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NCAA Basketball: Bowling Green, Sam Merrill top mid-major performers of the week

By Logan Butts

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 16: Sam Merrill #5 of the Utah State Aggies reacts in the final seconds of the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah State won 64-57. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 16: Sam Merrill #5 of the Utah State Aggies reacts in the final seconds of the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah State won 64-57. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: A game ball sits on the court in the first half between the Mississippi Rebels and the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: A game ball sits on the court in the first half between the Mississippi Rebels and the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Week three of the NCAA Basketball season is in the books. Which mid-major performers stood out from the past week of action?

Best Performance, Team: Bowling Green

There were no upsets on the level of Evansville going into Lexington and taking down No. 1 Kentucky like there was in last week’s edition, but the Bowling Green Falcons had an impressive, if unspectacular, past seven days.

Bowling Green was one of several strong MAC teams last season, but all of them stood in the gigantic shadow of Buffalo. And if any one team was able to stand in the sliver of sunshine left over, it was Toledo. But with Buffalo having moved on from a program-best squad, the Falcons look like the early favorite to take the Bulls spot atop the MAC throne.

Bowling Green sat at 4-1 heading into the week, with the only loss coming nine at then-ranked LSU. The Falcons took care of business at the Paradise Jam to improve to 6-1.

In their opening game in the Virgin Islands, Bowling Green faced off with fellow strong mid-major squad Western Kentucky. Despite future NBA draft pick Charles Bassey going for 19 points and 12 rebounds, Bowling Green prevailed thanks to an even better performance from their star, Justin Turner. Turned scored 27 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out six assists, swiped two steals, and hit the game-winning shot with four seconds left for good measure.

The Falcons followed up that win by knocking off Cincinnati 91-84 in overtime on Sunday. Dylan Frye went for 28-9-6-1 and dropped seven in overtime to lead BG to the victory. Five Falcons scored in double-figures, including four starters.

Other Power-5 upsets this week included Boston beating South Carolina in the Cancun Challenge, Radford winning by 11 at Northwestern, and Hofstra winning by 10 at UCLA.

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