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Podcast: Ohio Opens March At Bowling Green


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It has been awhile since the Bobcats experienced a two-game losing streak. They have to go back all the way to mid-December when they lost to Winthrop and Massachusetts. Now, the Bobcats head into this weekend riding a similar losing streak, with losses to Belmont and Akron.

Ohio has had eight losses this season, matching their total from last year including the NCAA Tournament. Five have come in December, three in February. November and January have been the perfect months for the Bobcats, as they have gone 13-0 combined.

The months of December and February have been eerily similar for Ohio. Granted, they won more games and lost to more highly touted teams in February, but their numbers have been similar, especially in the shooting categories.

Ohio shot 44.8% the field and 33.4% from three in December. In February, they went 44.3% from the field and 33.1% from beyond the arc. In November and January, they’ve shot well above a 50% field goal percentage and above 38% from three.

The up-and-down roller coaster of a season leaves the Bobcats hoping that March will follow in the pattern and be an up month, as they open with Bowling Green on Saturday.

The Falcons were one of the Bobcats’ five wins in February, as Ohio won at home, 72-63. Reggie Keely was the leading scorer for Ohio, putting up 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Bobcats’ first home game in nearly a month. Ohio had four players score in double-digits with Keely, Walter Offutt, T.J. Hall and D.J. Cooper.

Bowling Green features a dynamic duo that shoots often and scores as well. Point guard Jordon Crawford may not seem like a scorer during warm ups, listed at 5-foot-6, but he finds a way to put several shots up and score points for the Falcons. He had 17 points in their last matchup and has averaged 15.1 per game this season. He also averages 14.5 shots a game, knocking down 39.1% of them.

The big man that Ohio struggled to contain last game, though, was A’uston Calhoun. The 6-foot-7 forward finished the day with 19 points and eight rebounds. Crawford was able to find Calhoun and Craig Sealey several times last game for alley-oops, which Ohio was unable to stop in the first half, as they entered halftime only up one.

Although Ohio won by nine in February, Bowling Green is a completely different team at home. Since December 18, they have only lost two games in their arena. Those two losses were to Michigan State and Akron, two currently ranked teams.

Bowling Green is currently on a four-game winning streak at home, while Ohio is on a two-game losing streak.

The Bobcats will look to put an end to both streaks on Saturday, March 2 at 12 p.m. in the Stroh Center. The game will be broadcasted on SportsTime Ohio. Watch to see if Cooper is able to score 16 points to become the first player in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals.