Sports
Clayton’s return ends in dominant victory over Western Michigan
By: Andrew Bowlby
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – There may not have been a better thing to happen for Ohio (12-10, 6-4 MAC) than AJ Clayton returning to the lineup in its 94-69 thumping of Western Michigan (7-15, 4-6 MAC).
Although his true impact was not felt immediately, Clayton still provided a major lift for his team.
“Love to see him hit the threes and get in the game mode like he always does,” Clayton’s roommate AJ Brown said.
“Just adds a dimension to our offense, he’s a tough matchup on that end,” head coach Jeff Boals added.
The game did not as Clayton would have imagined. He missed the opening shot of the game on a set to get him open from three. He then had a sequence of tough possessions that didn’t result in any points.

It took the Bobcats over 3:30 into the contest to score their first points. They came in the form of a Shereef Mitchell triple, ending what had been a strong start for WMU.
The Mitchell shot sparked the Ohio offense, and it began a 10-0 run to grab a five-point advantage at the first timeout. The Bobcats got a boost from their bench
“He just gives us a different dynamic, scoring off the bench like he does,” Boals said. “Glad to see he didn’t hesitate shooting those shots.”
Sheldon totaled 11 points with three made triples in the game. It was just the second time he went into double-digits this season with the last coming all the way back in November against Memphis.
Ohio also got a strong performance from Vic Searls off the bench. He knocked down a three in the first half, only his third this season, and finished with nine points and three rebounds. Searls transitioned back into coming off the bench with the return of Clayton.
“I think he feels comfortable in that role, and to his credit, he stepped up,” Boals said. “We put a lot on him offensively, we put a lot on him defensively. He’s a team player; all he wants to do is win.”
Sheldon and Searls combined for 20 of the Bobcats’ 28 bench points.
The starting five also delivered. With around 5:30 remaining in the first half, every Ohio who had seen action had put points on the board, all except one; AJ Clayton. That changed as he made his first shot of the game on a rhythm three which Bobcats’ fans have become accustomed to.
Clayton made a pair of his signature shot and added four free throws to end the first half. His efforts helped Ohio build a 24-point halftime lead over a struggling Western Michigan offense.
The Broncos scored just five points over the last four minutes of the half and under 30% from the field. Their three-point shooting woes continued through this game with just a 1-9 clip in the first half.

They were able to begin the second half much better than the way the first ended. WMU started the half on a 10-2 run and cut into a daunting Ohio lead. Just as the momentum began to flip toward the Broncos, Clayton answered to re-establish the Ohio confidence.
After that shot, the Bobcats didn’t look back and stretched the lead out further. Clayton finished the game with 18 points, one of the four starters and five Bobcats to score 11 or more. The lone starter to didn’t reach double figures was Jackson Paveletzke. However, he did his fair share.
Paveletzke had nine rebounds, all on the defensive end and eight assists. Those nine rebounds were a big part in leading Ohio to winning the rebounding battle for the first time since the Akron game on Jan. 17.
The complete performance by Ohio sends them into a non-conference game against Appalachian State on Saturday in the MAC, Sun Belt challenge.