BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team is set for a crucial MAC matchup Friday night (March 7) inside the Stroh Center. Bowling Green is scheduled to host the Western Michigan Broncos in a 7 p.m. tip with the winner clinching a spot in the MAC Tournament next week. With this marking the regular season finale across the conference, two spots in the tournament field are still up for grabs while only the top two seeds are fully set. The game is set to be broadcasted on ESPN+. Additionally, Todd Walker will have the radio call on WFRO Eagle 99.  

At The Game
Bowling Green is running a flash sale on tickets until 12 p.m. EST on Friday (March 7), selling general admission tickets for $5. The game will also be Medical Professionals Night with a t-shirt giveaway for medical professionals. 

Opening Tip
The Falcons and Broncos will be meeting for the 130th time in program history with Bowling Green holding the all-time advantage with a record of 78-51. Bowling Green won the meeting earlier this season on Jan. 7 and holds the edge when hosting WMU with a 44-18 standing. The winner of the game between BGSU and WMU will clinch a spot in the MAC Tournament. Only the top two seeds in the tournament have been locked in, but six teams have clinched. The game will feature two of the MAC's top six rebounders during MAC play. WMU's Donovan Williams is fifth, averaging 7.2 boards, while BGSU's Jamai Felt is sixth, averaging 6.6. 

A Bowling Green Win Would… 

• Clinch a spot in the MAC Tournament for the Falcons, taking the 7-seed in the field with a matchup with Miami (OH) in the first round. 
• Grant the Orange and Brown wins in eight of their last 10 games.
• Extend BGSU's win streak to five-straight, the longest of the season.
• Sweep the season series over Western Michigan for the Falcons.
• Give the Falcons a 9-9 record within the MAC, finishing the season with .500 conference record.

Clinching A Spot In Cleveland
Heading into the final game of the regular season, two spots in the MAC Tournament are still up for grabs while seeding is still very much up in the air across the MAC standings. For Bowling Green, there are two paths to clinching a spot. A win for the Falcons on Friday (March 7) clinches BGSU the seventh seed in the MAC Tournament, which would pit Bowling Green against No. 2 Miami (OH) in the first round. If the Falcons were to lose to Western Michigan, they still have a path. It would require both a Ball State loss to Miami (OH) and a Central Michigan loss to Northern Illinois on Friday. In this scenario, the Falcons would be the eighth-seed facing No. 1 Akron in the first round. 

Scouting The Broncos
After facing BGSU in just the second MAC game on the schedule, Western Michigan has gone 8-8 since. Like the Falcons, WMU has caught fire of late, winning four of their last six. The Broncos have also won back-to-back on the road, beating Buffalo, 97-64 on Feb. 18, and Northern Illinois, 74-70 on March 1. Western Michigan has been led by junior guard Chansey Willis Jr. Willis has tallied double-digit points in 10 straight games, including five 20-point games and a season-high 34 against Ohio, hitting four three-pointers. 

BGSU vs. Western Michigan, All-Time
The Falcons and Broncos will be meeting for the 130th time in program history with Bowling Green holding the all-time advantage at 78-51. Bowling Green also holds the edge when hosting WMU with a 44-18 record. As for the overall series, BGSU has won three straight over the Broncos as well as eight of the last 11. In the meeting earlier this season, Trey Thomas led BGSU in scoring with 22, but Derrick Butler followed with 19 along with 14 from Marcus Johnson and 12 from Javontae Campbell, including four steals. 

Falcons Catching Fire At Right Time
As of now, Bowling Green could be considered the hottest team in the MAC. BGSU is in the midst of a four-game winning streak, the longest active in the conference and one of just 43 teams in the nation with four or more consecutive wins currently. Additionally, the Orange and Brown have won seven of their last nine, including four-straight wins on the road which is tied for the ninth-best active road winning streak in the nation. 

Dominant Defense Key For Falcons
Over the last nine games the Falcons have tallied seven wins and defense has played a large role. In the seven wins during that stretch, BGSU is allowing just 61.0 points per game and teams are shooting 38.4-percent against the Falcons. However, in the two losses during that stretch, Bowling Green has allowed 88.5 points per game with teams shooting 51.8-percent.

Campbell Turns To MAC Record
Javontae Campbell tallied another steal against Northern Illinois, giving him 86 on the season. Having already snapped the BGSU single-season record, Campbell is now gaining ground in the MAC single-season rankings where he is currently sixth. He is only one steal away from fifth and five away from fourth. The record is currently held by Ball State's Bonzie Wells who recorded 103 during the 1997-98 campaign. With one game left in the regular season, Campbell is averaging 2.87 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the nation. Any postseason stats would count towards the record. 

Simon Streaks On The Line
Apart from the MAC Tournament implications, there are additional streaks on the line for BGSU head coach Todd Simon. Now in his 10th season as a head coach at the Division I level, Coach Simon has made his conference tournament each season, with the exception of 2019-20 when the Big Sky had to cancel their tournament due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The streak includes Simon's interim season at UNLV in 2015-16. Additionally, Coach Simon has been .500 or better in conference play in four straight seasons and needs a win to finish 9-9 within the MAC this year. 

Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons' men's basketball team on social media
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUMBB
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsumhoops'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'