BOWLING GREEN — The second of two planned meetings between Toledo and Bowling Green will take place Saturday at the Stroh Center at BGSU, just two weeks after the Falcons scored an 85-79 victory at Savage Arena.
Since then, the two sides have trended in opposite directions, with the Falcons (17-6, 8-2 Mid-American Conference) taking control of first place in the MAC, while Toledo (11-12, 3-7) has lost four straight games.
A look at what adjustments both sides could make for Saturday’s game:
Toledo: Curb BG’s 3-point shooting
Toledo kept the first game interesting until the final buzzer, but the Falcons had control of the game largely because of 3-point shooting, making 11-for-21 from behind the arc in their best shooting night of the season. If the Rockets can keep Bowling Green closer to its season average — just more than 33 percent from 3-point range — Toledo should feel pretty good about its chances of evening the season series.
“[Dylan] Frye had back-to-back 3’s in the second half and those were really big shots,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said of the first matchup. “Obviously [Justin] Turner hit a huge one. They had some guys bank in some 3s, as well.”
Bowling Green: Change the game with the bench
The Falcons’ biggest advantage against Toledo is depth. The Rockets have been hampered by injuries and receive, on average, 11.6 points per game from its three regular bench players.
Bowling Green has more options on its bench, and if one has a big night — Trey Diggs scored 25 points off the bench against Ball State just last week — the Falcons can create a double-digit advantage in bench points, which could help nullify the steady production of Toledo’s top three scorers.
Toledo: Use Central Michigan’s blueprint
Central Michigan exploited Bowling Green’s defense with pace on Tuesday. The Chippewas, who play faster than any other team in the MAC, were able to consistently create good possessions, and CMU scored 60 combined points off just 3-pointers and free throws alone.
The Rockets also play quickly and space the floor with shooting, and if they can attack the rim enough, they should have a steady stream of free throws.
Bowling Green: Sample the defensive strategy it sees all the time
The last time the two teams played, UT guard Marreon Jackson and center Luke Knapke combined for 50 points.
“Really, Marreon Jackson and Knapke are the key,” Falcons coach Michael Huger said. “We’ve got to do a better job on them this time around. They really played well against us the first game and hit some big shots, kept them in the game, and gave them a chance at the end.”
With its own guards, BG frequently sees opposing big men jump out to hedge screens, or just trap the ball altogether. BG generally would prefer for the ball to be out of Jackson’s hands, so it will be interesting to see how the Falcons will defend Toledo’s high screens for its point guard.
Toledo: Move Luke Knapke based on his matchup
Knapke is the biggest matchup problem in the game. Too big for small lineups and able to stretch the floor against bigger defenders, Knapke can play anywhere on the floor. If Toledo can create offense for Knapke, the Rockets might be able to force Bowling Green away from the small lineups it plays for large stretches every night.
“I think it’s important that he does get inside and outside, because that’s what he does best,” Kowalczyk said. “We’ll certainly get him on the perimeter and we’ll certainly get him in the post. I thought last game he played very well and our players did a very good job of getting him shots.”
Bowling Green: Engage the crowd right away
Chances are good that Saturday will be the best-attended home game at the Stroh Center in 2020. Now that the rivalry has moved to their home court, the Falcons can make good use of their intimate home building. BG had a true homecourt advantage in a packed house against then-No. 18 Buffalo last season, and a similar environment Saturday could yield good things for the Falcons against their chief rivals.
ALL NON-STUDENT TICKETS SOLD: Bowling Green announced Friday evening that all tickets available to the general public for Saturday’s game have been sold.
BGSU students can attend Saturday’s game by obtaining a ticket through the university’s student account portal and displaying the ticket on a smart phone at the gate.
First Published February 7, 2020, 6:52 p.m.
