Ohio is still searching for its first win and will host Toledo on Wednesday in The Convo.
Saul Phillips joked about putting speed bumps on the floor of The Convo before Wednesday’s game in order to stop the high-powered Toledo offense.
With the struggles as of late for Ohio, the Bobcats will try anything to get their first Mid-American Conference win, especially with the MAC’s top 3-point shooting team coming to Athens.
That isn’t stopping Ohio (5-8, 0-2 MAC) from being confident, however, now that it’s back for its first game of the Spring Semester — meaning students likely will be at the game.
Senior forward Maurice Ndour, who admits he’s missed the O-Zone and the student crowd, understands the difficulty of playing Toledo (9-6, 1-1 MAC). But while Ohio searches for its first MAC victory, the effort and intensity will be there, he said, unlike in the last two games.
“The energy is going to be there, no doubt, but let’s hope we can do better things on offense this time,” Ndour said. “I’m just looking forward to this game. I think we can really beat them.”
Last Saturday, Ndour and sophomore forward Antonio Campbell had the pleasure — or lack thereof — of matching up against Bowling Green’s big man, Richaun Holmes, who had 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.
Wednesday, Ndour will have another challenge against Toledo’s J.D. Weatherspoon, a senior, who went toe-to-toe with Ndour last season. He ranks in the top 10 in the MAC this season in rebounding and field goal percentage, with the league’s third-best defensive rebounds per game (5.8 rebounds).
Phillips pointed to frustration in the locker room as motivation for the Bobcats. They will be taking on a team that — along with being the top 3-point shooting in the MAC — brings the second-highest scoring offense (74.9 points per game) and the third-best shooting percentage (.463). Toledo’s Julius Brown also ranks third in the league with 14.9 points per game.
Phillips pointed to the parity in the MAC this season, saying no team in the MAC East seems to be too dominating. Toledo, however, plays in the MAC West.
“With our half of the MAC, it looks like it’s going to be any given night anything can happen,” Phillips said. “Two games in a row would put us right back in the fray … it’s time to go.”
Phillips didn’t mention any changes in personnel, despite the struggle to score and rebound in the past two games. He doesn’t feel that anyone has done anything out of the ordinary to deserve a different role, but the lineup is “wide open if anyone wants to step forward.
“It takes a spark. I don’t care what it is, we just need it to happen,” Phillips said. “We’ll just keep pushing buttons with them until we hit the right one.”
@Alex_Busch91
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