Sports
‘Cats Headed to CBI Quarterfinals After Setty’s Career Night
By: Blake Baker, Michael Drapcho
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Some late game heroics from Treg Setty in overtime Wednesday night, helped Ohio down a pesky Albany team 94-90 in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational.
The lone senior got one more guaranteed shot to play in the Convo, and he took advantage of the opportunity. With 1:15 left in regulation, Setty dumped a looping assist to Tony Campbell down low to put Ohio ahead. In overtime, his two deep balls and a steal he took the length of the floor for a bucket gave Ohio the lead for good.
After an Albany 3-pointer just seconds into overtime, Ohio took control. The Bobcats made their final four shots in the extra period, three of which were from beyond the arc, and converted five of their six free throws in the game’s final seconds. Setty finished with a career-high 30 points, going 11-19 from the field, on top of 10 rebounds and three assists.
All five of Ohio’s starters scored in double-digits. Jaaron Simmons posted his seventh double-double of the season as he scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists. Kenny Kaminski added 14 points on 44 percent shooting. Known for his long range shooting, Kaminski showcased an ability to score inside the 3-point line when he nailed a mid-range jumper early in the game.
Jordan Dartis turned in another solid outing with 12 points, going 4-7 from 3-point land. Not only did he perform well offensively, but the freshman was given the tall task of guarding Albany’s undisputed senior leader, Peter Hooley. He held Hooley to just eight points. Campbell had a slower night by his standards, but still pitched in 11 points and nabbed eight boards. With around two minutes left in regulation, he became the 37th player in Ohio basketball’s history to score 1,000 points in his career.
“They’re a tremendous offensive team,” Albany coach Will Brown said after the game. “They can score from all five positions, they can shoot the three, and they have the best player in the MAC. We played a very good basketball team that doesn’t lose at home.”
This game was back and forth from the get-go. Both teams started relatively slow and sloppy as neither team shot over 36 percent in the opening half. In the second half, the teams traded runs and leads multiple times, until an Evan Singletary heave at the buzzer banked in to send the game into overtime.
Despite the sloppy start, Ohio played with great effort when it mattered most. Kaminski played physical defense in the paint, an area of the floor he’s not so used to defending. However, he forced some missed shots and even blocked away a potential alley-oop. Setty was all over the floor, racking up four of Ohio’s eight total steals, trailing plays for critical rebounds to keep or change possession down the stretch, and finding ways to score and make it to the free throw line.
Above all else, the ‘Cats’ effort was their greatest statistical advantage, and it led to a huge win.
The Green and White welcome UNC-Greensboro to the Convo on Monday, March 21 in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational.