After a difficult seven-game stretch going into and starting MAC play, Ohio (10-10, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) is quietly playing its best basketball of the season. Ohio's 71-64 win over Kent State (10-10, 3-5 MAC) marks the team's first road win of the season and its third win in four games.
Ohio's win was defined by a solid second-half performance where the team outscored Kent State 38-32. The Bobcats shot 48% in the second half and made six of their 14 3-point attempts. Ohio's defense, however, was what led the team to victory. The Bobcats gave up 32 points in each half and forced the Golden Flashes into committing 15 turnovers.
The Golden Flashes shot just 42% from the field for the game and went 4-for-23 on 3-point attempts for the game.
After taking a 33-32 lead into halftime, Ohio used scoring runs of 8-0 and 9-0 to create an 11-point advantage with 9 minutes to go in the game. The Golden Flashes responded with their own 8-0 run to get within one possession. Ohio then turned to senior Guard Jaylin Hunter to close the game. Hunter then scored 7 of the team's next 9 points, with a contested layup that put Ohio up 6 and a mid-range jumper to keep Ohio's layup at 5. Hunter's final field goal was potentially the play of the game.
After Miles Brown had his floater blocked by a Kent State player, Hunter came up with the rebound and made a 3-point jumper to put Ohio up 6 points with 1 minute, 30 seconds left in the game.
Kent State only managed 2 more points the rest of the game, and Ohio evened its MAC record with a 71-64 win.
Hunter finished the game as the leader in points for both teams with 17. Hunter made six of his 10 field goals on the night and added an additional five assists and rebounds. Aidan Hadaway continued his red-hot play as of late with 11 points and eight rebounds. Shereef Mitchell wasn't quite as efficient as Hunter, going 6-for-15 from the field, but still put up 16 points more impressively, though Mitchell tied a season-high with four steals.
Mitchell wasn't alone in creating havoc for Kent State's ball-handlers; Hadaway set his own season-high with three steals. As a team, Ohio's 11 steals were by far the most the team has had in MAC play.
Ohio has done more than steadied the ship with its most recent stretch of basketball, and with two home games in the coming week, the team can assert itself as a contender in the MAC.
