG wasn't terrible, but 65% for Ball State is about as bad as we have been all year.  Very tough to win allowing that kind of shooting.  Ball State made 67% on 2FG and 41% on 3FG, both really strong numbers.

As you can see, the other items are close.

Peyton Sparks had 19 points and 13 rebounds. In total, six Cards ended up in double figures.

One interesting thing about BSU is that they are good at getting fouled.   They are #2 in the nation in free throw rate and #1 in the MAC. In 15 games of MAC play, their opponents have been called for 309 fouls and BSU has been called for only 245.  That's almost a 4 per game difference. They have made 100 more FTs than their opponents, meaning they average almost +7 at the line in every game.

And still they are sub .500. Most of the problem is on defense.  They are 5th in scoring and 2nd in 3FG shooting in the MAC, though they are selective.  They are 9th on defense, 8th against the shot and last in forcing turnovers. They are the easiest team to shoot 2FGs against and 2nd in defending the 3FG. 

Their leading scorer is Jehmari Hill, a JUCO transfer scoring 16.5 PPG, #6 in the MAC and #7 in assists. He plays a lot of minutes, so that helps his stats. He shoots 47% and 30%, neither of which is great.  Sparks is scoring 14.9, on 62% 2FG shooting, and 8.9 RPG, #1 in the MAC. Mickey Pearson scores 13.7 PPG, highly efficient with 52% 2 FG and 41% 3FG shooting.

BG is playing well with its shortest roster of the year.  Javonte Campbell is making a real difference as the instigator of the offense.  BG is a 1.5 point favorite in what promises to be a competitive game.  We are trying something really difficult, needing to win all or most of their games while down to a very skinny rotation.  I love that they are giving us something to root for...at 2-7 that didn't seem very likely. 

Loeffler Leaves BG....Have that on your bingo card?

The news out this morning, my friends.  And it's a wow.  Scot Loeffler is returning to the NFL for a position with the Eagles.

Whew, things can change fast.  Because everything is up for grabs now.  I imagine more news will come out, maybe Loeffler will comment on what was happening, but right now, everything is in play. The quality of life has to be much higher in the NFL..College football is a new world and not necessarily a great one.

1.  The timing is awful. AWFUL. We're ready for spring practice, and there's a portal opening right after that.  BG says it is launching a national search, so we won't be using an interim as a bridge coach. No one else is hiring--how's that for a bright side?  This is an attractive job.  You can win here. But, the timing is absolutely awful.

2.  What often happens when a coach leaves is that the team enters the portal en masse.  There have been teams who bring in 65 new players.  Sometimes that's OK....Liberty had an incredible season the year they beat us and they had an incredible number of new players.  Everyone is up for grabs, though. We know that "agents" come after even average players in the middle of the season.  I guarantee that every player has their phone blowing up right now. You can practically hear it. Including our early enrollees and last year's signees.  BG will scramble the fighters to try and keep as many players as they can, but until there's a coach and assistants, that's really tough.

3.  We will also have to battle to keep assistants to help with that process.  We have some guys who would be in demand, and they will be looking out for themselves, as they should.  We probably have some guys who don't have as many options in a world where being a graduate assistant with Loeffler 15 years ago is no longer helpful.

There will be plenty of time to assess the Loeffler Era here.  He has critics--fairly--and they will be happy to finally see a change. I think he did good things. He dug us out.  He put competitive teams on the field, and he beat UT.  It was fun last year to go to the stadium and figure we would win.

I also wrote about my disappointment over the last two games and my general feeling that we should have been better and scored more, given the generational talent we had out there.  It's fair to wonder if he did good work to get us where we were, and he was a decent coach but not a great one.

Also, the program he wanted to build probably doesn't exist anymore.  He kept mentioning Clawson--who also retired out of frustration.

I do trust our AD to get us a good coach.  Timing is working against us...we are off cycle.  No one from Texas, please.

Watch this space.

BG MBB Gets Another Road Win

The Falcons inched closer to Cleveland last night, picking up a third-straight road win, this time over the EMU Eagles.  There are some things to note here.  EMU had been playing better---they had beat UT and MU at home in the last couple of weeks.  BG came in short-handed, as they will for the remainder of the year.  They also came in off a big, emotional win on Friday.  This would have been a prime point to have a let down.

And while there was a very rough patch, the Falcons ended up getting the win.

It was not a typical game.  EMU never led and BG led for 36:00.  Within that....is a story.

The first half could not have gone any better.  BG made 5-8 from 3FG...meanwhile, their zone defense completely flummoxed EMU, who went 1-16 from 3FG.  BG ended up leading by as much as 18 and by 16 at the break., 35-19.

The second half started out pretty rough.  EMU went on a 12-0 to start the half and had the game tied with about 14 left.  You go from looking like a cakewalk to a real battle in 6 minutes.  EMU never broke though but the game was still tied with 10 minutes left.

I was starting to really sweat. Given all the issues, you had to wonder if BG had the strength to turn it around.

Turns out, they did. BG went on a 10-2 run to go up 8 with 7 to play.  The game was in hand most of the way, though the Falcons had some trouble with pressure in the last few minutes.  EMU had it down to 4 with the ball before Henry missed a 3FG and Campbell hit 4 FTs to close it out, BG winning 65-60.

It was a nice win.  As mentioned, EMU has been playing better.  They made a hard run at the Falcons, which the Falcons absorbed and turned around.  Coming into a possible let-down game, it was a good effort.

It wasn't a great offensive game for BG.... they scored .98 per possession.  BG won the shooting battle easily, battled even on turnovers, had a terrible disadvantage on the boards but made 10 of 16 at the line while EMU made 2-4.  BG committed only 10 fouls.

BG struggled from 2FG, making only 42%, but made 52% from 3FG, their best D1 game of the season.

Meanwhile, they held EMU to .91 PPP.  EMU was good from 2FG (57%) but made only 21% on 3FG.

Javonte Campbell continued to take the team on his back.  He scored 25 on 7 of 12 and 1 of 2 from 3FG. He has made only 5 3FGs in MAC play, but teams play off him due to his injury and if he can nail the open ones, it helps.  He was fouled 11 TIMES and took 13 of BG's 16 FTs, making 10. He had 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 turnovers and 5 steals, giving him the BG all-time single-season steal record, previously held by DeMar Moore.

Humphrey had 14, making all 4 of his 3FGs. Butler had 11 and 5 rebounds.

