The Ohio Bobcats had their lone senior at the line, shooting two for a chance to give them the lead with five seconds remaining.

Mike Laster missed both free throws.

Two overtimes later, the Ohio Bobcats (9-13, 2-8) fell 101-98 to the Central Michigan Chippewas (15-8, 4-6) on Saturday.

A James Gollon and-one put Ohio up 10 with 3:17 remaining to put Ohio up 72-62. Gollon got the start for the injured Jordan Dartis, who missed the game with a hip injury. Gollon had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in his first career start.

A pair of free throws by Teyvion Kirk gave Ohio a 76-67 advantage with 2:37 remaining.

Ballgame.

Or so we thought.

The Chippewas outscored Ohio 10-1 over the final 2:37 and tied the game.

A Kevin McKay layup tied the game at 77 with 29 seconds left. On Ohio’s next possession, Laster drove to the hoop but was called for a charge. After reviewing the play, the call was changed to a block, giving Laster two free throws. But he missed them both.

Ohio as a team was 16-31 from the foul line.

With just 1:23 remaining in the first overtime, Gavin Block hit a pair of free throws, to put Ohio up 86-82. Cecil Williams tied the game with 38 seconds remaining.

Laster had a chance to make up for his missed three with 12 seconds remaining. And he did. Laster hit a corner three to put Ohio up 89-86. But the lead lasted six seconds. Williams buried another three to tie the game and send it into a second overtime.

In the second overtime Shawn Roundtree, hit a layup to give Central Michigan a 95-93 lead with 2:33 remaining. True freshman A.J. Gareri hit a corner three to give Ohio the one-point lead. But that is the last lead they had.

Mike Laster hit a layup and was fouled to tie the game at 98, with 15 seconds left. But he, once again, missed the free throw. On the ensuing possession, Gareri fouled David Dileo on a three-point attempt. Dileo hit all three, securing the win for Central Michigan.

Ohio was playing without Dartis and Kevin Mickle, who both missed the game with injuries, so Ohio played with a seven-man rotation. Laster and Kirk, who fouled out, had 24 points each for Ohio. Gavin Block had 16 points and eight rebounds and Doug Taylor chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Williams had a game-high 27 points. Roundtree had 22 points, Luke Meyer added 14 points and McKay chipped in 13.

Former Ohio head coach and current Akron head coach John Groce makes his return to the Convocation Center on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 7p.m.

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Despite freshman guard Teyvion Kirk tying his career high in points, the Bobcats scored a season low as they fell to the Bowling Green Falcons 66-50 at the Stroh Center Tuesday night.

Kirk leading the team in scoring is nothing new; the freshman has been a focal point on offense for the Bobcats all season long. But what was out of the ordinary was the Bobcats accuracy from behind the arc.

So far this season, the Bobcats have averaged about 20 shots from deep while hitting about seven. That was not the case Tuesday night as the Bobcats made just two of their 17 three-point attempts; that’s less than a 12 percent three-point range.

The Bobcat offense got off to a slow start as the Falcons jumped out to a 21-6 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game. This lopsided lead was a result of sloppy passes from the Bobcats as eight of the Falcons first 10 points came off of turnovers.

With eight minutes left in the half big man Doug Taylor picked up his third personal foul, forcing head coach Saul Phillips to bench the rim protector. With Taylor on the bench, Bowling Green attacked the paint and brought their lead to 39-19 at the end of the half. Sixteen of the Falcons first half points were scored in the paint.

Despite making just six shots from the field in the first half, the Bobcats came out with confidence in the second half and started finding ways to score. After doubling their point total in the first 10 minutes of the second half, James Gollon ended the Bobcats scoreless streak from behind the arc as he hit a corner three to cut the Falcons lead to 14 points.

With the score at 54-40 with ten minutes left, Gollon’s three seemed to mark a shift in momentum. But the Bobcats soon lost that momentum as they continued to force (and miss) shots from behind the arc as the Falcons slowly brought the score back up to 60-42 with just four minutes remaining.

It wasn’t until the game was out of reach that Kirk hit the second and final three for the Bobcats bringing his point total to 20 (tied for a career high) and Ohio’s total to 50 (tied for a season low).

Not only did this game mark the Bobcats third consecutive loss, it also showcased the injuries this Ohio team is battling through. Starters Mike Laster and Jordan Dartis both had scary falls that seemed to aggravate persisting injuries while Zach Butler had to exit the game in the second half and remain sidelined with a sling on his arm. It is no secret this Ohio roster is depleted and if Butler continues to be sidelined, their problems may soon get much worse.

This win ended a three game losing streak for Bowling Green as the Falcons host Kent State Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Bobcats will return to the Convocation Center to host the Central Michigan Chippewa’s on Saturday.

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Current Miami Head President Pat Riley once said “no rebounds no rings.”

For the Ohio Bobcats on Friday night, no rebounds meant no win.

The Ohio Bobcats (9-11, 2-6) were out-rebounded 51 to 38 and gave up 15 offensive rebounds in a 73 to 66 loss to the Buffalo Bulls (15-5, 8-0).

Every time, Buffalo began to pull away and appeared to have the game under raps, The Bobcats responded. However, Ohio could never get the game within one possession.

Davonta Jordan hit a three with 17:30 left in the game to give Buffalo a 39-25 lead.

Then, true freshman, Teyvion Kirk took over. Kirk scored seven straight, as part of a 9-0 run to make the score 39-34. Kirk had perhaps his best game as a Bobcat. He scored 18 points (15 in the second half) and grabbed 10 rebounds.

“[He] played harder than our guys tonight, which might be the first time I can say that all year,” Buffalo head coach Nate Oats said. “He wanted it [more].”

Oats later said Kirk was “their best player tonight.”

However, the Bulls quickly pushed it back up to 11, with a 7-0 run. A Kevin Mickle layup made it a six point game, 52-44 with 9:02 remaining. The lead hovered around six, until five straight points by Nick Perkins, put Buffalo up 65-52 with 4:48 remaining. But, as they did all game long, Ohio made a run.

A pair of free throws by Jordan Dartis, capped a 7-0 run that spanned 1:10. The two teams remained scoreless for about two minutes. Kirk missed a dunk and on Buffalo’s ensuing possession, Jordan missed a three. Gavin Block corralled the rebound and was fouled. Block missed both free throws. Buffalo’s Jeremy Harris drilled a right-wing three on the next possession. Dagger. The six point lead, became nine.

“Missed a dunk, we missed an open three, got the rebound, got it back, got fouled, missed two free throws. They come back down and hit a three,” Ohio head coach Saul Phillips said, rehasing the sequence. “Again those are the opportunities that seem to be eluding us right now.”

Buffalo made their free throws down the stretch, to remaining unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play. However, Oats gave credit to Ohio and was not happy with his team.

