Men's basketball aims to rebound against MAC East leader Bowling Green
The Central Michigan men's basketball team (16-7, 5-5 Mid-American Conference) will travel to the Stroh Center at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 to take on the Bowling Green Falcons (16-7, 8-2).
Both teams come in needing a win to keep pace in the MAC title race. The Falcons are currently tied for first in the MAC East Division, while the Chippewas are sitting in second place in the MAC West Division.
CMU is coming off of a loss to No. 25 Buffalo this weekend, a game in which they opened up an 18 point lead in the first half. The Bulls found a way to fight back for a 90-76 victory.
BGSU comes into this game looking to rebound from a 78-71 loss to Toledo.
Previous Matchup:
In the last matchup between these teams on Jan. 12th, Bowling Green pulled out a hard-fought 97-87 OT victory. In that game, Justin Turner led the Falcons with 30 points and six rebounds. Damajeo Wiggins added eight points to go along with his 16 boards to help lead the Falcons to a victory. Michael Laster also added 18 points.
For the Chippewas, senior guard Larry Austin led the way with 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Senior guard Shawn Roundtree also had 14 points, 7 boards and six assists as his team pulled even at the end of regulation only to be outscored 19-9 in overtime.
Keys to the Game:
The Falcons are a really tough out at the Stroh Center, where they boast an 11-1 record this season. Austin is averaging 17.2 points, six rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Roundtree will have to match his 16 points per game average in order for the Chippewas to find a way to leave with a huge win.
The Chippewas will need to find a way to shut down BGSU forward duo of Justin Turner and Demajeo Wiggins in order to head back home with a win. Justin Turner, who is averaging 18.1 points per game was the Chippewas kryptonite earlier this season as he chipped in 30 points. Wiggins adds 13 points per game for the Falcons, but his biggest impact can be felt on the boards, where he is currently averaging 11.5 rebounds per game.
Looking Ahead:
The Chippewas will welcome Ohio to Mount Pleasant on Saturday, February 16th. The game will tip at 4:30 pm from McGuirk Arena.