Marcus Johnson seems like his batteries are getting low.  He was not much of a factor in this one....he has carried this team most of the year, so he deserves some grace.

BG played 7 guys.  EMU played 10.

Here is how things stand.  The orange highlights are games where kenpom has that team with a 50% chance of winning or better.  BG was supposed to lose to EMU, and now has a shot at hitting 9 wins.  Reminder there are five teams above this group, so you need to finish 3rd among this group to get to Cleveland.  BG has two games with teams they are competing with and they are at home....the finish is more interesting than it was shaping up to be.

MBB EMU Preview

BG's last ditch effort to close the gap and make it to Cleveland now moves to Ypsilanti for a road game against the Eagles.

The first game was tough for BG.  Marcus Johnson got 2 fouls in the first two minutes.  BG shot terrible for the game.  EMU made 10-20 from 3FG.  BG did well on turnovers, rebounding and free throws and against all odds, the lead was down to 1 with 1:25 left, EMU ball.  The Eagles scored the last 6 and won by 7.

Coach Simon called it disappointing. BG was 10 of 25 inside the restricted area.  That's a wow.  And an additional 2 of 5 in the non-restricted paint area. Coach mentioned that BG missed transition corner 3s that "have to go down."

BG will need to turn that around against an EMU team that has modestly exceeded expectations.

Picked 11th in the MAC, they are #7 right now.  They have won 3 straight in the MAC, beating UT and MU in YPSI and then rallying from 7 down in the last 1:21 to beat NIU in DeKalb.   They are 5-2 in MAC play at home and are going well right now.

Oregon and DePaul transfer Jalen Terry was MAC player of the week.  In this last four games, he has scored 25, 38, 24 and 28.  In the 38 vs. Toledo, he made 15 out of 17 shots. He also had 9 rebounds against Miami and he hit the 3FG that put NIU down in the last one.  He's playing as well as any player in the MAC right now.

He had 13, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in the first game vs. BG.

Overall, EMU is #8 in the MAC in offense and #9 in defense. They are #5 in shooting but #11 in turnovers...turnovers kept the first game close. They are #10 in fouling...FTs also kept the first one close.

BG is bound to shoot better than they did in the first one and BG is shorthanded, as you have no doubt heard by now.  Can they raise the emotion to the level they did to beat UT?

MBB Route to Cleveland

 With four to play, let's take a look at BG's route to getting to Cleveland.  Preview is that it's probably less than 50%, but it is possible.

OK, here is what this is.  The top team in this set would be 6th.  The bottom would be 10th.

The first numbers are the current records and the next are the remaining games.  Orange highlights are what kenpom is predicting for the game (as a starting point).

Kenpom has a lot of love for CMU due to their wins @South Alabama and @George Mason.  Right now, they are ranked #176, which is roughly were OU is ranked.  I think it's safe to say that isn't reflecting the reality on the floor.

Kenpom has CMU going 4-0.  They do have a relatively easy schedule--they play UB and NIU--but they also have @EMU and @BS, and I think it's likely they get 0 or 1 win in that set.

So, the columns after that are:

• If CMU wins all 4 going home.
• If they lose BOTH EM and BS
• If they beat EM and lose to BS
• If they lose to EMU and beat BS

So, look.  Inside all the possibilities, the hardest thing is going to be for BG to go 3-1.  Yes, we rallied the troops Friday at Savage, but how long can this undermanned team continue to do that?  Who knows?  But 3-1 coming home would be a hell of an accomplishment.

Let's say we do it.  Let's say it plays out this way...

At 8-10, BG would be in under 3 of the four scenarios.  The four-way tie in the "CMU>EMU) scenario is not good for BG, who would have only 1 win in that tiebreaker set.  But 8-10 gives us a pretty good shot.

I checked at 7-11.  I'm not saying its impossible, but it's a lot harder to see, especially since it probably means a loss to BSU or WMU, who are in the group looking for these last two slots.

So, there is a shot.  It's not gong to be easy, but it also is still in play.

MBB Beats Hated Rockets

Sweet victory.

Oh man.  Sweet victory.

That one is one for the record books.  So proud of our boys.  As Coach said after the game, we had every reason to mail it in.  You're already undermanned and Trey Thomas goes down.  Easiest thing in the world is to say "it's not our fault" and take a beating.  (I might point you to March 2022 in the season finale at Savage, for example).

And yet they didn't.  BG essentially played 6 guys for the game.  And yet, we led for 31 minutes.  Here's the amazing thing....never by more than 6.  There were 14 lead changes in the game.  It was a highly compelling college basketball game.

And add in the rivalry.  It doesn't get much better.

And we looked like we were heading down the same path as we have been late in games. Starting at about 11 minutes to go, BG went 4 minutes without scoring.  But, they also played strong D and only lost 1 point over the period--you're still nervous, you feel like we missed chances in there to stretch the lead. 

BG steadied and UT kept coming.  The game was tied with 2:23 left.

UT got a stop and had the ball.  Sonny Wilson was driving, guarded by DaJion Humphrey, who had missed time with a hernia earlier in the year.  Humphrey stayed with him and Wilson eventually pushed off for space and Humphrey drew the foul.

Humphrey came down and turned it over, but on the next possession Simmons was driving to the basket and Humphrey took a charge, this one with his feet just outside the restricted area.

BG missed another shot and then UT drew a foul.  With :20 left, Lewis split the pair and UT led by 1. BG called time and set a play up.  They got Campbell on the baseline, but he missed.  Exacte had a second chance.  He missed.  There was a battle for the ball and Exacte had it again. Most guys would have pumped up what would have been a 12-footer. 

But Exacte saw Campbell alone on the baseline and made a pass that shows high IQ.  Campbell then went under 2 UT defenders and finished the play like a boss. Watch it here. It's worth it.

The lesser Tod failed to work him OB magic and BG hung on to win the game.  From Humphrey to Exacte to Campbell, we made the plays we needed coming home.

And, as Derrick Butler noted post-game, they savored the sweet silence of Savage Hall.

And the team's joy.  Man, these guys have persevered this year.  Injuries, flu, etc.  You'd like to think all that will be rewarded, but it's not a given.  So they enjoyed it when it was.  It would have been sweet anywhere...but on UT's floor, it won't get any sweeter.

I have nothing but admiration.  I'd recommend listening to Coach Simon's presser, too.  This is a guy I would follow anywhere.

