Some teams choose to live and die by the three.
Whether it wants to or not, Bowling Green State University’s men’s basketball team is doing just that
over the last four games.
The Falcons have lit up the scoreboard from beyond the arc on occasion this season. They’ve hit a
season-high 11 3s in three different games this year, each one of those leading to wins by 16-plus
points.
But of late, those long-range shots haven’t been falling as frequently, and Bowling Green is seeing the
effects in multiple spots.
The Falcons are 2-2 over their last four games, with wins over Eastern Michigan and Ball State, and
losses to Mid-American Conference favorites Toledo and Akron.
In those four games Bowling Green has gone a rather unimpressive 28 percent (25-for-88) from 3, and that
includes an 11 3-pointer game over Eastern Michigan.
Richaun Holmes, averaging 14.1 points per game, is feeling the effects of the poor perimeter shooting in
the last four games.
"This team is not about me," Holmes said after being held to 12 points in a 71-67 loss to
Toledo Saturday. "I’m going to struggle … we have to pick each other up."
But Holmes’ struggles have mainly come at the expense of the shooting woes, allowing the opposition to
turn its attention to the 6-foot-8 man in the post.
Holmes has averaged 12.0 ppg over Bowling Green’s last four games. That comes after scoring 16.5 ppg
during a four-game winning streak that preceded the hard times from beyond the arc.
The Falcons had won four straight before a 17-point beating at Akron, and in those previous four games
they had shot 40 percent (36-for-90) from deep, hitting no less than eight 3s in each of those four
games.
"There’s going to be games like that where it’s going to be tough on me or somebody else on the
team," Holmes said. "But we still have to find a way to pull out the game."
So far, Bowling Green has yet to find a way to win when its 3-point numbers aren’t in its favor. The
Falcons have shot 25 percent (23-for-91) from deep in its five losses this season, as compared to 36
percent in its 12 wins.
Bowling Green coach Chris Jans has said he isn’t worried about the shooting in recent games, adding that
the Falcons possess too good of shooters to worry.
Perhaps his best shooter in Zack Denny, who is second on the team averaging 9.6 ppg, is six for his last
22 from 3 (27 percent) over the last four games. He was 7-for-16 (44 percent) in the previous four
games.
Bowling Green will look to forget the last four games collectively in terms of shooting when it hosts
Northern Illinois (8-9, 2-4 MAC) tonight at 7 p.m. The Falcons are 4-0 coming off a loss this season.