“I tip my hat to Ohio. I think they played better than we did. We’ve got more talent out there on the floor than they do. We don’t have the injuries and problems they’ve had this year. In my opinion they out played us. We’re fortunate enough to have better players out there on the floor and got the win.”

Mickle, Dartis and Mike Laster all had 11 points for Ohio. Doug Taylor had 4 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Ohio. Perkins led the way for Buffalo with a game-high 2- points. Harris had 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Ikenna Smart chipped in 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Ohio travels to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 7p.m.

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ATHENS, OH – The Ohio Women’s basketball team blew a 22-point lead and lost 72-71 in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament back in last March to the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Wednesday night, déjà vu from Cleveland almost happened again in Athens.

Almost.

The Bobcats led by seven points with 35.6 seconds to go and the Huskies wouldn’t go away.

A three, two missed free throws, a layup, two more missed free throws and another layup and in a span of 22 seconds, the Huskies erased a seven-point deficit.

13 seconds to go and the Huskies had the ball.

But they didn’t take the lead.

Heck, they didn’t even get a shot off.

That’s because things were different this time.

Cierra Hooks wasn’t on the Bobcats last March, but she was Wednesday night.

She stole the ball and hit the game-winning shot with two seconds left to help the Bobcats (11-8, 5-3 MAC) escape with a 77-75 win over the Huskies (10-9, 2-6 MAC).

“It was awesome,” Bobcats head coach Bob Boldon said on the final play of the game. “From our perspective, just about everything that could’ve went wrong in the last 30 seconds did and in [NIU’s] perspective, everything that could’ve went right did, including the turnover that gave them their final possession.”

Everything went extremely south for the Bobcats. They missed five free throws – one by Hooks and two each by Taylor Agler and Katie Barker to go along with an Amani Burke bad pass.

But Boldon had nothing but praise for his star freshman who put her miscues behind to her to make the biggest play of the game.

“To be able to step up and make a play after missing a couple of free throws and have the mental strength to put those plays behind you and make the next play is just an incredibly valuable and mature way of doing work,” Boldon said of Hooks.

The most amazing thing was that Hooks was playing with the use of only her right eye.

“CiCi can’t really see out of her left eye,” Boldon chuckled sarcastically. “So, we’re trying to work through that at the moment and I wasn’t even sure that that she was going to be able to play tonight.”

Thankfully she did and Boldon said he doesn’t expect the issue to be long-term.

Outside of the chaotic final 30 seconds of the game, Boldon was pleased how his team played. They finally had the offensive showing that he’s been waiting for all season.

“I’ve had a feeling a hot night was coming in the past six weeks and it never came, so I don’t think my feelings were accurate, but I’m glad it came,” Boldon said. “Katie [Barker] and Dom [Doseck] are as frustrated as anyone with their shooting percentage, but to their credit they keep working.”

Coming into the contest, OHIO was shooting just 26 percent from three. Wednesday night they shot 43 percent (15-of-35).

For a team that depends so much on the three, that number had to rise and Barker (8-of-13) from three – had a night to remember.

Her 24 points were a career-high and her eight three-pointers were the second best in her time in green and white. She said that her changed approach has allowed her to be confident when stepping into shots.

“It felt good to hit my first three shots,” Barker said. “For a shooter, when you make your first three shots or even your first shot, it gets you in a good mindset. Right away I felt good. I wasn’t thinking while I was shooting for the first time all season so it was nice to fell free.”

What felt even better for Barker was that for the first time in a month, the Bobcats won consecutive games.

“I think the biggest thing about this game was winning two games in a row,” Barker said. “We’ve struggled with that all season and to be able to put two in a row together is a really big turning point for this team.”

Hopefully Barker and the rest of the Bobcats will continue to feel free shooting from distance and try to extend their winning streak to three when the travel to Oxford on Saturday to take on the Miami RedHawks with tip-off set for 1 p.m. on ESPN3.

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The Ohio Bobcats had their chances.

Five to be exact.

And they could not take advantage.

The Ohio Bobcats fell to the Akron Zips 71-68, inside James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday night.

Ohio had five chances to take the lead and could not do it all five times.

Down 42-41 with 14:55 left in the game, Ohio turned the ball over twice and missed a layup.

Seven minutes later, the game was tied at 56, but they turned the ball over twice. After that, Akron went on an 11-2 run, taking a 67-58 lead with 3:24 left in the game.

An 8-0 run, capped off by a Mike Laster bucket, cut it to one, 67-66. Ohio forced a turnover, but missed on the other end. The Zips made four free throws over the last 20 seconds, to win the game.

Gavin Blocks six triples kept Ohio in the game. Block had a game-high 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

“We kept fighting but we just couldn’t execute,” Block told reporters after the game. “Down the stretch, you’ve got to come together as a team and grind it out and make a lot of winning plays.”

After starting off cold, Akron found their groove. A Virshon Cotton three started a 12-0 run for the Zips, giving them a 25-11 lead with 8:46 left. But Ohio went on a run of there own. A 14-6 run over the next six minutes made it a 31-26 ballgame. A couple buckets gave Akron the 36-29 lead at the break.

Ohio came out of the half strong, on an 11-5 run, trailing 42-41 with 14:55 remaining. Then came the missed opportunities.

Ohio never led in this game. Ohio had their chances but, like the Kent State game, could not capitalize on them.

Teyvion Kirk had 16 points, and six assists. Doug Taylor chipped in 11 rebounds and 6 boards. Jimond Ivey paced the Zips with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Malcom Duvivier had 16 points and Daniel Utomi chipped in 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

The Bobcats return to the Convocation Center on Friday, when they host the Buffalo Bulls. Tipoff is set for 6:30p.m and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

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The Ohio Bobcats (8-9, 1-4) fell to a red-hot Toledo Rockets (12-6, 4-1) 91-57 inside the Convocation Center Tuesday night.

Going into the game the Rockets were on a three game win streak and had won six out of their last seven games.

While the score looks lopsided, Ohio has been hampered by nagging injuries and ran into a team who may be the best in the Mid-American Conference, causing the outcome. For majority of the first half, the Bobcats were right there hanging with the Rockets, but when a team is in the midst of an injury bug, but the lack of depth caused the Rockets to pull away.

“I’ve never been in such a bad home loss. I’ll make sure it will never happen again,” head coach Saul Phillips said. “We came out tonight and clearly weren’t as interested in reversing the ball. It ultimately all falls on me because it’s my job that we do those things. That’s it.”

The Rockets were on fire all night long, and played quite possibly their best game of the season. Toledo shot 52 percent from the field and hit on 13-22 three-point attempts. The Rockets had five players hit at least two threes.

One of the guys that was apart of that group was their star Tre’Shaun Fletcher. Fletcher had a game-high 18 points, six boards and four assists, once again proving he is a candidate for MAC player of the year.

