Sports
Setty Leads Ohio in Blowout Win
By: Blake Baker
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Treg Setty’s stellar performance and a huge run to open the second half helped the Bobcats close nonconference play on a high note, as they defeated UC Riverside 81-59 on Wednesday.
Ohio returned to the Convo after a nine-day holiday break and didn’t appear to miss a beat. Setty had the best all-around night for Ohio. Not only did he match his career-high in points with 20, he led the ‘Cats in rebounds with 10 and in steals with three, setting the tone on both sides of the ball early and often.
Setty was one of three ‘Cats with double figures on Wednesday. On top of his 15-point performance, Jaaron Simmons dished out eight assists, including three no-look dimes to Tony Campbell for powerful one-handed slams. Despite not touching the ball in the paint until ten minutes in, Campbell also continued his impressive streak of games as he scored 15 points and grabbed nine boards on the night.
The Highlanders had two players in double figures in Jaylen Bland, who had 15 points, and Menno Dijkstra, who had 10.
The Green and White started to pull away early in the second half. Ohio was red hot, building a lead as big as 26. A reverse layup by Campbell and a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from Jordan Dartis as the shot clock expired were key plays in a 23-4 run from the Bobcats.
Ohio played a complete game to top the Highlanders. On the defensive side of the ball, it allowed only nine free throws and forced 13 turnovers. The Bobcats also held Riverside to 39 percent shooting from the field.
More important than anything else, the ‘Cats had the upper hand in effort, testing the Highlanders in every aspect of the game. Kenny Kaminsky managed to get a stop on a three-on-one in favor of Riverside to prevent an easy bucket, and Drew Crabtree made a diving assist on a loose ball with under 30 seconds to play.
Rebounding was another category in which the Green and White held a big advantage. The Bobcats persistence on the boards resulted in 44 rebounds, 14 of which were offensive and led to several second chance opportunities for points. The Highlanders pulled down only 27 rebounds total.
Now one win away from tying last season’s total, the ‘Cats open up 2016 play when they travel to DeKalb to take on Northern Illinois on January 6.