One thing is that he makes adjustments to try and win.  I feel like under previous regimes we sort of said "we just have to do what we do."  We switched defenses he said we implemented some "unique" things and we had Campbell off the bench to try and make sure we always had a scorer on the floor. In all walks of life, that kind of thinking is the difference.  I have done it myself. How can you change the dynamic?

Anyhow, it worked.  BG scored 1.03 points per possession, which is not a great game.  UT scored 1.01, which is, you know, less.  Fewer.  It is their lowest in a MAC game.  

The difference was shooting.  BG made 54% and 33% and UT made 42% and 31%.  UT had fewer turnovers, rebounding was very close and UT had a clear advantage at the line.

Campbell had 23 points on 9 of 13 and 1 of 5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 turnovers.  Butler was 5 of 7 and 3 of 9 and 5 rebounds. Johnson struggled at 1 of 4 and 2 of 4, 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

How about Exacte?  How does 12 rebounds and 4 assists work, especially the one that won the game?  I hope we can hang onto him.

Anyway, three cheers to our guys.  I said earlier in the year...I think this staff is going to get it done.  It's been a rough year, but we have the right guys.  

Meanwhile, savor it.

Hated Rockets Part II (MBB)

 BG makes the trek up I-75 for the second game of the Rivalry of I-75.

First, some news that just hit as I was writing this.  Trey Thomas has a broken leg and won't play again this year, per Jon Rothstein, per Todd Simon.

This is a year we will be ready to see go into the rear view mirror.

UT's win in the opener was the first game of a five-game winning streak for the Rockets....four of them in conference.  They followed that by losing @Miami and @EMU before beating BSU at Savage in their last game when a buzzer beat for the Cards was taken off the board.

They are 9-4 with their streak of regular season titles about to end.  Their kenpom is 219, their lowest since Kowalcyk's first year with the Gene Cross mess.

I was curious what was the difference this year, and it is definitely defense.  UT's program is known for having a great offense, but they quietly coupled that with solid to good defenses.  Their were 2nd, 3rd and 5th twice in defensive efficiency in that period. This year they are last.  In all games, they are 30th worst in the country.

They are 10h against the shot and last against the 3FG and 11th in forcing steals.  As always, they don't give up FTs.  BG scored 84 against the #1 defense Tuesday, so maybe they can convert that into enough scoring to win Friday.  

I re-read the first game writeup, which UT won 84-71.  It actually reminded me a lot of the Kent game in that every time BG chipped it close, UT got an easy basket to push the lead back up again.  As Coach Simon said, "they made us pay."

You can see, they outshot us badly and outrebounded us.  BG did get to the line and made 74%, which is not bad, but UT has the best FT shooting team in the MAC and made 82%.  Even with that disparity at getting to the line, BG was only +3. 

The secret to turning this around is for BG to make more shots against a defense that people are making shots against.  Of course, that gets all the harder on the road.  UT has only lost at home once in MAC play this year.

UT never plays a deep rotation and they didn't against BG.  However, they put four players in double figures.  Sonny Wilson had 18 on 6 of 8 and 1 of 1 shooting, 3-3 at the line, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 turnover, if that works for you.

UT was a 7.5 point favorite before the Thomas news hit. The Rockets have laid some stinkers this year, maybe we'll get a long-overdue good break.

BG MBB "Can't Get Over the Top" vs. Kent

BG played one of its better games of the last month last night at the Stroh, but eventually fell 91-84 to a Kent team that is peaking at the right time, as they often seem to do.

BG played a terrible first half.  They were 6 of 21 on 2FG and 2 of 9 on 3FG, shooting 27% overall.  Only 10 FTs made the result somewhat respectable.  BG made 7 turnovers and coach said we missed 7 layups.  BG was down 13....and the Falcons had played so poorly that Coach was able, with a straight face, to tell his team that they were lucky to only be down 13 and could still get into the game.

BG played much better in the second half, even as Thomas missed the last 14 minutes and Felt battled foul trouble.  Every time BG seemed to get it where they were back in touch, Kent responded with a basket and usually an easy one.

With about 13 left, BG had it to 5.  Crowd is getting into it.  Need a stop....KS layup.

From that point, Kent blew the lead back up to over 10 and appeared to have the game in control.  The Falcons might be a lot of things, but they are battlers.  With 5 minutes left, Kent was up 12.  BG went on a 10-2 run, featuring 7 points and a steal by Javonte Campbell, who is an absolute warrior.  

With 3:02 left, the lead was 4.  Crowd's into it.  Need a stop.  VonCameron gets a mismatch with Humphrey and bullies home a 2FG.  Actually and-one, but he didn't convert.

Campbell rebounds and he comes down and scores again.  Still 4 points, 2:48 left.

Perhaps the game's pivotal play comes next.  Johnson blocks Hornbeak, but on the pursuit for the ball Butler was called for a ridiculous foul.  Sullinger hits both FTs, and the lead is up to 6.

BG raced down again and Campbell was fouled.  He hit both FTs and it was 4 with 2:01 left.  Need a stop.

Sullinger drew a foul and sunk both FTs.

Johnson missed a 3FG and Kent ran clock.  Sullinger charged on the left side and was probably 12 feet away when he let a floater go that was nothing but net.  Kent up 8 with 1:24 left.

BG did get it to 4 one more time.  Johnson hit a 3FG, BG got a stop, Campbell on the board and Kent fouled Buter.  He split the FTs to get it back to 4 but it was just under :30, so the foul game was on.  Kent made 3 of 4 coming home and won by 7.

The game was played at 72 possessions, which is a victory for BG.

BG had 1.17 points per possession against the most efficient defense in the MAC.  That's usually a winning number, but they allowed Kent 1.26.  Kent presents matchup issues for us, and they are as good as anyone at isolating those matchups and not getting fancy.  They made 67% of their 2FGs, for example.

And they have Jalen Sullinger, who I hope we have seen the last of.  He had 32 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 15-15 at the line.  He also had 5 boards, 5 assists and 1 turnover.

BG was outshot pretty badly.  They made the game close by taking good care of the ball and really battling a Kent team that always rebounds very well.  And BG had the advantage at the line, which you expect.  Kent will foul you rather than let you hit an easy shot.  It impacts your 2FG% and your free throw opportunities.

BG had a good night at the line, 27-37 (79%).  KS was 20-23 for 87%.