It was a tough game to watch for a Bobcat fan as both offense and defense struggled immensely, however it was not all bad for Ohio. There were a few bright spots for Ohio.

The first is Doug Taylor, who played his best game of the season. On the offensive end he was constantly crashing the boards and finding ways to create points. On the defensive side, he was contesting what seemed like every shot he was near in the paint. Taylor had 15 points, five rebounds and five blocks.

After the game, Taylor mentioned how he needs to be more of a leader vocally, and after a performance tonight, that is something that is expected.

The second is the belief this team has in their ability to be successful. Despite the bad loss, Ohio still believes in themselves and their ability to turn it around. Head coach Saul Phillips said he will do whatever it takes.

“There’s just some things I don’t have answers for right now,” said Phillips. “I’m interested in finding solutions, and I’ll do everything in my power to do that.”

“We are going to figure this out,” James Gollon said.

Ohio’s next chance to turn it around is on Saturday. Ohio travels to Ypsilanti, Michigan to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Tipoff is set for 2p.m.

 

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During most games, if you shoot only 26% from the field in the first half against a division leader, you won’t be in the game. That wasn’t the case for the Bobcats Wednesday night.

Strong defensive play from the Bobcats kept them in the game, but 4th quarter shooting problems gave Buffalo the edge, winning 67-63.

The Ohio Bobcats (9-8, 3-3 MAC) did not shoot the ball well in the first half, as they didn’t hit a three the entire half. Timely baskets kept it close and even gave the Bobcats the lead in the 4th quarter.

The offensive struggles didn’t help the Bobcats tonight, as they shot 33% from the field tonight and they didn’t hit a three until the 4th quarter. Amani Burke lead the team in scoring with 20 points. Struggles from the rest of the team held them back tonight. Other players couldn’t support Burke’s offensive output, as the rest of the team struggled to make a shot.

The defense did keep them in most of the game. They forced 25 turnovers to get some easy buckets, but some of those opportunities were missed. Buffalo did a nice job of getting back on defense, being able to force the Bobcats to stop the fastbreak and run a play.

“These kids just want to figure this out,” Coach Bob Bolden said. “We just didn’t score.” Bolden says the team isasketball also trying to shoot themselves out of their funk, but so far there is no luck.

They couldn’t keep up with MAC East division leader Buffalo’s (14-3, 5-1 MAC) top two scorers as Summer Hemphill and Cierra Dillard combined for 39 of the team’s 67 points. They outrebounded the Bobcats by 42-40 and got critical second chance baskets in the last seconds of the game.

The Bobcats will look to bounce back in their next game against the Bowling Green Falcons (9-7), trying to break out of these shooting troubles. The tip off time will be at 1:00 p.m in the Stroh Center at Bowling Green University.

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Down one, on the road, with a chance to get back to 500, the Ohio Bobcats turned to their lone senior.

Mike Laster’s baseline jumper hit off the rim and fell into the hands of Kevin Zabo.

Despite making more threes and shooting a higher percentage, the Ohio Bobcats (8-8, 1-3) fell to the Kent State Golden Flashes (8-9, 2-2) 70-69.

With 4:23 left in the game, Gavin Block drilled a three to put Ohio down 65-64. Zabo’s jumper put Kent State up three. But Ohio responded right away. Teyvion Kirk, found Block in the corner for a three and the game was tied.

“I challenged him very directly on that [his shooting] at half time, and he responded to that well,” head coach Saul Phillips said on the post-game show.

Kirk’s runner with 2:01 left, gave Ohio their first lead since there was five minutes left in the first half.

Neither team scored until there was 21 seconds left in the game. Adonis De La Rosa’s layup gave Kent State the lead.

Ohio’s next possession was the fade away by Laster.

“We missed a point blank layup, fell down on a high-low and shot a fade away.” Phillips said on the post-game show. “However I go back to the first half when we couldn’t generate offense.”

In that first half, Ohio scored 31 points and shot 46 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Bobcats had 10 turnovers to just five for Kent State.

One player who was consistently generating offense was Zabo. Ohio had no answers for him all night long. The senior guard had a career-high 24 points and had a season-high in field goals made (eight), three-pointers made (four) and rebounds (six). Off the bench, Jaylin Walker had 15 points.

For Ohio, Kirk had 17 points, 7 rebounds and two assists. Laster had 11 points and Block and Dartis finished with 10 points each.

Ohio has now lost back-to-back games and is a half a game away from being tied for last place in the Mid-American Conference East Division. Ohio hosts the Toledo Rockets on Tuesday and tipoff is set for 7p.m.

“We need a win. We need a win more than we need water or oxygen. Period,” Phillips said. “That is my thoughts on the Rockets.”

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Toledo Rockets guard Mikaela Boyd pulled up at the top of key and hit a jumper to end the half.

That shot ended a whopping 8:41 scoreless stretch that saw the Ohio Bobcats go on a 17-0 run.

That shot then proceeded to a 13-0 run by the Rockets (11-5, 2-2 MAC) that saw them recapture the lead for good and pulled away for a 75-57 win over the Bobcats (8-7, 2-2 MAC) Wednesday night at Savage Arena.

These two teams met back on Dec. 31 where the Bobcats picked up a 78-61 win in the Convocation Center that saw the Rockets turn the ball over 19 times that led to 22 points for the Bobcats.

Wednesday night, the first half was the same story. The Rockets turned the ball over 14 times – nine times in the second quarter that saw the Rockets go ice cold from the field. The Bobcats used the turnovers and smothering defense to go on a 17-0 run and take a 10-point lead.

The Bobcats thought they had the Rockets where they wanted them again. The offense was on a roll, the defense was on par and the Bobcats were holding the Rockets’ big three of Boyd, Kaayla McIntyre and Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriot relatively in check.

Then in a matter of two minutes and change, everything fell apart.

The Rockets hit their first five shots of the second half and made the Bobcat 17-0 run feel like a distant memory. The Rockets went on to double the Bobcats in points in the second half (56-28).

Outside of the gigantic surge in the second quarter, it was an inconsistent shooting night for the Bobcats.

Bobcats guard Dominique Doseck, who exploded for a season-high 27 points in the teams’ first meeting, never got going in this one. She finished with just five points on 2-10 shooting.

The Rockets also took away the Bobcats top two scoring options as guards Amani Burke and Cierra Hooks never found their footing in this game. The two combined for 20 points and six of the team’s 10 turnovers. Gabby Burris led all Bobcats with 14 points.

As the Bobcats couldn’t get their stars going, the Rockets got McIntrye going. She had nine of her 11 points in the second half. The trio of McIntrye, Boyd and Bravo-Harriot put a stamp on the second half as they scored 39 of the team’s 75 points.

