Since losing all four non-conference road games, Ohio has taken four of five Mid-American Conference contests away from the friendly confines of The Convo.
For the first time since losing to Oklahoma in their last game of 2012, the Bobcats have an opportunity to carve a notch in the non-conference win column Saturday in an ESPN BracketBuster matchup with Belmont.
Ohio (20-6, 11-1 MAC) will fly out of Port Columbus International Airport on Friday, the destination being Nashville, Tenn., and the Bruins’ Curb Event Center.
Though the teams have never met, it will not be the Bobcats’ first trip to The Curb, as they practiced there during their stay in Nashville for the NCAA Tournament this past season.
The Bobcats aren’t viewing the game as one that could potentially bolster their chances of making this year’s tournament as an at-large bid, but are more concerned with keeping a full head of steam coming off a 23-point win against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday.
Still, the BracketBuster game is Ohio’s only distraction from conference play this time of year, which remains its primary point of emphasis.
Furthermore, beyond Belmont (21-6, 12-2 Ohio Valley Conference) waits conference heavyweight Akron, which gives the Bobcats extra motivation to keep the momentum they have gained throughout their five-game winning streak alive.
“It’s a tough game because our main focus is on conference play and winning the league title,” Ohio redshirt senior guard Walter Offutt said. “At the same time, we can’t forget about winning this game. It can be a momentum game going into the Akron game or it can be a deflator game heading into Akron.”
A chief area of importance for Ohio will be to obstruct Belmont’s opportunities from the perimeter. The Bruins boast the nation’s No. 9 three-point shooting attack, and feature six regulars who shoot better than 35 percent from beyond the arc.
Belmont senior guard Ian Clark’s play this season has caught the eye of Ohio coach Jim Christian and every other opponent on the Bruins’ schedule, as he leads their offensive charge with 18 points per game on 55 percent shooting. He also holds a 48 percent mark from long range — good for second in the nation, as of Monday’s weekly NCAA tabulation.
“(Belmont) is a really good offensive team that spreads the floor really well,” Christian said. “They have a really good point guard and shoot the ball well from five spots from three.”
Christian hasn’t been keen on the Bobcats’ three-point shooting, of late — they shot just less than 31 percent from long range in each of their last two games — but said as long as his scorers are shouldering their share of the load, all is well.
Seasoned shooter Nick Kellogg, a junior guard, has hit less than 30 percent of his three-pointers in MAC play, but has blazed a path to the hoop more frequently.
“If he hits four threes and gets 12 points or if he gets fouled three times and hits three layups — 12 points is 12 points,” Christian said.
Like the Bobcats, the Bruins are a pass-happy bunch, as they average 16 helpers per game — the 21st-best mark in the country. They’re still 2.6 per game short of Ohio, however, which leads the country in assists per game.
Christian said the team-first mentality stems from the play of senior guard D.J. Cooper, who pinned down a tie for the No. 13 spot on the NCAA all-time assist list Wednesday with a 10-dish performance.
“When you’re best player is unselfish like that it spreads,” Christian said. “I think that’s why we lead the nation in assists … I think the mindset goes to each and every guy.”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