Javonte Campbell is just gutting it out for us.  He has not practiced since January 6. He cannot shoot a 3FG and everyone knows it and defends him accordingly. He had 26 points on 7 of 11 shooting, 12 of 15 at the line, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers.  It's maybe the biggest "what could have been" for our team.

Johnson had 21 on a less efficient night, 2 of 7 from 2FG and 5 of 13 from 3FG.  There isn't always much he can do...on many possessions he seems to be the only guy willing to shoot.

Exacte had 11 on 3 of 5 and 1 of 1 shooting and 7 rebounds.  I really like this guy's potential and hope we see him continue to grow here at BG.

Felt had 8 points and 9 rebounds.

As mentioned, Trey Thomas went down on a flagrant foul and did not return.  That will need to be monitored as we head to Savage Friday night.

In the MAC, things did not go well.  WMU and EMU won, putting BG 2 games out of the 8th spot with 5 to play.  It's going to be tough.  Not out of reach, but very tough.

Football Gets New Coach and New Verbal

 A couple of news items for football. 

First, an interesting hire for the WR position and pass game coordinator.  His name is David Cooney and he comes from the Other Miami, where he has been since 2017.  For the last two years, he was a WR analyst and the three before that he was recruiting coordinator. 

Prior to Miami, Cooney coached at the high school level, serving as offensive coordinator for the Miami Southridge Spartans, who won the 2016 8A state championship under his guidance.  He worked legendary Miami-area high school coach Billy Rolle, who won three state championships with three different schools.

There's a site that indicates that Cooney was a key right-hand man to Christobel. 

I can't anything about where he played college or high school...but my impression is that this is the first Coach we have gotten from outside the immediate Loeffler career orbit.  I have made no secret of saying that we need a shakeup on the offensive side of the ball and this might be it.  He also (or perhaps more importantly) appears to be a recruiting asset.

The verbal is for '26 and is our second.  Just like the first, this young man is an EDGE from Cincinnati...this time from Princeton. His name is Jacob Broach, he's 6'5" and 220...and BG was his first offer.  Beyond that, there is not a lot of information on him....which is only relevant now.  The future is wide open.

Welcome to the Falcons, David and Jacob.

UPDATE:  More on Cooney.  This is where we win, with players and coaches.  Getting guys on the way up.

KS Preview (MBB)

BG has a tough week when they need it the least.  On paper, it will be difficult to win one, but if BG did, it would be huge.  On that front, BG would be most likely to win at home over Kent tomorrow.

The first meeting between BG and KSU could not have gone worse for the Falcons. They trailed by 18 at the half, were never closer than 15 in the second half and trailed by as much as 25.  BG could not make a basket, making 37% on 2FG and 27% on 3FG. Meanwhile, Kent shot 56% and 46%.  Overall, BG had .88 points per possession and allowed 1.17, both losing numbers.

This is not a normal Kent year, but we know no one will want to play them in Cleveland.  They are 7-5 in MAC play...last year they were 6-6 after 12 games.  They have won 4 straight, including the Sun Belt game. They have one of the tougher closing schedules in the MAC, playing 4 of 6 on the road.

Kent plays #11 in terms of pace and the first game was BG's slowest MAC game of the season.

Kent is the best defensive team in the MAC, allowing .99 points per possession. That is the normal order to business for the Flashes, who also led in 21-22 and 22-23.  They are #7 in offense.  BG is #6 in defense and #10 in offense.  The first step is for BG to hold KS to nearer their normal scoring than they did last time, which would make the game closer right there.

They are good across the board on defense. They are #2 against the shot, #2 against both the 2FG and the #3FG, and #1 at forcing turnovers and on the defensive boards.  They do give up a lot of FTs--they foul a lot, almost as a strategy to dare the official to call them all.  If the defense can get it close, the offense will need to take care of the ball and hit their FTs to bridge the gap.  Also, KS is great on the offensive boards--BG needs D-boards to get into transition and avoid playing half court offense.

Kent is best on the boards, where they are #3 in the MAC.  They are #6 shooting the 2FG and #10 on the 3FG. They do turn the ball over and they do not get to the line.  BG does not defend the shot well, but will need to get some stops and clear the board to have a shot to create offense on the other end.

They are led by two familiar names.  VonCameron Davis, averages 15.8 PPG on 47% and 37% shooting.  Jalen Sullinger scored 15.4 PPG on 56% and 32%, with most of his shots coming from 3FG. Cian Medley leads them with 5.2 APG and Delrecco Gillespie leads them in rebounding and is #2 in the MAC.

So off we go.  KSU to date is not the team we are used to seeing, but they still represent a tough challenge for the Falcons. It would be a nice night for some shots to fall, as unlikely as that would appear from the matchup.

Falcon MBB Gets Road Win

BG got a badly needed road win at UB on Saturday.  UB was tied with BG in the standings and BG is down in the race to make the final 8.  Even so, EMU and WMU beat top MAC teams Saturday to stay a game ahead of the Falcons, who are tied with CMU for 9/10--both out of the top 8 for now.  More on all of that later.

It was interesting in that BG led for 36 minutes and for the entire second half, but the game was always close.  BG led by no more than 8 in the first half and 7 in the second half.  It was no offensive masterpiece as a game....but BG scored when UB got close.  With about 10 minutes to play, BG went on a Javonte Campbell-fueled mini-run as he scored all 6 to get the lead to 7. 

That kind of set things in place and the lead stayed above one possession most of the way.  At the last media timeout, BG was still up 6.  The timeout came with 3:43 left.  The two teams went over a minute without scoring before UB cut it to 2 with 2:31 left. BG ran the clock down before Thomas hit a layup to put BG up 6.  UB got a layup to make it 4, forced a miss on a late clock 3FG by Thomas, and then Boldin scored again to make the lead 2 points with :56.

BG went to a play they used often with Justin Turner.  This time it was Campbell at the top of the key, dribbled the clock down and then he gets to the rim and finishes to make the lead 4 again with :27 to play.

UB made a big play, hitting a 2FG and the foul and chance to cut the lead to 1 with :18 left.  They missed the FT and due to official idiocy (more later) it took until :09 for the foul on Johnson was called.  He hit both FTs and BG won by 4.

It was no testament to the sport of basketball.  Not from UB, BG, or the officials.  I'm glad to be able to say this in a game we won, but the officiating in this one was a joke.  There'd be a bevy of ticky-tack fouls and then they'd stand there mutely while a Black Friday melee broke out on the next possession.  Both teams suffered from these guys.  All it did was largely take the game out of the player's hands.  A little hint.  If you start calling fouls like crazy, you won't be able to be consistent because sooner or later you are going to have to back off in order to keep guys in the game.