Boyd had herself quite the evening with a monstrous double-double (17 points, 18 rebounds). She was two assists shy of a triple-double.

She was a force on the boards – something that the Bobcats have struggled with all year being undersized. Boyd led the team with 18 rebounds and the Rockets more than doubled the Bobcats (53-24) in rebounds.

So even though the Rockets turned the ball over 23 times – 12 via steals and lost the points-off-turnovers battle (25-11), they were able to overcome that because they smoked the Bobcats in second-chance points (18-2).

The Bobcats inability to keep the Rockets off the glass and keep up with their hot shooting in the second half were simply too much to overcome for a team that has its good and bad days on the offensive side of the floor.

The Bobcats will hope to narrow the gap on the battle of the boards when they travel to Kalamazoo to take on the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday with tip-off set for 2 p.m.

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In a back and forth affair with runs and defensive stops, the Ohio Bobcats did not have quite enough in the tank to take down the Ball State Cardinals, falling 75-68.

The Bobcats and Cardinals both started off slow from the field. But Ohio strung together a few defensive stops and with both good ball movement and dribble penetration got out to a 16-10 lead with 11:50 remaining in the first half. Mike Laster and Teyvion Kirk led the way for Ohio in the first half and connected on a few plays. Kirk’s dribble penetration really helped set up buckets for Doug Taylor and Kevin Mickle.

The two teams traded points until a jumper by Taylor Persons gave Ball State a 20-18 lead. A layup by Laster tied the game at 20 with under eight minutes to go.

The two teams stayed within three points for the rest of the half. Gavin Block found James Gallon for an open three at the buzzer, giving Ohio a two-point lead at the half.

It was a completely different story in the second half as Ball State outscored Ohio in the second half 46-37 in the half. For Ball State, forward, Trey Moses could not be stopped, scoring nine of his 17 points in the half. Moses also had a game-high11 rebounds. Ohio did not have an answer for both Moses and Teague on the glass. The two combined for 18 rebounds, helping give Ball State a 39-33 edge on the glass.

A layup by Kirk gave Ohio a 43-38 lead. Ball State scored the next 12 points, taking a 50-43 lead. A pair of free throws by Kirk, made it 55-53 deficit. But that is the closest Ohio got. Ball State quickly got their lead back up to seven, where it stayed for the rest of the game.

Ohio bested Ball State from the free throw line, three-point line and forced more turnovers. However, Ohio struggled shooting in the second half. Ohio shot 35 percent in the second half and made just 11 shots. Ball State made five more shots, on their way to shooting 50 percent for the game.

Kirk led the way for Ohio, scoring 17 points, with Laster and Dartis each contributing 13 points. Laster scored 13 points despite shooting only 5-17 from the field.

Ohio looks to bounce back on Friday when they travel to Kent to play the Kent State Golden Flashes in their fourth Mid-American Conference game of the year.

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In their first conference home game of the season, the Ohio Bobcats (8-6, 1-1) recorded their first conference win of the year as they took down the Northern Illinois Huskies (8-7, 1-1) 78-68.

Both the Bobcats and the Huskies started the game off cold from the field, but over time, the Bobcat offense would heat up enough to propel them to the win.

The man responsible for the Bobcats solid offensive performance tonight was yet again, Mike Laster. Laster was the leading scorer for the Bobcats and tonight he showed the full arsenal of his game. Laster totaled 31 points on the night and was 10-12 from the field and an impressive 5-6 from the beyond the arc. Not only did he have 31 points, but he also chipped in four boards and two assists.

Going into this season, many thought that the Bobcat players to watch would be Jordan Dartis and Jason Carter, but that has not been the case. Year by year progression has led to Laster becoming the star player for the Bobcats.

Another Bobcat, Gavin Block, continues to play well, though he is likely won’t show up in the box score until the second half. Block has been the glue guy for the Bobcats all year long and today was no different. He was all over the floor, diving for loose balls and drawing charges. He made the right pass that led to a bucket after multiple turnovers. He tipped balls on the offensive glass that led to offensive rebounds. Without Block’s effort tonight, this game could’ve gone the opposite way for the Bobcats. He ended the game with nine points, two boards and three assists.

Even though the Bobcats shot well, shooting 57 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc, they really struggled taking care of the ball. Going into the second half, the Bobcats led 36-22, but in the first 3:32 of the half, the Bobcats turned the ball over six times, allowing Northern Illinois to get right back into the game. The Huskies cut it to as close as six points in the second half due to 17 turnovers by the Bobcats.

In the end, the defense was able to seal the deal for Ohio. They rarely gave up an open shot, which made it very hard for Northern Illinois to score. In the first half, the Huskies shot only 29 percent from the field.

Other players to step up for the Cats tonight was freshman point guard Teyvion Kirk who had 16 points and Jordan Dartis who added eight points.

Ohio’s third conference game of the season, they host Ball State on Tuesday night at the Convocation Center. The Huskies will stay on the road and head to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons.

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While people all over the world are looking to change for the better during the New Year, the Ohio Bobcats (7-6) 75-50 loss to the Central Michigan Chippewa’s (12-2) extended a few lackluster streaks the Bobcats hoped to leave in 2017.

Not only does this 25-point loss mark the Bobcats fifth consecutive loss to the Chippewas, it also extends Ohio’s road-losing streak to three games. Turnovers and early foul trouble plagued the Bobcats as Central Michigan remains undefeated at McGuirk Arena.

In the first game of conference play, the Chippewas beat the Bobcats in just about every aspect of the game. Central Michigan out rebounded Ohio 44-35 made 20 percent more shots from behind the arc and hit more than 40 percent more of their free throws than Ohio.

The Bobcat back court was one of the few bright spots as senior guard Mike Laster led Ohio in scoring with 19 points while freshman guard Teyvion Kirk led the team with seven rebounds while finishing with 13 points. The remaining Ohio starters (Gavin Block, Jordan Dartis and Doug Taylor) combined for nine points, the same amount as the Bobcat bench.

Laster provided a spark early for the Ohio offense as he scored eight of the first ten Bobcat points. After being tied at 12 during the first media timeout, Central Michigan quickly took advantage of Bobcat turnovers and jumped to a 22-14 lead midway through the first quarter. Despite committing 11 turnovers in the first half, the Bobcats trailed by just two scores as they went into halftime down 37-31.

Things quickly got out of hand after the break as the Chippewa’s opened the second half with 15 unanswered points, giving them a 52-31 lead. Mike Laster, who picked up his third foul during the opening minute of the second half, sat on the bench for a majority of the Central Michigan run.

With 14 minutes left in regulation, Laster grabbed a rebound from a missed three from Block and put it back up for the Bobcats first points of the second half but at this point the game was out of reach. While the Bobcats would continue fighting, the deficit would never be lower than 20 points throughout the remainder of the game.

