Ohio lost its second consecutive and fifth overall Mid-American Conference game after a 88-86 bout against Akron on Saturday in The Convo.
Once again, the Bobcats played in a game of up-and-down moments, the very definition of their conference season thus far.
Down 16 at halftime, they took the second half by storm and went on a 15-3 run that lasted three minutes and 16 seconds. Sophomore point guard Jason Preston led the charge for Ohio not only by scoring seven points – including a 3-pointer from the edge of the green “O” on the half-court logo – but also by facilitating the ball into the hands of Miles Brown, Lunden McDay and Sylvester Ogbonda.
The near-perfect run came to an end and the ensuing game was a back-and-forth between the two teams. Jordan Dartis brought the game within two in the final seconds, but the Bobcats were unable to get a possession or a shot off in an attempt to win the game.
The Bobcats (10-10, 2-5 MAC) from the early goings of the game were tested on both ends of the courts from the Zips. On inbound passes, Preston was pressed early from Akron’s Loren Cristian Jackson.
Ohio’s inability to easily shake off the pressure forced it to have several possessions take up most of the 25-second shot clock, including a few buzzer beaters and misses from names like Mason McMurray and McDay.
The first half did have its bright spots, however, for the Bobcats. In a two minute and 11 second span, they rallied back from a nine-point deficit and behind the shooting ability from Dartis and McDay, the Bobcats were within two from the Zips.
That’s as close as Ohio would get in the first half, where after its 12-5 run, Akron closed out the first half on a 17-2 run.
The Bobcats return to the court on Jan. 28 when they travel to DeKalb, Illinois, to play Northern Illinois.
