BOWLING GREEN — The Bowling Green State University men’s basketball team continued its slump as the Falcons dropped their fourth consecutive game in a 69-57 defeat at the hands of the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday at the Stroh Center.
Chandler Turner led the Falcons with 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Leon Ayers III and Sam Towns each scored 10 points.
“[Southern Indiana] played harder,” Bowling Green coach Michael Huger said. “They had more energy. They played with more effort. They did all the things that we should have been doing. And it's frustrating cause we're capable. We've shown that, but we are not consistent in doing it.”
Gary Solomon and Jelani Simmons came off the bench for Southern Indiana and led the Screaming Eagles with 21 and 23 points, respectively. Solomon and Simmons combined for 44 of 69 points for Southern Indiana (3-3).
“I think [Southern Indiana] played harder than us with their effort and just them continuously going after everything,” Towns said. “And I think they just outplayed us. It wasn't talent or coaching or anything that we practiced. I think they just they played harder than us. They wanted it more.”
Bowling Green was never able to create a sizable lead. The Falcons grabbed an early edge in the first half on a 3-pointer by Turner and widened it to 13-8 on a 3-pointer by Samari Curtis.
Southern Indiana came within 21-19 after a 3-pointer by Simmons. Trevor Lakes then nailed a 3-pointer for Southern Indiana to regain the lead at 22-21.
With 6:09 remaining in the first half, the Screaming Eagles went on a 9-2 run that lasted 1:51. Southern Indiana eventually concluded the first half with a 37-34 advantage.
The Screaming Eagles shot 26-of-63 from the field and 9-of-27 from 3-point range, despite hitting 8-of-19 3-pointers in the first half.
Southern Indiana went on an 8-2 run to begin the second half to put Bowling Green further out of reach.
“They were able to knock down shots,” Huger said of Solomon, Simmons, and Southern Indiana’s depth. “They played for one another. They held each other accountable. Like I said, they did a lot of the things that we should have been doing. And it is always frustrating when you lose. It's always good when you can learn a lesson in winning, but it's always frustrating when you have to learn these lessons and lose.”
Southern Indiana is in the midst of its first season at the Division I level. The Screaming Eagles transitioned from Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference to the Ohio Valley Conference.
Bowling Green shot 21-of-60 from the field and 7-of-24 from 3-point range.
“They had a game plan. They knew what we were running and they took us out a lot of our stuff, forced to take tough, contested shots,” Towns said. “Down towards the end we tried to create a little more tough shots, trying to cut the lead, and I think that forced [us] to take some bad shots that we need to work on. But it's all stuff that can be cleaned up.”
First Published November 27, 2022, 12:37 a.m.