Yet again, the Bobcats lack of depth caused issues as head coach Saul Phillips only used three subs in the blowout loss. Freshman forward A.J. Garari made his collegiate debut. In his first game, Garari played 11 minutes for Ohio but missed each of his three field goals and finished with two points off free throws. At the end of the first half, the Ohio bench had failed to connect on any of the five shots they attempted. Garari’s two free throws were the only points they scored in the opening half.

The Bobcats look to pickup their first conference win Saturday afternoon when they host the Northern Illinois Huskies. Central Michigan will travel to Kent State to take on the Golden Flashes Saturday night.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio will use a new seal on high school diplomas to recognize students who demonstrate certain workplace characteristics that aren’t explicitly reflected in their grades, such as reliability, leadership and a commitment to being drug-free.

Ohio employers helped identify 15 skills required for the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal. Student can qualify if mentors from school, work or the community validate that they have demonstrated all those skills. The list includes creativity, problem-solving, punctuality, effective teamwork and communication, familiarity with digital technology and an ability to learn from diverse people.

State officials say the seal helps students show their job-readiness to colleges and potential employers.

For the class of 2018 only, the seal also will count toward the requirements of an alternative pathway for students to earn a diploma.

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From the cold weather of Ohio to the warm, sandy beaches of Nassau, the Ohio Bobcats (9-4, 5-3) traveled down to the Bahamas and put a beat down on the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers (8-5, 6-3), 41-6 in the Bahamas Bowl.

Ohio established the running game early, getting A.J. Ouellette into the trenches, but a nagging shoulder injury put the junior running back on the sideline in the first quarter. However, they have great depth at the position, Dorian Brown stepped in had a huge outing for the green and white. Brown finished the day with 12 carries for 152 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. In total, they averaged a dominant 9.5 yards per carry which opened up the passing game for quarterback Nathan Rourke.

The Canadian native didn’t have to do much, but when he did sling the ball, he made it count. Two of his first three passes went for touchdowns, including a beautiful 56-yard dime to a wide open Papi White, the bomb set the single-season touchdown record for Ohio. Rourke finished the game 12-of-18 passing with two touchdowns. He also tacked on 30 yards rushing on three carries. White finished the game with four catches, 106 yards, and a touchdown.

The strength of the Blazer’s offense was running back Spencer Brown who ran for over 1,200 yards on 237 carries this season but was stuffed to the tune of 37 yards on 13 carries. The Blazers were forced to abandon the run early, forcing quarterback A.J. Erdely to try to go shot-for-shot with the potent Bobcat offense.

While Erdely didn’t do anything horribly wrong, he wasn’t able to string together any successful drives. The Blazers got into the red zone twice, but both drives resulted in short field goals for UAB. Erdely finished the day 24-of-45 passing for 248 yards.

This is Frank Solich’s first bowl victory since 2012, improving his record to 5-9 overall. This puts him at 3-6 in Ohio, while he was 2-3 in Nebraska.

After falling short of the Mid-American Conference championship game, the Bobcats cap their 2017 season with a nice trip to the beautiful islands of the Bahamas and a blowout victory.

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13 years ago, Frank Solich brought a pedigree of consistency to Ohio Football (8-4, 5-3). Almost 100 wins and nine bowl trips later, the only thing looming over his coaching legacy is the Bobcats record in December.

2-10

That represents Solich’s head-scratching postseason record during his time in Athens, something he hopes to turnaround when he takes one of the most talented Ohio teams in recent memory into Thomas Robinson Stadium for a Bahamas Bowl matchup with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers (8-4, 6-2).

The 2017 season was an offensive showcase for Ohio Football, the team set school records for points per game (38.9), points in a season (467), yards per carry (5.6), and rushing touchdowns (40). Individually, three players set new bars in the Ohio program. Breakout transfer QB Nathan Rourke set records for rushing touchdowns (21), points in a season (132), and touchdowns scored (22). While on the defensive side, CB Bradd Ellis set the team record for season pass breakups (18) and LB Quentin Poling set the career mark for solo tackles (219) and tackles for loss (44).

In early November it seemed like Ohio was destined for consecutive trips to the MAC Championship game but crucial mistakes down the stretch robbed them of any chance at their first conference title since 1968. Now they have an opportunity to salvage a once-promising season with a victory over a UAB team that won’t go down lightly.

Two years ago, the Blazers didn’t have a team to field let alone send to a bowl game.

The university cut the program in 2014 due to financial reasons but following a round of local fundraising, UAB announced the program would return for the 2017 season. What a return season it turned out to be, the Blazers set a school-record for wins and narrowly missed out on a chance to play Lane Kiffin and FAU in the Conference USA Championship Game.

Blazers fans can look to head coach Bill Clark as the biggest reason for success, he stayed with the program following its cancellation and turned UAB into one of the best stories of the season. In a similar offensive fashion as Ohio, UAB is ranked 38th nationally in rushing yards per game (189.7). The Blazers can thank RB Spencer Brown for the majority of that production. The freshman ran for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns on 237 carries this season.

QB A.J. Erdely and his arm weren’t called on often this season but he made the most of each throw accounting for 29 total touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Ohio QB Nathan Rourke’s accuracy struggles in the final month of the season (45.8% completion) could follow him to Nassau. The Blazers own the 22nd ranked pass defense in the nation.

The Bobcats are treating this game as the official start to the 2018 season and a third straight loss isn’t how any of the Bobcat faithful want to ring in the holiday season.

Ohio arrived in the Bahamas on Dec. 18 and kickoff against UAB is set for Dec. 22 at 12:30 p.m. from Thomas Robinson Stadium, coverage can be seen on ESPN.

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Early Signing Day has arrived, and while the Ohio Football team is preparing to take on the UAB Blazers in the Bahamas Bowl, the coaching staff is making calls to recruits across the country confirming their intent to wear the green and white.

Overall, 18 of the 24 targeted recruits signed National Letters of Intent on Dec. 20 with a few more expected to sign in the coming days. The most notable being 3-star safety recruit Jamison Collier, the highest rated player in the Bobcats 2018 class.

Ohio’s 2018 recruiting class is No. 104 in the country and No. 6 in the Mid-American Conference according to 247Sports.

The full details on Ohio Football’s 2018 class can be found here.

Ohio concludes it’s 2017 season on Dec. 22 with a matchup against UAB in the Bahamas Bowl.

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Gavin Block tied the game once.

And he did.

He had a chance to tie it a second time. But the shot hit the rim.

The Ohio Bobcats (5-5) fell to the Marshall Thundering Herd (8-3) 99-96 in OT, on Saturday night.

Down two with 7.9 seconds left. Teyvion Kirk got the inbounds pass. Kirk went around a Kevin Mickle screen. Kirks shot at the rim did not go. Block got the rebound and tipped it in, beating the buzzer. Game tied at 90.