Anyhoo.  It was a 68-possession game, which is a little slow for our taste. 

Both teams had terrible games on offense, with BG scoring .93 points per possession and UB getting .87.  BG was narrowly outshot and smoked on the offensive boards.  However, due to 3 fewer turnovers, BG ended up with more FGAs and were +1 in points from field goals and +3 in free throws.  BG was 15-19 at the line (79%) and UB was 12-21 (57%), costing them the game.

About time.  Even with that, BG's collective opponents have the highest FT rate in the nation at 79%.

Javonte Campbell had the kind of game we imagined when he came here and before his hand injury...it was a Marcus Hill-like 20 on 8 of 10 from 2 FG and 4-7 at the line.  Thomas had 10 on 3 of 5 and 1 of 6 shooting. With Johnson and Butler both only getting 7, BG does not win the game without Campbell. Exacte had 9 rebounds and Humphrey had 5 steals.

Here is where things stand.

7.  EMU 5-7

8. WMU 5-7

9. CMU 4-8

10. BG 4-8.

BG plays EMU and WMU.  If BG can get in with 7 wins (losses to KS, @UT, @EMU, beating BS, NI and WM, I think they have a shot.  If they have to get to 8...it could be tougher.  CMU has the easiest scheduling coming home.

My guess is that it's less than 50/50.  A win this week--however unlikely--would be a huge lift.

Next Up for MBB: Da' Bulls.

BG plays a team for the second time for the first time this year...if that makes any sense.  The team holding that honor is the UB Bulls, who BG beat by 18 at the Stroh.

Since then, BG is 1-6 in MAC games. UB is 3-4 since losing to BG.  None of those wins are against top teams in the MAC. The Falcons and the Bulls are tied for 10th-11th at 3-8.  BG is a 1.5 point favorite.

In the first game, BG was up 4 at the half, came out of the locker room with the first 7 points and led by 10 or more for the remainder of the game.

BG had 1.13 points per possession, which is pretty good and allowed UB .87, which is a really low offensive number.  BG didn't shoot the ball well, but UB shot it terrible.  They were 7-33 from 3FG, which amazingly is only their 4th worst 3FG% of the year. They are a poor rebounding team, which you can see here, and they were blown out at the line. BG was 27 of 36 at the line, for a +8 differential.  That's an incredible FT Rate, FWIW.

UB is the worst offensive team in the MAC.  They are 10th in shooting, 11th in turnovers and 10th in offensive rebounding. They try the highest percentage of 3FGS in the MAC, but are 8th in making them.  On defense, they are 7th in the MAC.  That's #8 against the shot, #8 in forcing turnovers and #11 on the defensive boards.

In game one, Ben Michaels led the Bulls with 13 and 8 rebounds.  Noah Batchelor had 11 points and 6 rebounds.  He's a Maryland transfer.  Ryan Sabol had 10.

Their leading scorer in MAC play is Ryan Sabol, who is scoring 15.4 PPG on 57% and 36% shooting.  He is #7 in the MAC in minutes played.

The other double-figure scorer is Tyson Dunn, who was held to 5 in the first game.  He scores 14 on 48 and 37% shooting and leads the MAC at 6.1 assists per game.  Batchelor leads in rebounding at 6.8 per game.

BG is running out of road.  That OU loss made our job all the more difficult.  It would have been great to pull that one out.  

This is a rough year.  In a MAC that is verging on low major, BG is 3-8 and their first >300 kenpom in school history.  There have certainly been obstacles this year--and we played Akron, Miami and OU tight--but the season overall has been disappointing.

OU Closes Out BG MBB

Falcons MBB lost a tough one last night...they played hard and competitively and it was an entertaining game, but when the end came, yet again, the better team made all the plays and won the game.  BG falls to 3-8 in the MAC.  There are three teams at 4-7 and BG would need to beat two of them to get into 8th place.

There were 9 times and 7 lead changes and OU led for almost 20 minutes while BG led for 16.

That includes getting out to a 12-4 start before OU reeled them in and took a 15-13 lead.  OU got the lead as high as 6 with 8 minutes to go, but BG took a 1-point lead with 1:30 left.  They were down 1 when Marcus Johnson nailed a wild, falling out of bounds 3 to put BG up 2 at the break.

BG came out of the locker room fast, and with 15:29 left had a 10-point lead.  The game's turning point came next...Da'Jion Humprey drew his 3rd and 4th foul in rapid succession and was forced to the bench. BG already had foul trouble with Thomas and Campbell.  '

By 10:40 the lead was down to 3 and by 9:21 OU was in the lead.  BG would not lead again, but the game remained very tightly fought. The game was tied 5 times in the following minutes, the last time with 2:14 left, at 74.

OU scored the next 7 points to lead by 7 with :43 left, and the game was over.

I mention about Humphrey and it might seem like an overstatement.  But consider this.  BG 's two best performing sets were Humphrey-Thomas-Johnson-Felt-Campell (+6) and Humphrey-Thomas-Johnson-Felt-Campell (+7).  For the game, Humphrey was +14 in 26 minutes.  By definition, without him BG was -19 for the remaining 14 minutes.

Coach Simon said he had "no explanation" for the second half refereeing, in which BG was called for 19 fouls to OU's 13.  It often appeared to be full-contact defense when OU was defending, and breathing fouls on our end. They were 22-26 at the line IN THE SECOND HALF.  Some was garbage time, but it was bad before that.

At 77 possessions, it was the fastest game of the year in MAC play for BG. The Falcons had 1.06 points per possession,  which is a little above national average.  But, BG gave up 1.12.

That free throw rate is the most since UC shot 55 free throws against us at Thanksgiving 2019. BG's shooting was not terrible, with 50% from 2FG and 39% from 3FG.  OU made 59% and 33%, and 88% at the line. 

Something I keep mentioning...BG's opponents have made 80% of their FTs for the season, the highest percentage of any D1 team.

Johnson had 21 for BG, on 5 of 8 and 3 of 10 shooting.  Also, 4-4 at the line, with 5 assists and 3 turnovers. Derrick Butler had 18 off the bench on 5 of 11 and 2 of 4 shooting. He had 4 turnovers.

Campbell had 13 on 4 of 8 and 1 of 2 shooting, 2 of 4 at the line and 2 steals.

