Ohio has kept its win streak and its conference record in tact.
After losing a 14-point lead midway through the second half, Ohio held on late to topple Akron 69-63 in James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday night. It extended its winning streak to six games, while also snapping Akron’s own six-game win streak.
The Bobcats (11-2, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) are now sitting atop the MAC standings after clearing the first major hurdle of their conference slate. The win wasn’t pretty, however. The Bobcats almost blew a double-digit lead and were plagued by fouls throughout the second half.
Here are the numbers to know from Ohio’s win over Akron:
24
Mark Sears has time and time again proved he is Ohio’s offensive cornerstone. He’s scored in double figures in every game this season and has the best shooting percentage among the starting rotation. When Ohio needs points on the board, Sears is there to keep the offense rolling.
The point guard didn’t disappoint Tuesday. Sears ended the night with a game-high 24 points and added on eight rebounds. Over one-third of Ohio’s total points against Akron were scored by Sears. Tuesday was Sears’ fourth-straight game in which he scored 20 points or more, and his sixth overall this season. The sophomore also shot 57.1% from the field and was perfect on free throws.
14
The Bobcats once again faced their recurring problem of squandering leads late in the game. The Bobcats had built a 14-point lead midway through the second half, but their production dipped soon after. The Zips recovered, and tied the game after a six-minute, 21-7 surge.
Although Ohio held Akron to just three points in the final four minutes, it almost blew a lead it had held since the game began. It even lost control briefly after Akron’s Enrique Freeman sank a free throw. Ohio has cut games close after losing big leads before, but Tuesday almost ended in disaster.
12
For the first time this season, Ohio ran into definitive foul trouble. It had 12 fouls in the second half against Akron after amassing just seven before halftime. Sears, Jason Carter and Miles Brown all ended the night with three of more fouls, and Brown even fouled out with just over two minutes left in the game.
Ohio’s 19 fouls are the most it’s had in a game all season. While Akron was climbing out of a 14-point hole, Ohio tripped itself up.
100
Tuesday’s win was Ohio coach Jeff Boals’ 100th win as a head coach. 45 of Boals’ wins have been while coaching at Ohio, and he has an all-time win percentage of 59.9%.
Boals’ milestone win came at the right time. Ohio has won its first two conference games on the road, and it’s off to its best start to a season since 2011-12. What’s more, the win came against Akron, a team Ohio had only beaten once under Boals before Tuesday night.
The Bobcats are riding high early in conference play, and Tuesday’s win will only bolster their confidence.