In overtime, Marshall scored six of the first eight points. Mickle stepped to the line, down 96-92 with 37 seconds remaining. Mickle split the pair. Ohio fouled Ajdin Penava with 27 seconds remaining. Penava scored his game-high 33-point on the first free throw. But he missed the second one. With ten seconds remaining, Gollon found Kirk in the left corner for three. Nothing but net. One-point game, 97-96.

Two Jon Elmore free throws gave Marshall a 99-96 lead with 11 seconds left. Block’s three from the top of the key hit the rim but fell to the floor.

In his return to action, Jordan Dartis had a team and career-high 27 points on seven threes. Ohio got back Dartis but lost Mike Laster. Laster, who had 12 points, and was in and out of the lineup and ended the game on the bench.

The game started off with 25 points in the first five minutes. A Jason Carter layup gave Ohio an 18-13 lead. A 17-4 run by Marshall, gave them a 30-22 lead with just under nine minutes remaining. The two teams traded baskets and a pair of Jarron West free throw’s put Marshall up 46-37 at the break. 

To start the second half, Ohio went on a 17-4 run of their own capped off by a Dartis triple. Dartis had nine points in the run.

Over the next six minutes, the two teams traded points until an Elmore jumper tied the game at 68 with 9:10 left. The two teams traded points again until a steal and dunk by Mickle gave Ohio an 80-75 lead with 5:59 left. Six straight by Marshall, gave the Thundering Herd an 81-80 lead. The two teams traded baskets until the Block tip-in, tied the game.

Mickle had a career high 21-points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and nine of his teams 12 blocks. Kirk chipped in 18 points. Penava had a game-high 33 points and 16 rebounds. C.J. Burks chipped in 31 points and Elmore had a triple double, 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.  

 Ohio is back in action on Wednesday when they host Prairie View. Tipoff is set for 7:00.

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It was supposed to be one of Ohio’s toughest non-conference games, and a rematch between Lamonte Bearden and Jaaron Simmons.

Neither one of those happened.

Simmons isn’t a Bobcat anymore and the Ohio Bobcats (5-4) had no problem with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (6-3) on Sunday afternoon. Ohio defeated Western Kentucky 89-84.

Mike Laster hit a pair of free throws to give Ohio a 7-6 lead. Ohio didn’t look back and Western Kentucky didn’t lead again.

Just over three minutes into the game, Bearden was called for a technical foul. The foul was his second of the half. Bearden had to sit for the next seven minutes. With 8:16 to go, Bearden picked up his third foul. He sat the rest of the half and fouled out in the second half.

Those Laster free throws were a part of a 13-2 run to give Ohio a 16-6 lead just six minutes into the game. Back-to-back triples by James Gollon put Ohio up 14. Gollon had a career high 13 points.

Ohio kept the lead above 10 for the rest of the half. A Gollon layup gave Ohio a 40-26 lead. Western Kentucky scored seven of the last nine points of the half and led 42-30.

A 6-0 run to cut it to 42-36. That’s the closest they got until late in the game.

Six points by Kevin Mickle sparked a 13-3 run, giving Ohio a 55-39 advantage.

The two teams traded points for the next seven minutes. A Laster three-point play gave Ohio a 73-58 lead with 5:43 to go in the game.

Then, Western Kentucky woke up. The Hilltoppers outscored Ohio 10-2 and the once 13-point lead was down to five. The two teams traded points until four straight by Western Kentucky cut it to three. But Ohio hit their free throws and won the game.

Ohio was without junior guard Jordan Dartis but got contributions from everyone on the roster. Five players were in double figures. Laster had 23 points. Kirk and Mickle had 17 points each and Jason Carter had 12 points.

For Western Kentucky, Taveion Hollingsworth led the way for Western Kentucky with 19 points. Justin Johnson had 16-points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Dwight Coleby had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Ohio has a few days off before they travel to Huntington, West Virginia to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday.

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The Ohio Bobcats finally got Jason Carter back.

In his first game back, Carter scored six points, grabbed two rebounds in 16 minutes of action, but the Maryland Terrapins spoiled any chance of a return to remember.

Ohio (4-4) traveled to College Park, Maryland on Thursday night to face the Maryland Terrapins (8-3) and Maryland defeated Ohio 87-62.

The game provided Ohio with a good test, to play in front of a hostile crowd against a Big Ten team.

At first, it looked like Ohio would fail this test.

Maryland jumped out to a quick 15-2 lead to start the game, sinking their first five shots of the game. Michael Cekovsky, a 7-foot 1 sophomore from Slovakia, started off strong. Cekovsky had six of Maryland’s first 15 points. Cekovsky finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and shot a perfect six of six from the field.

Maryland continued the hot start and pulled ahead 20-5 with 13:31 remaining in the first half.

A 7-2 run by Ohio, capped off by a James Gollon layup put Ohio down 22-14 with under 10 minutes to go.

Eight quick points by Justin Jackson gave Maryland their largest lead of the half, 16.

From there, the teams traded baskets for the rest of the half. A layup by Carter made it a 41-28 game at the half, in favor of the Terrapins.

Ohio struggled shooting in the first half. Ohio was just 2-9 from beyond the arc. That struggle continued into the second half. Ohio was just 21-60 (35 percent) from the field and 5-20 (25 percent) from 3-point land.

The second half was all Maryland. The Terrapins pulled ahead by 20 just three minutes into the half. Ohio tried to make a run. A Zach Butler layup cut it to 53-41. However, that run came to an end. Seven straight Maryland points put the Terrapins up 19. The lead stayed around 20 for the remainder of the game.

Maryland had four players score in double figures. Kevin Huerter and Anthony Cowan Jr. led the way. Huerter had a game high 17-points. Cowan Jr. filled the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

For Ohio, senior Mike Laster was the only Bobcat to score in double figures with 14 points. Junior Doug Taylor had eight points and six assists.

For the second straight game, Ohio forced at least 15 turnovers on defense. Ohio forced Maryland into 19 miscues and had 10 steals.

Ohio is back in action, on Sunday when they take on Western Kentucky from the Convocation Center. Tipoff is set for 2p.m.

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A James Gollon three-pointer put the Ohio Bobcats up 20-5 with under 14 minutes to go in the first half.

Ohio (4-3) started off hot and did not look back, dominating the Coppin State Eagles (0-7) 79-37.

The 42-point victory is the largest victory in the Saul Phillips era, according to the radio broadcast. The 37 points are the fewest points Ohio allowed in a game since Jan. of 1973 when they allowed 31-points to Marietta.

A Doug Taylor and-one gave Ohio a 21-point lead, 28-7. Ohio did not lead by less than 20 for the remainder of the game.

