Ohio ended the game on a 9-0 run, capped by a go-ahead three-pointer from D.J. Cooper to clinch a 72-69 comeback victory against Buffalo.
Pregame
After ending then-No. 24 Akron's 19-game winning streak Saturday, Buffalo will attempt to defeat Ohio Tuesday evening, the No. 2 seed in the Mid-American Conference.
The Bobcats (21-8, 12-2 MAC) will look to avoid the same fate as the Zips, as well as secure a number of individual and team records in the contest.
Senior guard D.J. Cooper needs just one make from beyond the arc to break Tommy Freeman's program record of 259 three-point makes. Also, Cooper is only six points away from becoming the first player in Division I history to record 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals.
As a team, the Bobcats need just three assists to break the single-season record of 539 assists.
However, having won four of its past six games, Buffalo (12-17, 7-7 MAC) is hitting its stride heading before the MAC Tournament
Junior forward Javon McCrea has helped Buffalo pick up its pace, which earned him the MAC East player of the week award Monday.
McCrea finished the Akron victory with 26 points, six rebounds and four blocks, as he is first on the Bulls in each of those categories on the season. McCrea also leads the MAC in points per game since the beginning of conference play.
Ohio was victorious in the teams' first meeting to begin conference play, 86-68. Cooper led the Bobcats offensively with 21 points, while senior forward Reggie Keely added 19 points.
The Bobcats have also won five consecutive meetings with the Bulls, including three wins last season.
Look back at the Bobcats’ last game, a 13-point win against Bowling Green, here. Read the game preview here and follow The Post Sports on Twitter for game updates.
First Half
After missing Saturday's game against Bowling Green because of injury, junior forward T.J. Hall returned to the starting lineup.
The starting rotation was as follows: senior guard D.J. Cooper, junior guard Nick Kellogg, senior guard Walter Offutt, Hall and senior forward Reggie Keely.
Freshman guard Jarryn Skeete scored five of Buffalo's first seven points of the game with a three-pointer and a layup.
Keely scored the first points of the game for Ohio with a layup in the post, but Buffalo jumped out to a 9-2 run before the Bobcats called the first timeout of the game with 17:37 remaining.
McCrea then scored his first points of the game from downtown, pushing the Bulls out to a 10-point lead, before Kellogg made an outside jumper for Ohio's second basket.
Cooper then connected from downtown for the 260th time in his career, putting him first in program history from beyond the arc. He then made a layup on the Bobcats' ensueing possession, putting Ohio down 16-9 with 14:11 remaining.
After a media timeout, McCrea drove to the basket for a layup, before making a free throw on the next possession.
Sophomore guard Stevie Taylor checked in for the Bobcats after an Ohio timeout. He scored a quick jumper, followed by a steal and layup in hist first minute on the court.
Baltic then made a jumper on Ohio's next possession, cutting the Bobcats' deficit to just four points. However, McCrea then scored his ninth points of the night.
Taylor provided a major spark for the Bobcats with another made jumpshot. He had six points in less than three minutes.
Cooper then became the sixth player in program history to score 2,000 points with a three-pointer, which also cut the deficit to just one point.
Offutt was then fouled on the Bobcats' next possession, but the senior connected on both free throws.
After a Buffalo timeout, Hall scored his first points of the night with a lauyp to put the Bobcats ahead 26-25. The lead was short-lived, when Buffalo senior center Cameron Downing made a pair of free throws.
Baltic then made another jumper to shift the lead again in Ohio's favor, before Cooper went coast-to-cost for a layup, giving him 10 points in just 15 minutes.
After being fouled by Kellogg, Skeete made a pair of free throws, but junior guard Travis Wilkins made a jumper for the Bobcats to regain the lead.
Cooper then made his third make from downtown in the game after a Taylor steal, which was followed by jumper from Baltic and another Cooper three-pointer.
Ohio jumped out to a seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
Baltic then made a turnaround post move, which counted for Ohio's final points of the first half.
Halftime: Ohio 42, Buffalo 37
After trailing 21-13, the Bobcats finished the half on a 29-16 run, despite Buffalo leading the first 12 minutes of play. Both teams made more than 50 percent of their shots from the field, but Ohio was able to attempt five more shots.
Cooper led the Bobcats with 16 points, including going 4-for-7 from three. He also broke the record for most three-pointers in a career and became the sixth Bobcat with 2,000 points.
Baltic had scored just 14 points in the past five games, but finished the first half with 10 points, while Taylor added six points off the bench.
However, Ohio was out-rebounded 18-10, as 10 Bobcats each grabbed one rebound.
