BGSU men’s basketball (18-14, 9-9) came up short against the Toledo Rockets 77-76 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament quarterfinals Thursday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
All five Toledo starters reached double-figures on the way to the one-point victory.
“Really proud of the guys,” said BG head coach Todd Simon. “We fought, obviously coming up short, you’re disappointed, and all of the emotions, but you know the hardest part is not being able to coach these two (Campbell and Towns), and the rest of these guys, you know, in another game and another practice. But really proud of what they accomplished. They laid another brick of the foundation of what we’re trying to be.”
The Falcons and Rockets were on different planets throughout the beginning stages of the first half, with UT leading 27-15 with eight minutes left in the half on 50% shooting.
“Basketball is a game of runs at times,” said senior forward Sam Towns. “Sometimes we start off fast, it’s just all about handling those runs, and responding to them.”
Despite being down 12 points, the Orange and Brown came back, closing the deficit to two, trailing 27-25.
On top of that, Bowling Green’s momentum continued throughout the remainder of the first half, with BG clenching a slim 38-37 lead into halftime.
Although the Rockets were the better team out of the gate, BGSU didn’t let UT’s run progress.
The Falcons finished the half with an efficient 53.1% field goal percentage, whereas Toledo entered the break with a 48.4% shooting clip.
On the other hand, UT ended the first half of action with the more lethal 3-point percentage, with a 44.4% accuracy from deep.
For Bowling Green, they only connected on 30% of their 3-point attempts, with three BG players each feathering one singular triple off 10 attempts.
Both the BG and UT continued to exchange baskets with Toledo grasping a narrow 48-47 lead, reaching the first media timeout of the second half.
Even though BGSU and the Rockets progressively traded field goals, Bowling Green labored to convert their shots from distance. During the point in which the Orange and Brown trailed 59-54, the Falcons were shooting 26.7% from downtown.
For Toledo, they netted 50% of their triples at that point in the contest, making 6-12 total attempts.
After Toledo extended their lead to five, their offensive momentum began to rise, widening its lead to 71-62 with under four minutes to go in the matchup.
Freshman guard Leroy Blyden Jr. led the way with 19 points, six rebounds and two assists to that point in the game.
Having said that, Bowling Green didn’t fold; they managed to crawl back, cutting the Rockets’ lead to within one possession. Furthermore, the Falcons managed to get a last-second shot to complete the comeback as senior guard Justin Thomas attempted the layup.
Yet, Thomas’ shot fell short as the Orange and Brown’s postseason hopes were slammed shut in the quarterfinal round by UT, losing 77-76.
Bowling Green’s season is over barring an at-large bid to a postseason tournament.