Miami men's basketball looking for win in key MAC matchup against Bowling Green

The Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball team (13-14, 7-7 in MAC play) will travel north to take on the Bowling Green State University Falcons (17-10, 8-6 in MAC play) tonight.

Sitting at sixth and fifth place respectively, the RedHawks and the Falcons have both hit a cold streak of late, losing three of their last five games. However, both of their last wins were against some of the top teams in the conference.

The RedHawks defeated the No. 3 Central Michigan University Chippewas in a dominant 88-60 effort at home. They were led that day by their bench, scoring 55 points, including 20 by junior guard Bradley Dean, 15 by first-year guard Evan Ipsaro and 15 from first-year center Reece Potter.

For the Falcons, they are coming off a 76-68 victory against the No. 2 University of Toledo Rockets, led by 31 points from junior guard Marcus Hill.

Hill is currently ninth in points-per-game (21.9) across all of Division 1, so stopping him will be crucial if the RedHawks hope to win.

The teams have already met once this season, with the RedHawks falling short at home. Miami led the entire game, going up by as many as eight points with just over five minutes left before the Falcons came storming back, taking a two point lead with a minute to go and proceeding to win 78-73.

As he has done all season, Hill led the Falcons with 23 points, including the go-ahead layup with a minute left. Also pitching in was senior forward Rashaun Algee with 15 points, while senior guard Trey Thomas chipped in 14.

For the RedHawks, Potter was dominant all game, scoring 17 points, including two three-pointers off three attempts, along with five rebounds and a block. Contributing off the bench was sophomore guard Ryan Mabrey with 13 points, while senior center Anderson Mirambeaux and senior guard Darweshi Hunter both scored 12.

The rivalry between the two goes back 80 years, with Miami maintaining a 90-61all-time record against the Falcons. However, Bowling Green has won three of the last five matchups, and the RedHawks are 33-40 against the Falcons on the road. These tough road games are going to be key for the RedHawks in their journey to Cleveland and to the MAC tournament.

The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The RedHawks have a 34.2% chance of victory, according to ESPN analytics.

With both teams battling for the last few spots in the MAC tournament, the intensity will be high all game, which should make for a thrilling matchup that fans of both teams should be sure to tune in to.

@c__j30