The Bowling Green Falcons will take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Friday night at Athletics Center O'Rena in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Both teams were victorious in their season openers, as BGSU defeated Air Force by four and OU beat Defiance by 65. The Grizzlies finished with a 20-12 record last season, while the Falcons wrapped up their season at 13-18 overall. Oakland is a seven-point favorite, and the game total is 152 points.
Guard Samari Curtis (9.3 PPG) is Bowling Green's top returning scorer, as the Falcons' top four scoring options are gone. The senior scored 14 points in BGSU's season opener, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 1-for-5 from long distance. Senior guard Leon Ayers III, who averaged 10.0 points per game for Duquesne in 2021-22, led the Falcons with 16 points. Junior forward Rashaun Agee, a transfer from Casper College who started his career at New Mexico State, also added 13 points for the home team, 8 of which came in the first half. Although they were outscored by two points in the second half, the Falcons held it together to pull off the win.
Friday's matchup versus Oakland will be the first of a four-game road stretch for Bowling Green, who will also take on Wright State, St. Bonaventure, and Notre Dame. It will be the 11th all-time meeting between the Grizzlies and Falcons, who split the previous mat chups 5-5. The Falcons will rely on a taller group of players — seven stand 6-foot-7 or taller — to grind through the non-conference schedule before opening Mid-American Conference competition.
FINAL
BGSU picks up the win in the season opener to mark five straight home opener victories for the Orange and Brown! #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/KlRG25hvUI
— BGSU Men's Basketball (@BGSUMHoops) November 8, 2022