Humphrey had 11 on 2 of 3 and 2 of 3 shooting, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.

And Felt double-doubled, with 10 on 3-3 2FG shooting, 4 of 6 at the line and 10 rebounds.

So BG heads to UB in a game they really need if they are going to stay in the hunt.  Right now, BG and UB are tied at 3-8.

MBB: OU Preview

Next up for BG is the OU Bobcats.  They are normally one of the four consistent programs in MAC Men's Basketball and were picked by Blue Ribbon to win the MAC.  To date, things have not gone that way. They were 6-6 in pre-MAC play, and their kenpom fell from 118 to 163.  

In fact, last year they were also 6-6 entering MAC play and 7-5 to start MAC play.  They won their last 6, finished 13-5 in MAC play and lost in the semi to Akron.

This year, they won their first 4 MAC games and are 2-4 since then.  They also lost by 13 to App State on Saturday.  For various parts of the last 6 games, they have had three starters missing games.  Two are back, but Aidan Hadaway has missed the last 6 and is unlikely to return from a broken ankle.

The Bobcats are clearly not where they hoped to be.  If they can get healthy for Cleveland, I think they have a shot at winning the tournament.  In the meantime, BG is hoping to show what they can do after getting the flu out but with Sam Towns and Yo-Yo Khayat (I assume) still on the bench.

Kenpom gives OU a 66% chance to win and Vegas makes them 4.5-point favorites.

BG has won 6 of the last 10 and the last 6 at the Stroh.  The last loss was in 2017 by 24, when Coach Huger suspended Rasheed Worrell, Zack Denny, Antwon Lillard and Ismail Ali. Two football players logged 5 minutes each in keeping the team afloat.

Both teams like to play fast...OU at 73 possessions and BG at 70.

Based on the year to date, you wouldn't expect to see any surprises here.  OU is #4 in offense and #3 in defense, and BG is the mirror opposite..meaning in the bottom half of the conference.

OU takes 38% of their shots from 3FG, which is below the national average of 40%. They are above average on both FGs, making 55% from 2FG (3rd) and 36.6% from 3FG (6th).  They take excellent care of the ball, are a terrible rebounding team (Remember, they lost their top rebounder).  They do get to the line and make 76% when they are there, which is also good.

BG is the easiest team to shoot against in the MAC.  They have relied on the other three factors--all of which they are pretty good at--to have whatever success they are having.  A note of bad luck...BG's opponents make 78% of their FTs, highest in the MAC.

OU's opponents shoot only 34% of their FGAs from 3FG, which is the lowest in the MAC. I'm not sure why...they are #3 defending the 2FG and #5 defending the 3FG.  They keep their opponents off the line but are not good at forcing turnovers or on the defensive boards.

Making some shots wouldn't be the worst thing to happen.  BG counts on getting to the line and will need to force OU into fouling.  And hopefully, 2nd chance points will get BG's scoring to the point where they can stay in the game.

OU has five players scoring in double figures.

AJ Clayton is the leading scorer at 14.3 PPG on 52% and 49% shooting, which is really efficient.   He has blocked 16 shots in 7 games.

Jackson Paveletzke is scoring 14.1 PPG.  He played previously at Wofford and Iowa State.  He's shooting 62% (most of his shots) and 32%. He leads the team with 43 assists.

AJ Brown is scoring 13.9 PPG on 56% and 40% shooting, also very efficient. 

Shereef Mitchell scores 13.3 PPG on 45% and 36% shooting.

Aidan Hadaway is also scoring in double figures and leading them in rebounds, but is injured and not expected to return.

So here we go.  BG will need to exceed some expectations to get things turned around and this would appear to be as good an opportunity as any.  It would be great to see Johnson, Thomas and Butler synchronize and generate consistent offensive pressure....and also for BG to avoid settling into a stagnant offense for long periods of time.

Football News

 A couple of news from the football front...

First, Erik Campbell, who came to BG with Loeffler, is leaving to return to the University of Michigan as an assistant WR Coach...which is as opposed to the Assistant Coach of WRS....he will be assisting that guy.

As I noted in my season wrap-up, I believe the coaches on the offensive side of the ball could use a shake up.  When I look at the players we have, I think our output is less than the sum of our parts.  (6th in scoring offense, 8th in rushing yards/carry, 5th in pass efficiency).

Some fresh blood will be useful.  This is also a position group we have had trouble getting bodies into...that will also need to improve.

Also, the first verbal of '26 is in. His name is Derrick Singletary and he's from Middletown, OH.  He also goes by JD, apparently.   He's an EDGE rusher. He was all-district as a junior and a 3-star recruit on 247.  He was heavily recruited...Ball State, UB, EMU, UK, OU, Temple, UT, WVU and WMU.

There is an interesting trend developing.  With the new roster limits, HS players may find it tough to get recruited by P4 schools.  It's possible the MAC could pick those players up....as they look to play their way to a higher level. Singletary might be in that category.  Also, walk-ons will be disappearing...and some of those guys might be MAC-quality players as well.

Best of luck Erik.  Welcome to the Falcons, Derrick.

Falcons Go On Coastal Carolina Cruise (MBB)

BG got what they needed Saturday, beating Coastal Carolina in a drama-free effort that capped off a week where BG won 2 games at home over teams that were a collective 8-35 in D1 games.  Still, it's the first two-game winning streak since New Mexico St/Morgan State and was badly needed.

The two games coincide with BG getting healthier and a couple of younger players picking up the pace, Derrick Butler getting healthy, etc.   We'll get a chance to field test that group against OU on Tuesday at the Stroh.

The first big test was tempo and it went BG's way.  CC plays very slow and BG players faster...and BG got the game to 69 possessions which suited them better.

BG led the game for 39:15.  They led by more than 10 for the last 30 minutes of the game.  They burst out to a big lead and CC did get it back to 11, but the Falcons never let it get into any kind of danger zone. BG led by 23 in the first half and 25 in the second half.

It wasn't built on a great offensive performance.  BG scored .97 points per possession, which is normally a losing number.  Except for that NM State game, 1.14 was our lowest winning number.   BG took 41% of their shots from 3FG, which is in their normal range.  They made 41%, which is obviously good.  The disappointing part was that they made 37% on 2FG, which is just terrible and sadly only their 4th worst of the year.

