Sports
Bobcats Looking to Bounce Back from Disappointing Loss
By: Blake Baker
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Ohio will look to get back on track after a road loss to Bowling Green when Buffalo visits the Roundhouse on Richland on Saturday.
The Bobcats fell 87-82 to the Falcons at the Stroh Center Tuesday night. Bowling Green is one game out of last place in the MAC East while Ohio still sits in second place overall in the conference. An Akron loss to Miami Tuesday night allowed the ‘Cats to stay just one game behind the Zips.
Offensively, the Bobcats played well enough to beat the Falcons, but coach Saul Phillips was disappointed in the way his team played defense in critical moments.
“We had a chance to sneak into a tie for first place and didn’t defend at near the level to be able to call ourselves a first-place team,” Phillips said.
Ohio shot 53 percent from the field that included 44 percent from beyond the arc and held a lead of 10 points or more three times in the first half. However, it allowed 61 percent shooting from Bowling Green in the second half as the Falcons stormed back to nab a victory. Wes Alcegaire and Spencer Parker led Bowling Green with 20 points, and Antwon Lillard and Rasheed Worrell finished with 15 and 14, respectively.
Tony Campbell continued to light up the box score with 29 points and eight rebounds, going 5-9 from long distance. Jaaron Simmons also turned in a solid outing with 24 points and nine assists.
Buffalo comes into the matchup on a much hotter note after beating Kent State 87-70 Tuesday night. A strong second half effort of 51 points resulted in a big win for Bulls.
Perhaps the most staggering stat from Tuesday’s contest is the bench points, where Buffalo outscored the Golden Flashes 49-11. In Buffalo’s first matchup with the ‘Cats, it outscored the Bobcats’ bench 51-15, and a deep Buffalo team will be a point of emphasis for Ohio this time around. However, the Bulls lost the battle on the boards and for second chance points, areas the ‘Cats will look to exploit after outrebounding Buffalo in the first matchup.
These two teams match up well. Buffalo relies heavily on sound guard play from guys like CJ Massinburg and Lamonte Bearden; young, talented playmakers just like Ohio has in Simmons and Jordan Dartis. The x-factor in this game will be Campbell as he is the most talented big man on the floor. No Buffalo forward averages more than seven points per game, and Campbell poses a big threat for Buffalo from all areas of the floor. Look for him to once again be the focal point of Ohio’s offense.
The Green and White hopes to rebound from Tuesday night’s setback when invading Buffalo visits Athens Saturday at 4 pm.