BOWLING GREEN – Ohio cut a 15-point second-half deficit to as little as one but fell short 83-78 against Bowling Green on Tuesday night at the Stroh Center.

The Falcons extended their three-point halftime lead to 62-47 with 12:38 remaining. The Bobcats got as close as 72-71 on a Shareef Mitchell layup with 3:30 to go and then again on two Mitchell free throws with 2:24 remaining.

But Jason Spurgin followed with a 3-pointer to put the Falcons up by two possessions, and a turnover, allowed Marcus Hill to extend the lead with a free throw with 1:35, making it 78-73. After a Mitchell basket got the Bobcats back to within 3, Spurgin hit again from deep with just 40 seconds left to ice it.

Elmore James paced Ohio (7-8, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) with 19 points, while Mitchell scored 17 points. Ajay Sheldon had 10 points off the bench.

Bowling Green (11-4, 2-1 MAC) had the biggest lead of the first half at 31-26 on a Trey Thomas jumper with 4:43 to go and then again at 33-28 on another Thomas jumper. Each time, Sheldon answered with baskets, first a steal and layup and then a 3-pointer.

It was just a one-point game on multiple occasions early in the second half, the last time coming on an Aidan Hadaway layup that made it 43-42. Rashaun Agee had a dunk and then a 3-pointer to put the Falcons ahead by six, and after a James 3-pointer, Thomas hit from deep, and then Da’Shawn Phillip had a steal and dunk to make it 53-45.

After a Mitchell jumper, the Falcons ran off nine straight points, going up 62-47 on a layup by Hill. Ohio came back with 10 straight after that to quickly get back in the game, with AJ Clayton hitting a 3-pointer that made it a five-point game.

Bowling Green went back up by as many as eight points on a Spurgin 3-pointer with six minutes to go.

Thomas led the Falcons with 20 points and added five assists. Hill had 15 points, Spurgin scored 14 points, and Agee had a monster game of 12 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.

Jaylin Hunter was limited by foul trouble and scored just four points and attempted just two shots in 20 minutes. He also had four turnovers. After tying a career high with 23 points, Clayton scored just eight points.

Ohio shot 56% in the second half and 49.1% for the game, but it was not enough to overcome Bowling Green going 12 of 24 on 3-pointers.

The Bobcats remain on the road to take on Western Michigan at noon Saturday.