Ohio earned its second win of the season in an easy 88-50 win over Heidelberg on Saturday to give new coach Jeff Boals his first win in The Convo.
Here are some key numbers from the win that advanced the Bobcats to 2-0:
50.8 — Ohio shot 50.8 percent from the field and went 31-for-61 against Heidelberg. The Student Princes were far from a formidable opponent, but the Bobcats haven’t been hurt by a lack inexperience or shooting ability in their first two games. Boals has to be happy so far with the progress of a roster that features eight freshmen.
13 — The Bobcats made 13 shots from beyond the arc against the Princes. Ben Vander Plas, Jordan Dartis and Mason McMurray all hit three 3-pointers and went a combined 9-for-17 from 3-point range. Their work was perhaps the biggest reason why the Bobcats clinched their first blowout of the season.
11 — Jason Preston’s contributions notched his second double-double in as many games after he recorded 11 assists to complement 16 points. Preston now leads the Bobcats with 13.5 points per game.
8 — Rebounds from freshman Nolan Foster, who also contributed 12 points off the bench and appears to be in line for more playing time early this season, as Ohio continues to recover from some preseason injuries. Ben Roderick, one of the Bobcats’ top recruits, has yet to play, but the Bobcats haven’t missed him nearly as much, thanks to Foster.
37 — Ohio maintained a lead for over 37 minutes for the second consecutive game. After a bit of a slow start, the Bobcats took control over the Princes and — except for six-straight missed shots in the final two minutes of the first half — never lost their shooting stroke. That was expected against a DIII opponent, but after two games, Ohio couldn’t have done much more to prove that it can be a competitive team despite its young roster.
What’s next
The Bobcats will travel to Iona for a 7 p.m. tipoff Wednesday. Their next Saturday opponent, however, could be their toughest of the season when they travel to 2018 NCAA Champion, No. 10 Villanova on Nov. 16.
