The Bobcats have two games remaining in the regular season and are looking to snap their six-game losing streak before the MAC Tournament hits.
After holding the same starting lineup for the majority of the season, especially during Mid-American Conference play, Ohio coach Saul Phillips made some changes prior to Friday’s game against Akron.
Although redshirt senior guard Javarez “Bean” Willis was coming off an ankle sprain, he started. However, Phillips inserted fellow senior guard Stevie Taylor into the lineup for the first time since Dec. 13, looking for a fresh start.
It was a move to spark something Phillips hasn’t seen from his freshmen who have rotated through the starting lineup. Although he said he won’t solidify his plan until Tuesday for the Bobcats’ game in Buffalo, he said the “results weren’t remarkably different.”
So, with whatever combination he goes with, Phillips is looking to stop making history by snapping the longest losing streak by Ohio (9-18, 4-12 MAC) since 1998.
“It’s the time of the season where hopefully the seniors have a sense of urgency and play accordingly,” he said. “Let’s face it, when you’re only sitting on four conference wins at this time of the year, urgency is a major part of what you do.
“Anything you can, you just try to get any kind of momentum you can get going forward.”
Ohio will head to Buffalo, New York, to take on the Bulls Tuesday. One of the three seniors, forward Maurice Ndour, was the hero in the last meeting against Buffalo (19-9, 10-6 MAC) on Jan. 24. The Bobcats won the matchup 63-61 on a last-possession dunk by Ndour, capping his 31-point career day.
But the game came with Buffalo shooting 41 percent in the first half and out-rebounding the Bobcats 45-30, including 20 offensive boards. Ohio has continued to struggle with boxing out opponents on the defensive end, which has led to 43 offensive rebounds by its past three opponents — where it was outscored 88-70 in the paint.
Phillips wants to see a better effort inside, especially when one of his big men, sophomore Antonio Campbell was able to find success with three straight double-doubles during that three-game stretch. Phillips said “it’s going to take a five-man effort to stop them.”
“We don’t have anyone who’s going to be able to take a possession off. We gotta make sure that we are very vigilant in finishing off every possession,” Phillips said. “Individually, man-on-man, they have some advantages on us.”
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Bobcats are guaranteed to be playing in a road game in the first round of the MAC Tournament. Securing a win or two in the final two games could spark a fire under the Bobcats, and it would also give them a chance to increase their seeding in the standings, giving them the opportunity to play a lesser seed in the first round.
As of Tuesday, the Bobcats would travel back to Akron to face the Zips (18-11, 9-7 MAC) in the opening round.
After the Bobcats' loss in Akron Friday, Campbell said focus is the biggest key to turning things around before the losing streak hits seven — which last happened in 1981.
“Some people lose focus, worrying about what they’re doing on offense and if their man is beating them out on defense,” he said on Friday. “That can cause lack of defensive awareness. We lose our man sometimes and fall asleep.
“It happens, but we’ve let that happen too much lately.”
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