The early bird may get the worm, but it seems that the late one gets the win.
At least that’s been the case for a slow-starting Ohio team, which overcame an 18-point second half deficit, finishing Wednesday’s game against Central Michigan on a 41-19 run to top the Chippewas 71-67.
“Last year, we didn’t know how to finish,” said Ohio senior forward Jon Smith. “I think this year we’re starting to grasp that a little bit better. We’re still working to put two halves together.”
It’s a story that’s become all too common for the Bobcats, as they’ve struggled mightily in the first 20 minutes of each game in Mid-American Conference play.
Ohio (15-5, 5-2 MAC) shot a respectable 39 percent in the first half but couldn’t take care of the ball, turning it over to Central Michigan (7-12, 0-7 MAC) nine times and helping the Chippewas to a 33-25 lead at the half on the heels of a 13-0 run.
“Really, if you look at it, it’s our turnovers,” Smith said. “When we turn the ball over a lot, we have a low success rate and (are) not getting to the back board offensively. It’s just creating more shots.”
Central Michigan also outrebounded Ohio 20-16 in the first half and brought in nine offensive rebounds to the Bobcats’ four. Ohio finished the game with a 39-32 edge on the glass.
Those struggles continued into the second stanza, as the Bobcats turned the ball over four times in the first five minutes and gave Central Michigan an 18-point cushion with 14:48 remaining in the game.
Part of those struggles can be credited to an uncharacteristically stout Central Michigan defense that allowed the highest shooting percentage in the conference before Wednesday’s game.
The Chippewas suffocated the Bobcats with a full-court press and a 2-3 zone similar to those that gave Ohio trouble in its past two contests against Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan.
Pressure on the defensive end led to Bobcats turnovers that resulted in easy transition hoops for the Chippewas, who scored 19 points off of turnovers and had four players score 10 or more points.
But the Bobcats blitzed Central Michigan in the remaining 14:48, only turning the ball over twice and scoring on all but six of their final 27 possessions.
“Coming into the second half, I told my teammates, ‘We’ve been here before,’ ” said junior forward Maurice Ndour. “(The comeback) wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t a surprise at all. You’ve just got to stay together and that’s what happened.”
Ndour recorded his third double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 21 points to pair with 11 rebounds. It’s the 11th time he’s recorded at least eight rebounds and his sixth time with at least 20 points.
@c_hoppens
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Fast Facts
Ohio 71, Central Michigan 67
- Ohio trailed by 18 points with 14:48 remaining, giving it a win probability of 5.5 percent, according to KenPom
- Maurice Ndour led the Bobcats with 21 points and 11 rebounds
- The Bobcats finished the game on a 41-19 run, improving to 15-5 and 5-2 in MAC play
