Buckeye Reporter

The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team achieved a narrow victory over the Toledo Rockets at Savage Arena on Friday night. Javontae Campbell scored a decisive layup with 1.6 seconds remaining, leading the Falcons to a 69-68 win. This victory is notable as it marks Bowling Green's first triumph in Savage Arena since 2021 and the team's first late game-winner since Justin Turner's performance against Western Kentucky in 2019.

Throughout the game, both teams exchanged leads frequently, totaling 14 lead changes and six ties. Despite this competitive back-and-forth, Bowling Green managed to maintain control for over half of the game time. Campbell contributed significantly with 23 points, supported by Derrick Butler who added another 20 points to secure the win for the Falcons.

In the opening moments of the match, Derrick Butler initiated scoring with a jumper for Bowling Green. The two teams continued to trade baskets until Wilguens Jr. Exacte helped extend Bowling Green's lead early on. As halftime approached, Marcus Johnson’s three-pointer enabled Bowling Green to hold a narrow advantage at 41-37.

The second half saw similar exchanges between both teams, with Toledo momentarily taking the lead before Campbell's consistent scoring efforts restored Bowling Green's advantage. With just over two minutes left on the clock, Toledo tied up the score again at 67-67 before making one more free throw to edge ahead slightly.

However, Campbell capitalized on multiple offensive rebounds and converted an Exacte pass into a winning layup for Bowling Green in the final seconds of play.

Statistically speaking, Javontae Campbell led all scorers with his performance off-the-bench which included four rebounds and three assists while Derrick Butler recorded an additional four rebounds along with his scoring contribution. Marcus Johnson also chipped in ten points while DaJion Humphrey reached a career milestone surpassing 1,000 collegiate points during this matchup.

Bowling Green now looks forward to their upcoming away fixture against Eastern Michigan scheduled for February 25th before returning home on March 1st where they will host Ball State as part of Senior Day celebrations.