Ohio falls to Florida State in the final game of the Paradise Jam Tournament Monday.
Towards the end of Ohio's 90-81 loss to Florida State on Monday, there was a slight scuffle between the two teams.
Nothing came out of it — it was mostly just two energetic teams jarring at one another — but the Bobcats' passion on the court showed their transition from a 10-20 campaign just eight months ago.
"As we get these freshman better, and play them for longer spurts, I can mix and match," coach Saul Phillips said last week. "We can go with bigger lineups, we can go with lineups that stretch the floor. And I'm still learning that, to be honest with you. I'm still learning what works when."
Ohio, now 3-2, will have a few days of rest after contending in a back-and-forth matchup with Florida State Monday — the third game in four days in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Against Florida State, Ohio crawled back from a 13-point deficit before taking a three-point lead with a little under nine minutes to go in the second half.
Fouls were a factor, however, with the Bobcats committing 23 and the Seminoles converting 74 percent from the line. The Bobcats only lead for 40 seconds after a Jordan Dartis 3-pointer.
Dartis lead the Bobcats' offense with 24 points, as point guard Jaaron Simmons fell into foul trouble, and junior Antonio Campbell added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Kenny Kaminski had 18 points.
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"I have to be aggressive at times, I have to make some shots when I'm open, not turn the ball over and play good defense," Dartis said.
Jaaron Simmons, who played more than 35 minutes in three consecutive games for the Bobcats, was inefficient Monday only scoring three points and tallying seven assists before fouling out late in the second half.
Regardless, it was a step in the correct direction for Phillips and company, who were predicted to finish third in the Mid-American Conference.
The Bobcats will return to action against Marshall on Dec. 1 in The Convo and probably stay more level-headed against a Thundering Herd team that has played just a single game this season.
"Coach (Phillips) has preached to us all preseason that we're going to be a streaky team," redshirt senior Treg Setty said earlier in the season. "We're going to get on good streaks where we hit a lot of shots, we're going to get on bad streaks where we don't hit a lot of shots. The main thing is staying consistent."
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