Ohio opened its Mid-American Conference portion of the schedule with a 77-65 loss on the road to Western Michigan.
The Bobcats (8-6, 0-1 MAC) had a fully healthy roster for the first time this season after nine different players saw time on the floor in Saturday’s loss.
Redshirt sophomore Ben Vander Plas led Ohio with 16 points and 13 rebounds on 37 minutes.
3 - Three players for Ohio either reached foul trouble or fouled out against the Broncos. Sylvester Ogbonda fouled out early on as he only tallied 17 minutes of floor time with just two points on 25% shooting. Guards Jordan Dartis and Lunden McDay both had four fouls on 23 and 22 minutes respectively. The two combined for 20 points.
40 - Once again, sophomore point guard Jason Preston played a full 40 minutes. While it’s no longer a surprise, it is one that could start to begin in playing an almost degressive role for Ohio. How long can Preston consistently play at this level? Granted, he did finish the day with 11 points, four rebounds and seven assists, but his longevity and health 14 games into a season should be helped at all costs.
16 - Ohio’s five bench players combined for 16 points in the loss. In his first appearance of the season, guard Connor Murrell scored seven points in 19 minutes of floor time. He also had seven rebounds and one assist. Ben Roderick also made his second debut after missing six weeks because of a broken hand. The freshman had six points in 21 minutes of floor time.
24.2 - The Bobcats went 8-for-33 from the 3-point line. Their highest percentage shooter was Roderick who shot 40% from the beyond-the-arc.
What’s next?
Ohio will play in The Convo for the first time in the new decade on Tuesday when it hosts Eastern Michigan for its second MAC game of the season. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