If offense didn't win the game, defense did. BG did outshoot CC, who scored .77 points per possession, the lowest against BG in a D1 game this year.  They made 45% from 2FG and 21% from 3FG.  CC had twice as many turnovers as BG. The Falcons had 11 steals. Teams that win shooting and turnovers win 94% of the time.  BG got to the line more and was +4 in FTs made.

Derrick Butler coming off the bench, had a big game.  19 points in 23 minutes on 5 of 7 from 3FG.  Coach was asked about it and he might keep Butler off the bench if the combinations work with some of the subs.  Earlier, BG was getting nothing from the bench and if we can switch that, we can get some more rest for our starters.

Thomas had 12 on 4 of 6 3FG shooting and 0-5 2FG shooting. 

Marcus Johnson had 11 but it was rough...1 of 9 and 1 of 4.  Made all 4 FTs, 3 assists and 4 steals over 1 TO. 

Felt also had 11, on 5 of 6 from 2FG, 11 rebounds (double-double), 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.  

Braelon Green seems to be coming into this own.  Coach says he is embracing being a playmaker.  In 19 minutes, he had 5 assists over 1 TO. 

Wil Exacte had 4 steals. And Javonte Campbell had 3 assists.

The MAC-Sun Belt Challenge ended 12-12.  Both teams went 8-4 at home.  So, back to MAC play.  BG has 8 games left and is 1 game back from going to Cleveland.

Coastal Carolina Preview (MBB)

We've never played Coastal Carolina before, but we will tomorrow....in the home leg of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.

Since the mid-80s, the Chanticleers (bad ass nickname) have made the NCAA Tourney four times. The last time was in 2015.  All four times, they were a 15 or 16 seed.  They have never won a game. 

They were once coached by Buzz Peterson.  Cliff Ellis coached them for 17 years, ending only recently,  You will remember him from stints at Clemon and Auburn.  He's the 9th winningest coach in D1 history. In 2023 they were off to a 3-5 start and he retired and the interim coach took them to a 9-22 season.  This year, Justin Gray took over after 3 years at Western Carolina (51-47).  They are 8-16 (6-16 in D1) and 1-11 this year and have lost 10 straight.

I wanted to look up what part of North Carolina they are in....only to find out that they are in Conway, SOUTH Carolina.  (Oops). 

Founded in 1954, Coastal Carolina, alumni include Dustin Johnson and Josh Norman. Tony Dunkin, a former Chanticleer, is the only men's basketball player in NCAA Division I history to be named the conference player of the year all four seasons he played. 

They won the College World Series in 2016.

They were picked last in the Sun Belt.  When Grey came in, he had to replace their top seven scorers. Their kenpom is 325.   Kenpom gives BG a 65% chance of winning on home court.

The Chanticleers play at 62 possessions a game, one of the three lowest in the country (All games). That's Charlie Coles slow.  Their offense, at 1.01 points per possession, is not very good.  But their defense, at 1.16 is 337th in the country.  They allow 1.20 in conference play.

They take 40% of their shots from 3FG, which is average. They make 34.5% from 3FG, which is a little above average, but they only make 49% from 2FG% which is below average. They are poor on turnovers and offensive rebounds, and they do get to the line but only make 69%.

On defense, they actually defend the shot pretty well, both 2FGs and 3FGs.  However, they force turnovers on 10.6% of possessions with the average being 17%. They are good on the defensive boards and give up an above average free throw rate.  This is one of those odd situations where the individual elements are not bad, but the overall total is.

Their leading scorer is Rasheed Jones, who is scoring 12.4 PPG on 45% and 36% shooting.  He transferred over from Western Carolina with the Coach. 

Jordan Battle is the 2nd leading scorer, who scores 12.1 PPG on 44% and 41% from 3FG, which is really good.  He played at Salt Lake Community College with Preston Squire.

Noah Amenhauser scores 10 PPG.  He's 7'2" and makes 60% of his 2FGs plus 5.6 RPG.   He transferred from Grand Canyon.  Their leading rebounder is Denzel Hines with 6.3 RPG.  He transferred from High Point University.

Falcons Add 3 Footballers

So today was the NSD in February for college football, which used to be the big event, but has been replaced by December signing day.  Anyway, BG announced two more signees, plus one transfer.

Both of the players BG announced were from Georgia.  

Quentin Lewis is a 6'2" 220 pound OLB from Snellville, GA.  He was at South Gwinnet HS.  He was productive....he made 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2024.  He was first-team all-region defensive line and a team captain.

247 lists him as unstarred wth an offer from Stony Brook.

DL Malik Moses, who played in a couple games for BG last year, is also from South Gwinnett.

The second player from Georgia is Keinan Willaims from Mt. Zion in Atlanta.  He's a DL, and 6'3" and 330, which is impressive on that front.

He was named 2024 Clayton County Top 30 Athlete and first-team all-region in 2024.  Also a team captain, he was on the track and field team as well, competing in shot put and discus.

247 has him as unstarred but an offer from Temple.

The transfer--not from Georgia--is JoJo Johnson, a transfer from Indiana. In fact, he is from Merrillville which had done it all BG more than its share...including Dan Dakich and Len Matela.

Anyway, JoJo is a DB.  He started a Notre Dame and missed his entire early season with an injury.  He went to Iowa Western Community College and then to Indiana, where he played two years...appearing sparingly in 14 games.

Welcome to the Falcons everyone.

MBB Picks up Much Needed Win

BG's MBB team snapped a five-game losing streak with a much-needed win at the Stroh last night.  The Falcons are having a tough year....big injury issues followed by a team flu epidemic that has hampered the efforts for the last couple of games.  Simon says the team is practicing hard, and is focused on the game plan, even with the struggles.  Javonte Campbell doesn't practice at all due to his hand injury.

So it was good to see them land the W.

The game was played at 71 possessions...BG's last 2 games were in the mid-60s.  BG never trailed, but it was a little tighter than that.   BG burst out to a 13-4 lead and led by 7 at the half.  The biggest lead was nine, and NIU was keeping in touch throughout the half.  In fact, the lead was 4 until Humphrey hit a 3FG at the first half buzzer.

BG put the lead in double digits seven minutes into the half, but then NIU scored the next 10 to cut it to 1 with 11 left.  BG continued to hold the Huskies off, leading by 6 at the final media timeout.  This time it was BG who closed hard with a 13-4 run to make the lead 13 with about 30 seconds left.  Some final NIU thrashing lowered the final result to 7, 84-77.