A Mike Laster jumper and Jordan Dartis triple gave Ohio a 35-point lead, 37-12 with 5:32 remaining in the half.

The Laster bucket gave him nine points for the game. That was just three points less than the entire Coppin State team had.

Kevin Mickle who returned from an injury provided the last bucket of the half and Ohio led 45-17. In his return to action, Mickle had 15 points, five rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes of action.

A Laster dunk put Ohio up 40 just a minute and a half into the second half. From there it was just a matter of running out the clock. Ohio led by around 40 for the rest of the second half. With 17:27 to go in the game, Laster had 18 points. Coppin State as a team had 19 points.

Laster ended with a game-high 18 points. Doug Taylor had five points and 10 rebounds and Gollon chipped in 11 points. Nine players played double-digit minutes for Ohio and all the active players played at least seven minutes. Every player who played scored except Jaylin McDonald and Antonio Bisutti.

Adam Traore led Coppin State with eight points and nine rebounds. The Eagles struggled from deep, finishing three of 25 from beyond the arc.

Ohio will look to continue the dominant play on Thursday when they travel to College Park, Maryland for a battle with the Maryland Terrapins.

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Things as of late have not gone their way, but that hasn’t taken away what the Ohio Bobcats (8-4, 5-3) have accomplished this year.

The Bobcats tied with Western Michigan for the most selections in the Mid-American Conference with 12. RS senior linebacker Quentin Poling was a First Team Defense selection.

The second team was filled with Bobcats. For Second Team All-MAC Offense, there were six total Ohio players. Sophomore quarterback Nathan Rourke, senior center Jake Pruehs, redshirt junior guard Joe Anderson, redshirt junior tackle Joe Lowery, redshirt junior wide receiver Papi White and redshirt junior running back A.J. Ouellette.

White was also named to Third Team All-MAC for his ability on special teams as a punt returner.

On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt senior linebacker Chad Moore  and redshirt sophomore safety Javon Hagan were named Second Team All-MAC Defense.

Joining White on the Third Team was redshirt senior cornerback Bradd Ellis and redshirt sophomore placekicker Louie Zervos.

For Poling, he cemented his legacy as one of the best defenders to wear the green and white.

He led the team with 102 total tackles — 47 of them being solo stops.  He owns the solo stops record at Ohio with 209 for his career.

He also led the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (5.5) this year.

Rourke made quite the introduction in the MAC this year. He set the single-season record for most rushing touchdowns (21) by a player in Ohio history.

He nearly had 3,000 total yards of offense, 2,018 of it via the air on 149-274 attempts and added another 882 yards on the ground. Those 882 yards are the best by any signal caller in Division I

Ouellette needs 20 yards in the team’s final game of the season to break 1,000 yards. He’s done that on just 184 carries (5.32 YPC) and had seven rushing touchdowns. Ouellete broke the century mark four times this season.

Despite missing four games, White led the recieving corps in yards (525) and yards per reception (16.4). He also averaged 6.9 yards per punt return with a long of 20.

What else can you say about Pruehs, Anderson and Lowery. They started every single game to help anchor the Bobcats offense into the record books. The Bobcats’ offense set school records in total points scored (467), points per game (38.9) and rushing touchdowns (40) while also running for nearly a total of 3,000 yards.

Hagan was right behind Poling in  a couple defensive categories. He ranked second on the team with 76 tackles and 39 solo stops. He also forced two turnovers — a fumble and an interception.

Trickling behind Hagan was Moore, who was third on the squad with 74 tackles and 37 solo stops. What seperated him from the rest of his guys in the secondary was turnovers. He led the team with three interceptions.

Ellis broke the Ohio record for most pass breaks up in a season (20). He took both of his interceptions back the other way for touchdowns.

Zervos kept doing his thing. He wasn’t called upon too much this year, but made the most of his opportunities. He went 15-18 on field goals and missed one PAT on 57 attempts.

The Bobcats conclude their season hoping to end their two-game skid on Dec. 22 in the 2017 Bahamas Bowl when they face off with Alabama-Birmingham on ESPN.

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Everybody had the green light Tuesday night as the under-manned Ohio Bobcats fell to the Iona Gaels 93-88 in a match where both teams attempted more than 25 shots from behind the arc.

The Bobcats rallied to close a late double-digit Iona lead to two points. But true freshman guard Teyvion Kirk and senior forward Gavin Block missed free throws with under a minute to go to extinguish the Bobcats chance for a comeback win.

Head coach Saul Phillips, said missing free throws are a disappointing way to lose a game but players must put the past behind them to be successful.

“We made so many big plays to get back into the game, it’s a tragedy that some missed free throws cost us the chance to get the job done,” Phillips said. “But you don’t yell at your kids about that; we’ll shoot some free throws tomorrow.”

Florida Gulf Coast graduate transfer Kevin Mickle sat out with an injury for the second straight game, senior guard, Mike Laster, led all scorers with 23 points on 53 percent shooting (10-19). Laster also had four rebounds and a block. Despite the missed free throws, Block continued to shoot well from behind the arc, finishing with 18 points on 55 percent (5-9) shooting from deep.

It was obvious the three-ball would be an important factor early on as both the Bobcats and the Gaels traded three point baskets to start the game. It wasn’t until after the first five minutes, when the Bobcats led 21-9, that the games first two-point possession was tallied.

Despite leading by as much as 12 points in the first five minutes of the opening half, the Gaels went on a two minute, 10-0 run to tie the game up at 31 with eight minutes remaining. Both teams jockeyed for the lead over the next five minutes as they continued to find success from behind the arc.

But that success came to a screeching halt as the Bobcats were outscored three to two in the final three minutes of the opening half to tie the game up at 42. While the Bobcats were eight for 15 from three in the first half, the Gaels finished the opening period converting on 10 of their 19 three point attempts.

Ohio fought hard to keep the score close in the first five minutes of the second half but the Gaels took advantage of the depleted Ohio bench and extended their lead. Just seven players logged minutes for the Bobcats while Iona played ten.

While Iona continued to score from behind the arc, the Bobcats were forced to go inside, scoring 22 points in the paint, a vast improvement from the nine they scored in the first half.

But driving to the basket takes a physical toll on a player and that was apparent as the Bobcats struggled to keep up with Iona. With just under five minutes left to play, the Bobcats trailed 79-69.

Thanks to two pairs of clutch threes from Block and sophomore guard Jordan Dartis, the Bobcats went on a 14-4 run to tie the game at 83 with 2:45 left in regulation. Despite fighting to close the double-digit deficit, the Bobcats fell 93-88 after Iona hit clutch shots and made their free throws late in the game.

“I think it’s very clear that this group never believes they are out of a game,” Phillips said. “If we can continue to progress with this mindset and this group, we are going to be awfully fun in March.”

