Ohio defeated Eastern Michigan 74-68 in its Mid-American Conference home opener Tuesday night in The Convo.
Jordan Dartis led Ohio with 26 points, four rebounds and two assists. The redshirt senior got his night started early after he opened the game of with three 3-pointers. He had a key series of shots in the second half making back-to-back corner 3s as the Bobcats stretched their lead over the Eagles.
Frustrations were evident in the first half and were seen when coach Jeff Boals pulled starting point guard Jason Preston in favor for walk-on Miles Brown. The frustrations were mostly caused by the Eagles usage of the 2-3 zone defense and the Bobcats’ inability to figure out how to move the ball against it.
The frustrations were erased, however, once Ohio utilized the three-man passing lane and swing the ball on the perimeter looking for the open shot as the zone moved from person to person.
It just happened that Dartis was the one receiving all the open looks for the Bobcats.
While he had a larger role in facilitating the offense, Preston still managed to finish with 13 points despite being pulled for the first time in the early goings of a game this season.
Ohio continues its MAC schedule when it welcomes East Division rival and preseason favorite Bowling Green to The Convo on Saturday.
Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