BG had their best offensive night since the win @WMU, scoring 1.19 points per possession. It's the 4th best all year in D1 games.  They "held" NIU to 1.09 points per possession, which isn't great but it's their best defensive performance in two weeks.

BG won while being outshot.  Turnovers were even, but BG had a huge advantage in offensive rebounding.  BG was +16 in second-chance points.  NIU rarely contested offensive rebounds at all.  BG was also +8 at the line, but that was partly because of NIU fouling at the end.

There were a lot of 3FGs on both sides.  BG took 48% from 3FG and made 35%, which is decent.  NIU took 49% from 3FG and made 32%.  The difference was on 2FGs...BG made 55% and NIU made 66%. Sadly, that's only the 6th worst 2FG% allowed by our D.  (Coach said that Jamai Felt is still battling the flu and played only 15 minutes).

Marcus Johnson had 22 points for BG.  That's 6 of 9 on 2FG and 2 of 8 on 3FG, 4 of 4 at the line, to go with 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers and 3 steals. He was +19.

Trey Thomas had 17 on 0 of 4 and 4 of 9 shooting, 5 of 6 at the line, 5 assists and 1 turnover. He was +11.

Derrick Butler had 15 points on 4 of 6 and 1 of 4 shooting.  To me, he remains a key part of the team's success.  

DaJion Humphrey had 11---two early baskets and then the 3FG at the first half buzzer.  He also had 2 assists in 24 minutes for BG.

Javonte Campbell had 10, but that's not close to the whole story.  He was 6 of 8 at the line.  Also, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocked shots.  Simon calls him a "warrior."

The Sun Belt challenge is coming up Saturday against Coastal Carolina and then OU comes in the next Tuesday.  That will be a big challenge if the team is looking to get healthy and springboard into the last part of the season.  The MAC is logjammed in the middle and finishing in the top 8 is not impossible.  

Hopefully, the team's focus and hard work will translate into a few more wins in the final weeks.

Last Place Huskies Come to the Stroh MBB

So, next up for the BG MBB team is the NIU Huskies...the only team in the MAC with a worse record than BG has.

On their way out of the MAC, the Huskies are having a tough year.  Picked for 9th by Blue Ribbon, they have also struggled with injuries.  They are 2-16 in D1 games and 1-8 in the MAC.  Their current kempom is 348 (out of 364)...they have beaten Ball State in the MAC.  However, they pushed UT to the very end in DeKalb Saturday.  They are 0-11 on the road this year.  BG has beaten NIU in 8 of the last 10 games.

BG is a 6.5 point favorite.

They play at 71 possessions, which is average. 

NIU is actually not terrible on defense.  They are #7 in the MAC and ahead of BG, slightly.  They really struggle on offense, although their marginals are not as bad as their overall numbers area. 

They take 47% of their FGAs from 3FG, which is a large number.  They are efficient, too, making 47%.  They are dead last on 2FGS...making 44%, about 3% below the 11th team, which is BG. They take really good care of the ball, as well. However, they are completely terrible on the offensive boards, getting only 18%, which is 7% behind the next lowest team. They get to the line OK, but they are last in FT% as well.  FWIW, BG is last defending the 2FG, so that should be an interesting matchup.  BG is #7 defending the 3FG.

BG is #11 in shooting.  NIU is last defending the 3FG but #5 against the 2FG.  They do force some turnovers, but they are terrible on the defensive boards as well.  Results would suggest that BG will get to the line a lot, especially if they are battling on the boards.

The leading scorer is James Dent, who is 6'5" and scoring 16 PPG on 51% and 32% shooting.  He's played 91% of their minutes, #3 in the MAC.  He gets to the line a lot and makes 70%.  He also averages 5.4 RPG.  He's a transfer from Western Illinois.  

Quentin Jones is scoring 15.4 PPG on 49% and 39% shooting. He's 6'5" and averages 4.8 RPG.  He 4.5 APR and 11 steals.  He has played 95% of their minutes, #1 in the MAC.  He transferred from Cal-Poly.

Quaran McPherson is scoring 13.6 PPG. He's shooting 47% and 37%.  He leads the MAC in drawing fouls at 7 per game. He transferred from Nebraska.

So here we go.  BG has two winnable games this week and certainly could use a W to lift the morale after 5 straight losses.

BG MBB Loses 5th straight

Sigh.  The slog continued.  BG MBB lost their fifth straight game, trailing for 35 minutes to a team they should be competitive with.  With it, BG's chances of at least salvaging a top-8 finish grow slimmer and slimmer. 

In addition to Towns and YoYo, BG was also without Derrick Butler, who was ill.  

They aren't quitting.  I give them credit for that.  But the team is just outmanned against pretty much everyone right now.

Example.  With 8 minutes left, BG was down 2.  In 8 minutes, CMU scored 23 points and BG had 9.  Both are a disaster.  CMU had 49 at the half, the most BG has allowed this year.

Another example:  BG was down 16 at the half and 14 with 15:47 to play.  BG went on an 8-point run to cut it to 6 and CMU called time.

BG got two stops but failed to convert on the end, including a second-chance shot at the rim.

Between 13:40 and the 5 minutes, CMU went on a 21-4 run to make the lead 23 and put the game away. 

CMU game in #8 in 2FG% and #10 in 3FG%.  They had their best D1 offensive game of the year--1.38 points per possession--and better than 3 of their non-D1 opponents. They made 70% of their 2FGs, their second-best of the year and 40% of their 3FGs, also second-best.

From BG's side, the 70% against 2FG was their worst since Huger's last game at Savage.

BG actually had 1.09 points per possession, which is their best offensive game since Buffalo and against a good CMU defense. But, 1.38 points per possession allowed is the 9th worst allowed in the kenpom era and there have been zero wins at the level or higher.  (1.24 points per possession is the most BG has allowed and won...home win over WMU in 2018).

It was not Johnson's night.  Campbell got to the rim more than he has been with his bad hand, scoring 17 on 4 of 7 and 1 of 2 shooting, plus 6-6 at the line but 4 turnovers. Thomas had 15 on 4 of 6 and 2 of 7 shooting. Felt had 9 on 4 of 8 shooting, was only 1 of 4 at the line and 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.  Humphrey also had 9.  

Both Spurgin and Pardon got a couple minutes.

Anyway, the season is rapidly reaching for the point when you hope it gets over soon. Perhaps things will turn around...two very winnable home games next week.