With an even three and three record, the Bobcats look to add to the win column as they welcome the Coppin State Eagles to the Convocation Center Friday night at 7p.m.

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Sometimes you have one of those nights where you just have to do enough. For the Ohio Bobcats (4-1), they did just that in a grind-it-out kind of game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonel’s (2-3) as they picked up a 69-57 road win Tuesday night.

The Bobcats’ defense was the difference in the game as the team forced another whopping 27 turnovers that resulted in 28 points. The defense has been the one constant variable that has allowed the team to be winners in four of their first five games.

In a game where the offense shot just 39 percent from the floor – in the early stages of the fourth quarter – went on a 10-0 run in a three-minute stretch that saw the ‘Cats lead balloon to 13 and put the game out of reach.

This was one of the Bobcats’ early-season tests – to see how this young team would respond after its’ first loss of the season, and it passed with a gritty performance away from the Convocation Center.

“To our credit, we did regroup at halftime, and that’s not always the case,” head coach Bob Boldon said. “Some teams just shut it down. This team has shown a lot of heart and a lot of toughness, and I don’t think it’s anything but inexperience to explain that first quarter of defense that we saw.”

The Bobcats’ had four players in double figures – Dominique Doseck (15), Cierra Hooks (14), Taylor Agler (12) and Amani Burke (11) to provide a balanced attack on the offensive end of the floor.

Hooks, the freshmen, has been rock solid off the bench, averaging 12.6 points-per-game – which is tied for the team led with Doseck. Hooks has been in double-figures in four of the teams’ first five games.

Hooks & Co had all they could handle in the first half with Colonel forward Abby Wright and guard Bria Bass, who combined to score 36 of the team’s 59 points and caused the team nightmares all night long. The duo’s fantastic night was something that Boldon was prepared for.

“The first half was not what we’re accustomed to seeing and that’s a learning experience,” Boldon said. “You come off a game where you’ve won a couple and now you think you’re going to come in and beat somebody, that’s not going to happen, especially not on the road.”

After losing to 25th ranked Michigan last Saturday, this was exactly what Boldon needed to see out of his young group.

The Bobcats are back in the Convo this weekend when they take on IUPUI with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m.

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Tied at nine, Doug Taylor had an and-one in the lane to give Ohio a 12-9 lead at the first media time out.  

Ohio took the lead and never looked back.

The Ohio Bobcats (3-2) cruised to a 96- 77 victory over the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (2-3) on Friday night.

Ohio had five players score in double figures and all seven players that played meaningful minutes scored at least six points. In the dominant victory, Ohio shot 55 percent from the field and had just five turnovers for the game.  

This is the first time since Jan. of 2009, that Ohio scored more than 90 points in back-to-back games.

The and-one by Taylor sparked a 23-8 run, which was capped off by a layup by Mike Laster with 8:33 remaining.

The two teams traded buckets for the next five minutes, A pair of Zach Butler free throws gave Ohio a 47-32 lead with 3:13 remaining. Butler had a career-high 12 points.

The two teams traded buckets for the remainder of the half. A three-pointer by Jonah Antonio made it a 13-point advantage, 43-30, for the Bobcats, at the half. At the break, Ohio had just one turnover.

The Bobcats came out firing to start the second half. Ohio went on a 15-5 run over the first five minutes of the half. With 15:00 minutes remaining, Ohio led 68-45. The 23 points, was the largest lead of the game.

From there it was only a matter of running out the clock. Ohio led by at least 15 for all but 50 seconds for the rest of the game.

Doug Taylor had his best game of his career. Taylor had 14 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes of action. Teyvion Kirk had 20 points, six assists and five rebounds. Mike Laster also had 20 points and Jordan Dartis had 15. Gavin Block chipped in seven points, six rebounds and six assists.

Junior Robinson had a game-high 21 points for the Mountaineers. Robinson also had 10 assists and five rebounds. Antonio had 19 and Ryan Gomes added 14 points.

Ohio was once again without Jason Carter. Fellow forward, Kevin Mickle missed the game after leaving the game against Indiana State after playing just five minutes.  The timetable for both of their returns is still unknown.

 

Ohio is back in action on Tuesday when they welcome Iona to the Convocation Center. When these two teams met last year, Iona defeated Ohio 79-75. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

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With the score tied and a little over eight minutes remaining in the Ohio Bobcats (8-4, 5-3) 31-24 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bulls (6-6, 4-4), Michael Farkas booted a line drive punt from his own end zone.

The blustery 25-30 mph wind knocked the ball into the hands of Buffalo returner K.J. Osborn, who proceeded to knife through Ohio’s special teams unit all the way to the six-yard line. two plays later, Buffalo took a 31-24 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke (15-of-30, 265 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 16 carries, 49 yards, 2 TD, 1 fumble) led his team down the field on the ensuing drive, setting up a do-or-die-fourth-down throw in the Buffalo red zone. Rourke eluded the Bulls pass rush but couldn’t thread the needle on a pass intercepted by star Buffalo linebacker Khalil Hodge.

The interception moved Ohio’s turnover ratio to -10 in four losses this season.

Rourke’s second crucial turnover of the day sealed the result against Buffalo, but it wasn’t all bad news for Ohio’s breakout quarterback. His 20th and 21st rushing scores of the season made him Ohio’s all-time leader in single-season rushing touchdowns.

Constant 25-30 mph gusts made the wind a key factor and the field position battle even more crucial. 38 of the 55 points scored in the game came with the wind at the backs of the respective teams. Buffalo took advantage of the elements right from the start.

Buffalo sophomore quarterback Tyree Jackson (19-of-30, 294 yards, 2 TD) gashed the Bobcats early on with a 30-yard score to his number one option, Anthony Johnson (6 catches, 155 yards, 2 TD). The burner lit up the Ohio secondary for two touchdowns in the first quarter and would’ve had an even bigger day had he not dropped a deep touchdown throw during the third quarter.

Ohio steadily chipped away at a 24-10 halftime deficit, forcing the Bulls to punt on five straight drives in the second half. Another dominant third quarter from the Ohio offense tied the game up at 24-24, the Bobcats have now outscored opponents 146-32 in third quarter’s this season.

Rourke played a huge role in the comeback, operating without wide receiver Brendan Cope (ankle) and running back A.J. Ouellette (separated shoulder), the sophomore rallied his troops, most notably wide receiver Cameron Odom (2 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD). Ohio offensive coordinator Tim Albin’s addition of a fake to the speed option led to the Odom strike, but it wasn’t enough to finish the regular season on a high note.

With an 8-4 record, the Bobcats are going bowling next month, although the exact game remains to be seen. The most likely candidates are the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl or The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Ohio can start game planning for their postseason opponent when the full slate of bowls is released following next Saturday’s conference title games.

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