In a collective effort of 3-point shooting and defensive prowess down the stretch, Ohio found ways to defeat Central Michigan in a 77-69 final on Tuesday night in The Convo.
Jordan Dartis led Ohio with 27 points on another strong night from beyond-the-arc. The redshirt senior finished the game 7-for-12 from 3-pointers and went on a personal 9-5 run in the second half that helped Ohio get into position to take over the game.
The second half, highlighted by Dartis’ 3’s, was a showcase in the Bobcats ability to shoot from deep. Jason Preston, Ben Vander Plas and Lunden McDay all made 3-pointers.
Ohio as of late has played with a small ball lineup in an attempt to maximize its shooters and put opponents in uncomfortable positions by having their big-men play out on the wings. Against the Chippewas, however, the Bobcats normal lineup took over in the second half.
In particular, center Sylvester Ogbonda put in strong defensive minutes highlighted by a forced shot clock violation down the stretch in the second half that allowed Ohio to stretch its lead.
The graduate transfer from Georgia Tech finished with six points on 20 minutes of game time before he fouled out with just over a minute left in the game.
At halftime, the Bobcats trailed the Chippewas 33-27 after it closed out the half 0-for-6 from the field. With just three minutes left, McDay hit a corner 3-pointer that capped off an 11-5 run and gave the Bobcats a one-point lead.
Ohio will travel to MAC East opponent Bowling Green on Saturday in an attempt to avenge an early-conference loss. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m.
