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Ohio MBB guard AJ Brown waits on offense in a game on Nov. 9 vs UNC Asheville. [Andrew Bowlby | WOUB Public Media]

Ohio Men’s Basketball’s defense falters, falls to Illinois State 85-75

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NORMAL, Ill (WOUB) — The Ohio Bobcats (1-2) have had a mixed start so far to their season. After a loss to James Madison and a close win against UNC Asheville, a win at Illinois State (2-1) would’ve been massive for the team’s confidence and record heading into a tough stretch featuring a game at Memphis Friday and in the Myrtle Beach Invitational next week. However, they could not get that win, falling 85-75.

The first half was a familiar one for Ohio–scoring lots of points on the offensive end but giving up a ton of points on the defensive end. It wasn’t similar to James Madison in terms of scoring points, as Ohio stepped up on the offensive end. However, 40 points allowed on 62.1% from the field isn’t a great defensive display. Even with veteran guard Shereef Mitchell surprisingly out due to injury, Ohio found ways to score. Redshirt sophomore AJ Brown stepped up assuming his role, scoring 10 first-half points and grabbing a steal. It was a very balanced offensive effort for Ohio, with seven different players scoring in the half. Ohio’s defensive efforts killed them, though. However, the Bobcats did a fine job of forcing Illinois State to take non-aggressive shots, as the Redbirds didn’t attempt a single free throw in the first half.

The second half was a different story from the line, though. Illinois State went 15-16 from the stripe, being far more aggressive down low. Ohio had multiple leads in the second half and led for over seven minutes. However, the Redbirds stormed back thanks to a barrage of three-pointers. Illinois State went 10-19 from three throughout the game.

Ohio MBB forward Vic Searls stands during a free throw attempt in a game vs UNC Asheville on Nov. 9. [Andrew Bowlby | WOUB Public Media]
Despite how well Illinois State played on offense, the aspect of the game that shouldn’t be ignored is Ohio’s offensive strategy. There were many possessions where Vic Searls backed someone down with 20 seconds left on the 30-second shot clock. AJ Clayton, Ohio’s starting big man, put up just eight shot attempts. Searls had nine shot attempts. Clayton wasn’t in any sort of foul trouble either, but it seemed that Ohio didn’t trust him as much as Searls tonight. This is an odd occurrence, especially considering how well Clayton played Saturday against UNC Asheville with a 19-point performance.

AJ Brown’s excellent night was also trumped by the loss, as Brown’s 20-point performance on 6-13 shooting was completely wasted. However, Brown stepping up in Mitchell’s absence shouldn’t be unnoticed and is a promising sign heading into a treacherous part of the schedule.

Ultimately, Ohio allowed Illinois State to shoot 61.2% from the floor. That’s a shocking number.

Ohio is back in action Friday night against Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers at the FedExForum. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.