2021 MAC Men’s Basketball Preview: Bowling Green Falcons vs. Kent State Golden Flashes

Before a big weekend with five conference games on Friday and Saturday, there is one game of midweek #MACtion. It comes this afternoon when the Bowling Green Falcons travel the 140 miles east to Kent, Ohio to face off against the Kent State Golden Flashes.

Bowling Green Falcons (10-5, 6-3 MAC) at Kent State Golden Flashes (7-4, 4-3 MAC)

Game Info:
When: 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 27th
Watch: ESPN+
Where: M.A.C. Center in Kent, OH
Odds: Kent State is favored by 5 points and has an 63.8% chance to win according to ESPN’s BPI predictor

After their previous two games were postponed, the Bowling Green Falcons come into this game on nearly a full week of rest.

However, after starting the season with a 9-2 record, they have been struggling as of late, dropping three of their last four games...all by double digits.

Kent State, on the other hand, started slowly but has won four of their last five games - only losing by two points in a nail biting game with the Toledo Rockets, who sit atop the MAC standings.

For the Falcons, Justin Turner has been on fire lately. Over the past five games he has accounted for nearly half of all of BGSU’s field goals (46%) and has tallied 100 points and 27 assists, 18 rebounds, and seven steals in that span.

Daeqwon Plowden has also been on fire as of late. The senior forward has 48 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks in the Falcons last three games.

Kent State has been relying on second chance opportunities on offense and rank eight in the NCAA with an offense rebound percentage of 38%, as the Flashes average just shy of 14 offensive rebounds per game!

Danny Pippen and Mike Nuga lead KSU in scoring, each averaging 19.1 points per game. Over the last three games, Nuga has amassed 58 points, 16 rebounds, and five steals while Pippen has 45 points, 27 rebounds, and seven assists.

It will come down to which duo can perform better - Turner and Plowden or Pippen and Nuga.

This should be another good, tightly contested game with a lot of scoring chances on both sides. The way momentum is right now, I think Kent State pulls it out late.

Prediction:
Bowling Green Falcons: 72
Kent State Golden Flashes: 78