EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team returns to the road this weekend, heading north to Michigan State on Saturday (Nov. 16). Bowling Green and Michigan State are slated for a 6 p.m. tip off on the Big Ten Network, the first nationally televised game for the Falcons this season. The Orange and Brown are coming off their first win of the season, topping Taylor on Monday (Nov. 11) in a 107-43 final. In addition to the Big Ten Network, Todd Walker will have the radio call on WFRO Eagle 99. 

Opening Tip
The Falcons and Spartans will be meeting for the 15th time in program history with Michigan State holding the all-time advantage with a record of 11-3 against BGSU. The meeting is the first between the teams since 2012 and the first trip to East Lansing for the Falcons since 2011. The last win against Michigan State for Bowling Green came on Dec. 1, 1990 (98-85) in Bowling Green while the last win in East Lansing was on Dec. 18, 1989 (81-79).

A Bowling Green Win Would…

• Mark the first win over Michigan State for the Falcons since 1990 and the fourth win all-time for Bowling Green over the Spartans.
• Grant the Falcons the program's first Power 5 win since defeating Virginia Tech on the road on Nov. 12, 2005 with a 72-71 final score.
• Push Bowling Green back to .500 on the season with a 2-2 standing.
• Tally the first road win for BGSU this season as well as the first back-to-back wins this season. 

Coaching Homecoming
For the Falcons, both head coach Todd Simon and associate head coach Lourawls "Tum" Nairn Jr. the game will be a bit of a homecoming. For Nairn, he played for Michigan State and Coach Izzo from 2014-18, becoming one of six Spartans all-time to be a three-year captain. He was also the second freshman all-time to start at point guard in the Final Four for Michigan State. As for Simon, he grew up in Fowler, Michigan which is about a 40-minute drive from the Breslin Center at MSU. 

Scouting The Spartans
Michigan State will enter the game against the Falcons with a 2-1 record on the season. The Spartans began with wins over Monmouth, 81-57, and Niagara, 96-60. The loss for Michigan State came earlier this week on Tuesday (Nov. 12), falling 77-69 to #1 Kansas in the Champions Classic in Atlanta. For Michigan State, four different players are averaging double-digit points this season, being led by junior forward Jaxon Kohler with 12.3 points per game. Kohler also leads the team in rebounds with an average of 10.3. 

BGSU vs. Michigan State, All-Time
This will be the 15th meeting all-time between Bowling Green and Michigan State and the first since 2012. In the all-time series, the Spartans hold the advantage with a record of 11-3, but the Falcons have registered a win against MSU at home, on the road and at a neutral site. Michigan State has claimed the last five meetings with the last BGSU win in the series being in Bowling Green on Dec. 1, 1990. The win was the second straight for the Falcons against the Spartans, beating them in East Lansing on Dec. 18, 1989. 

Falcons Among Nation's Leaders
Bowling Green has been one of the top teams in the nation from behind the three-point line. Currently, the Falcons are tied with Cincinnati for 10th in the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 45.0%. Bowling Green is averaging 12.0 threes per game, tied for 17th in the nation. BGSU is one of just three teams in the nation to rank in the top 10 for shooting percentage and in the top 20 for three pointers per game, joining Ohio State and Furman. The Falcons are also strong defensively against the three, allowing teams to shoot just 23.1% from deep, ranking 26th in the nation. Bowling Green, Ohio State and Furman are the only teams in the Top 10 for three-point offense and in the Top 50 for three-point defense. 

Johnson Carrying Over From D-II
Last year, Marcus Johnson ranked 14th in the nation for points per game at the Division II level. This year, he's already making his presence known at Bowling Green. Through the first three games, Johnson has made 12 three-pointers, including five in each of the two home games. The quick start not only has Johnson ranking second in the MAC in a few stats, but inside the top 50 nationally. Johnson's 57.1% from three ranks 50th in the nation while his 12 total threes are tied for 20th and his 4.0 threes per game are tied for 18th. 

Falcons Forcing Turnovers
So far this season, Bowling Green is leading the MAC and is tied for 48th in the nation for steals per game, averaging 10.3. In the last game against Taylor, the Falcons registered 13 steals as a team, being led by DaJion Humphrey with a career-high five. In each of the first three games, at least one player has tallied four or more steals. Javontae Campbell tallied four in each of the first two games and has 10 on the season, second in the MAC and tied for 10th in the nation. Campbell is averaging 3.3 steals per game, tied for 19th in the nation. 

Follow the Falcons
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Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUMBB
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsumhoops'
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