Second Half
Buffalo scored the first five points of the half to tie the game, after a McCrea layup and a three-pointer from sophomore forward Will Regan.
The Bobcats went 3:35 before scoring their first points, which came from a three-pointer from Kellogg before the first media timeout.
Cooper then pushed the lead out to five points, after a layup, before assisting junior forward Jon Smith for a dunk on the next possession.
Baltic then made a jumper before Buffalo called a timeout. Ohio was on a 9-0 run, which was ended by a Regan three-pointer after the break in action.
Each team then traded baskets, with Smith finishing a one-handed dunk for the Bobcats and Regan making a layup for the Bulls.
Buffalo ended the 12-minute media timeout on a 7-0 run following a McCrea layup.
The Bulls' run was ended by a jumper from Keely, which was just his second make of the night. Cooper then stole the ball and made a teardrop layup to give him 20 points in the contest.
Junior forward Ricardo Johnson scored his first point of the game from the free throw line. McCrea then made a layup for the Bulls.
Kellogg committed two quick fouls, which resulted in four points from sophomore guard Tony Watson at the free throw line.
Buffalo cut Ohio's lead to just one-point when junior guard Auraum Nuiriankh drove through the lane for a lay-up, before a pair of Watson free throws allowed the Bulls to take a 61-60 lead.
The Bulls' 12-0 run was ended by a Smith dunk, before Nuiriankh responded with a layup — the Bulls then led by three points.
Offutt was fouled and stepped to the line, but was able to make just one-of-two attempts, before Regan made a layup on Buffalo's next possession.
Ohio then called a timeout, in attempt of halting an 18-3 run from Buffalo.
Keely then scored three points wuth a layup and free throw on consecutive possessions, cutting the deficit to just three points.
After a Skeete foul, Cooper stepped to the line, but he only made the first free throw. The Bobcats trailed 69-60 with less than two minutes remaining.
Cooper drained a deep three-pointer, as Ohio re-gained the lead, 70-69, but Baltic missed an attempt from beyond the arc on Ohio's next possession.
Buffalo had the ball with 30.5 seconds.
Keely blocked a layup attempt by Skeete, which forced the ball out of bounds. Watson then missed a three-pointer, which was rebounded by Ohio, giving the Bobcats the ball with 2.2 seconds remaining.
The Bobcats inbounded the ball to Kellogg, who was fouled with one second remaining. He made both free throws.
FINAL: Ohio 72, Buffalo 69
Ohio finished the game on a 9-0 run over the final 3:52, capped by a go-ahead three-pointer from Cooper to clinch a 7-1 record on the road in the regular season.
Statistics
Cooper: 24 points (5-of-10 3pt FG), five assists, two steals.
Baltic: 12 points, two rebounds, two assists.
Keely: Nine points, six rebounds, one block.
Kellogg: Seven points, two rebounds.
Ohio committed just seven turnovers; forced 19.
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Regan: 20 points, eight rebounds.
McCrea: 19 points, five rebounds, five assists.
Watson: 11 points, 11 rebounds.
Buffalo out-rebounded Ohio 43-22.
Reactions
"It came down to getting stops. (Buffalo) went up and we had six of seven stops and kept our composure, which is really good for us, because in these situations we haven't done that." — coach Jim Christian, on Ohio's ability to comeback.
"You get criticized when you don't hit those shots, but coach Christian has put a lot of confidence in me and I trust him myself as well. I work hard and practice those shots in the gym, so I take my practice habits to the game and step up and knock them down." — Cooper, on hitting the go-ahead basket.
"Teams have been playing me different all year. You just have to read the defense and tonight they were going a little bit soft on me, so I scored more instead of getting my guys involved." — Cooper, on scoring 24 points.
"We let them back in the game on the glass. (Buffalo) is a really good rebounding team, last time they had 17 offensive rebounds and this time they had 14. We can't keep doing that." — Christian, on being out-rebounded 43-22.
"Ivo's a good player and we just had to keep him going. He's one of those guys that once he hits a couple you can see his confidence growing, and he played a good game." — Christian, on Baltic breaking a recent offensive slump.
Up Next
Ohio will host Miami Saturday for the Bobcats' final home game of the regular season.
The RedHawks (3-12, 8-19 MAC) fell to Akron Tuesday 72-58, marking their seventh consecutive defeat and 11th in the past 12 games The Bobcats were victorious in the teams’ first meeting of the season 74-62, led by three Ohio players finishing with double-digit points.
cl027410@ohiou.edu
