The Bobcats were unable to snap their recent losing streak on Friday, increasing it to six games — the most since 1998.
AKRON —
Antonio Campbell cringed when he was reminded that Ohio hasn’t won a game in almost a month.
This losing streak, which was extended to six games following the Bobcats’ 70-58 loss Friday, is now Ohio’s longest skid since 1998, and also its longest Mid-American Conference losing streak since 1981.
But the 12-point loss didn’t start in that fashion. It took a couple familiar runs by the opposition, as Akron (18-11, 9-4 MAC) took a 12-4 run into halftime. After scoring the first seven points of the game, Ohio lost its early lead and went into halftime down by four. The Zips then hit their stride during a 16-4 run just past midway through the second half and outscored the Bobcats 43-35 in the final 20 minutes.
The run to end the half was a momentum killer for coach Saul Phillips and Ohio, while it picked Akron up in front of a crowd of 3,676 in James A. Rhodes Arena on senior night. The Bobcats (9-18, 4-12 MAC) didn’t hit a field goal in the final 4:17 of the opening half.
“I definitely felt the momentum shift on the sideline with our bench and our energy,” Phillips said. “We had been taking good care of the ball to that point — you can’t afford to do that on the road against a good team.”
Allowing extended runs has become a clear problem for Ohio this season, but as of late, the issues have stemmed from the way that the Bobcats react and lead in those pressure situations.
Campbell, a sophomore forward, said he thinks Friday was a lost opportunity, especially after the way they started the game, while Akron missed its first four shots.
“We have yet this year to put a solid 40 minutes together,” Campbell said. “We talk before the game and go, ‘Let’s go get us a win,’ and this and that, (but) things start going bad on the court, then it’s back to the old ways.”
After spraining his ankle on Tuesday against Bowling Green, redshirt senior guard Javarez “Bean” Willis was questionable for Friday’s game, but Phillips put him into the starting lineup. The ankle wasn’t an issue, though, as he finished with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting and played 36 minutes.
Akron, on the other hand, entered the game without their point guard, Noah Robotham, which forced freshman Antino Jackson into just his fourth start. After struggling with two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the first half, Jackson finished the game leading the Zips with 13 points and five assists.
“I give (Jackson) a lot of credit as well for really running the show tonight,” Phillips said.
Campbell again led Ohio with his ninth double-double of the season, with a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bobcats still shot just 32 percent from the field. They were able to get to the free throw line, though, as they hit 18-of-20 attempted. Maurice Ndour scored eight of his 13 points at the stripe (8-for-9), as he struggled from the field, shooting a mere 2-for-12.
After being outrebounded 84-64 in the past two games and allowing 16 offensive rebounds in their last matchup with Akron, the Bobcats had just five less rebounds than the Zips and were beaten by just four in the paint. But, it didn’t matter when everything was said and done.
“Some nights you’re just kind of grabbing for whatever you can get and tonight was certainly a night where not much came easy for us,” Phillips said. “Some of that is a huge credit to them and some of it is a shame on us.”
@Alex_Busch91
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