This report was compiled prior to Wednesday night’s win. As of Thursday, Jan. 25, Ohio is now 1-8 following its victory over Central Michigan.
Ohio has not won a road game this season. It is currently 0-8 when playing away from The Convo.
You will have to go back to Feb. 1, 2023, to find the last time Ohio won a game on the road. That game was against Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Ohio secured its victory by a margin of 10 points, thanks, in part, to now-Baylor guard Yaya Felder’s 24 points for Ohio.
This year’s squad is much different from those in previous years in more ways than one. Last year’s team won six games, two of which came at home and the other four on the road. This year’s team also returned only seven players from the 2022-23 roster, allowing opportunities for fresh faces — both transfers and freshmen — to come in and impact the team in a major way.
As of Tuesday, this year's team sits at 5-11, only two wins away from improving on the win total from last year. Ohio has had success shooting the ball in a major way this season; in previous games, the coaching staff has constructed impactful game plans on defense that have helped the team win. However, so far on the road this season, the team has not been able to steal a game at an opponent's arena, so why is that?
A few things jump out when looking at some advanced stats comparing the team’s play at home and away. The first issue is the team’s turnover percentage when away from Athens. Taking care of the ball has been a problem all year for the Bobcats, but the issue becomes worse when playing on the road. Turnover percentage weighs the number of possessions that end in a turnover; in eight home games this year, the team has a turnover percentage of 19.4%. The difference is made clear when comparing that number to the 27.3% turnover percentage on the road.
The other glaring statistic is the difference in points per possession when looking at the team’s games on the road and at home. Per Synergy Sports, Ohio averages .713 points per possession this season. The stat becomes even more intriguing when splitting up the road and home games. In all eight of the Bobcats’ games at The Convo this season, they have reached their average number of points per possession in every home game but one, the game against Indiana State, where they won with a points per possession average of .710. Ohio failed to reach the .700 benchmark in every road game but one. The only road game it reached .700 points per possession was in a loss against Kent State.
Averaging a turnover on more than a quarter of your possessions is not a recipe for winning games. Thankfully for the Bobcats, their turnover issue has been getting better lately, posting a modest 21.5% turnover percentage over their last two road games.
As for the points per possession statistic, it gives an insight into how efficiently a team is using their possessions. On the road, it is clear that Ohio is not getting the most out of its time with the ball, thus allowing opposing teams to take advantage of transition opportunities off either turnovers or missed shots.
Ohio still has a lot of games left this season, and if they can fix their problems on the road, they will secure a victory away from Athens in no time.
