Here were our updates and analysis as Saturday’s Toledo men’s basketball win over Bowing Green unfolded.
MID-FIRST HALF
■ What happened: Defense has been the story of the first 10 minutes, as in Bowling Green is playing great defense and Toledo is not.
BG leads the Rockets 19-13.
The Falcons jumped out to an 11-5 lead, part of an 11-2 run, and the advantage grew to 19-9. BG started 5 of 6 from the field. It has made three shots from beyond the arc.
All five BG starters have scored, led by Trey Thomas’ six points.
Toledo is shooting 5 of 15 and just 1 of 8 from 3.
■ Analysis: Bowling Green has benefitted from long-range shots, but the Falcons have also used their muscle in the lane, scoring eight points in the paint.
Fatigue is another issue, as the under-16 timeout didn’t come until there were less than 11 minutes left. Both teams had several trips down the floor that ended with shots coming up short.
HALFTIME
■ What happened: Toledo’s defense showed up in the final 10 minutes, as BG went more than five minutes without a field goal, missing seven consecutive shots.
The teams are tied at 31 at halftime.
UT’s Tyler Cochran leads all scorers with 13 points. Marcus Hill has a team-high 10 points for BG.
■ Analysis: Neither team shot well in the first half — BG was 14 of 32, Toledo 13 of 30. They are a combined 5 of 21 from 3.
MID-SECOND HALF
■ What happened: Toledo began the second half with an explosion of offense, making its first seven shots, including two Andre Lorentsson 3s, to build a 48-42 lead.
Bowling Green answered with a flurry of points, taking a 56-51 lead, part of a 14-3 run.
The Falcons lead 58-56 with 10 minutes left.
■ Analysis: BG, oddly, has zero bench points and zero second-chance points. The Rockets are outrebounding BG 26-20.
FINAL
■ What happened: Toledo scored 57 points in the second half, thanks to 20-of-29 shooting, including nine 3s, for an 88-72 win.
Dante Maddox, Jr., had a career-high 26 points.
■ Analysis: Tod Kowalczyk is now 15-6 against the Falcons.
First Published January 27, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
