The Bobcats have confidence moving forward after winning their first MAC game Wednesday.
Coaches tend to speak in clichés.
Saul Phillips had said during Ohio’s four-game losing streak to begin Mid-American Conference play that nothing is as bad as it seems. Although the Bobcats broke that streak Wednesday against the Cardinals, they probably aren’t as good as they seem.
But Ohio has confidence heading into Saturday’s game against Buffalo — something that had been lacking the past couple weeks.
“I felt really good out there on the court. I felt comfortable. I felt like my own self for a while,” senior guard Stevie Taylor said. “I was definitely due for that and I think my teammates really helped me.
“We needed that for our confidence moving forward.”
The Bobcats (6-10, 1-4 MAC) recorded team highs by making 13 of 18 3-pointers Wednesday, assisting on 20 field goals and stealing the ball nine times. It was an all-around team victory for a squad that had lost three of its previous four games by double-digits.
Taylor made 7 of 8 field goal attempts to finish with 18 points. Fellow seniors Javarez “Bean” Willis and Maurice Ndour added 27 and 17 points, respectively.
Phillips said after the game that it was apparent Ohio’s three seniors were “sick of losing” by looking at the box score.
“I told Bean all he has to do is go 7 for 9 from three and we’ll win a lot of games. It’s that easy — I don’t know what he’s waiting for,” Phillips jokingly said.
The Bobcats shot 62 percent from the floor and 72 percent from beyond the arc. They aren’t going to shoot those percentages every game, but the Bobcats were able to make each other better by sharing the ball, which was a focal point at practice earlier this week.
“Sometimes you go into a slump and that’s why you’ve got one game after one game,” Willis said. “I think I got myself ready to play.”
Buffalo (12-5, 3-2 MAC) lost to Central Michigan Wednesday despite leading by seven points at halftime. The Bobcats, who have struggled to start games, fell behind 10-3 during the first five minutes against the Cardinals.
“That kind of stuff happens. Teams get out on runs on us all the time,” Taylor said. “We have to figure out not to let teams do that it use early on, but if it does happen we still have the confidence to let people know we can come back.”
Bulls’ junior forward Justin Moss is averaging a league-high 24 points in five MAC contests. Last weekend against Miami, he became the first player this season to score 30 points and grab 15 rebounds against a Division I opponent.
Even facing the task of trying to contain Moss and Shannon Evans — the MAC’s two leading scorers — the Bobcats will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
“They don’t seem nearly as up as they were down when it was going poorly,” Phillips said Wednesday. “If you’re going to allow yourself to ride that rollercoaster, well then you better let the peaks get a little bit higher than they are now.”
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