BOWLING GREEN -- A look at the statistics for the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team doesn't show Torian Oglesby near the top in many categories.

Oglesby is fifth in scoring, averaging 5.2 points per game, and the 6-7 senior center, who has started just one of BG's 26 contests, is third in rebounding at 5.0 per contest.

But there is one category where Oglesby leads the Falcons: energy generated during games.

"I hear a lot in the NBA that a player is an 'energy' guy, and when Torian is at his best, he epitomizes that," BG coach Louis Orr said. "His energy and activity are what opponents have to deal with.

"If you don't run the floor with him, he beats you down the floor for a dunk. If you don't block him out, he'll get to the rim and get an offensive rebound."

Oglesby and his teammates will play an important Mid-American Conference contest Wednesday at Akron, which leads the league with an 11-1 mark. A win over the Zips would help the Falcons, who are 7-5 in MAC play, increase their chances of claiming one of four byes in the conference tournament.

That goal has given Oglesby a greater sense of urgency in the final weeks of this season.

"Torian has taken on a leadership role because he's a senior, and I respect that about him," Orr said. "He wants to get as much out of this season as he can. I've seen him mature and grow and embrace the leadership role."

Oglesby is a native of Saginaw, Mich., who transferred to Bowling Green last season after two years at Mott Community College. Last year he started 16 of the Falcons' 27 games but averaged just 15.9 minutes per contest and contributed 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds.

This season Oglesby's minutes have risen only slightly, to 17.4 minutes per game. But his effort never wavers -- it's always full effort.

"My jobs are to defend and rebound," Oglesby said earlier this season. "That's what I'm here for. I do all the things that have to be done for my team to win."

Don't think for a minute that self sacrifice is lost on his coaches.

"He plays within himself, and that's a hard sell for some players," Orr said. "They want the glamour and glitz of shooting 3's or the behind-the-back dribbles, things that show up on the stats sheet.

"He doesn't mind tipping the ball to keep it alive or only taking one or two shots. Some guys, if they only get one or two shots, it affects their energy. Torian doesn't allow that to affect how he plays."

Oglesby averages just three shots per game, not enough to qualify for the national leaders in field-goal shooting. But it's hard to imagine many players have made 63-of-78 shots, which is good for an 80.8 percent field-goal mark.

Early in the season Oglesby made 26 consecutive field-goal attempts, breaking the NCAA Division I mark that stood for more than 30 years. And many of his baskets are high-energy dunks that provide a spark to his team and the crowd.

"It's that type of play -- and he's that kind of player," Orr said. "His plays can energize our team and the crowd. But he doesn't do them to showboat -- it's part of his efficiency. He gets a great deal out of what he does well, and he sticks to it."

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481, or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.