In Ohio’s (1-1) opening night loss to James Madison Monday, Ohio coach Jeff Boals called on three players to make up his second unit: juniors Elmore James and Ajay Sheldon and graduate student Vic Searls.
In the team’s home debut against UNC Asheville (0-2), Boals looked deeper, calling on his two freshmen to join his core eight, finding new energy that led to the team’s first win of the season. The Ohio second unit combined for 26 of the team’s 82 points, but the impact generated from the unit’s energy was the main takeaway for Boals.
“I thought our bench was really, really good,” Boals said. “I thought they brought great energy. You got three guys: Ajay Sheldon, Elmore James and Vic Searls who could easily all start, and I thought our two freshmen came in and they were prepared for this moment.”
James and Sheldon, the team’s duo of junior guards, were instant energy each time they came in. Alongside their combined 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting, the two contributed two steals apiece, playing hard on both ends of the court.
“We got to be able to pick up the starting five whenever we can,” James said. “Everybody knew we had to have better energy, especially after the loss to (James Madison), we all feel like we could have provided more of a push off the bench.”
James came into the game alongside Sheldon and Searls with just under 15 minutes left in the first half, and it didn’t take long for the trio to find their stride. Just two-and-a-half minutes after subbing in, Searls would get to the line, making both free throws. James then found his way to the paint for a layup and on the following possession, Sheldon hit AJ Clayton on the fastbreak for an assisted 3-point shot.
In the midst of all this, a milestone was achieved. Following Searls first free throw, freshman Elijah Elliott would check in for his first career minutes. Elliott did not score in five minutes on the court but provided tough defense at the guard spot.
After five points in quick succession from James, coming on two free throws and a 3-pointer, Ohio’s second freshman, Ayden Evans, would come in for a productive minute of play, his first collegiate minute.
Evans would get fouled on his first touch, failing to make both free throws. However, after grabbing a rebound at the other end and setting a screen for junior Jackson Paveletzke, the freshman would net his first career points on a dunk.
“(Elijah Elliott and Ayden Evans) didn’t play Monday, but they came back to work, they watched film, did some extra work and both of them were prepared for the opportunity,” Boals said. “Both of them gave us great minutes when they were in there, great energy, and they’re going to continue to get better and better.”
James and Sheldon would continue to cause havoc for UNC Asheville throughout the game with their defensive intensity and confidence on offense. In one of the loudest moments from The Convo crowd, just five seconds into Sheldon’s first second-half shift, he got a steal off his own turnover, ran to the right corner and drilled a three through a foul, putting Ohio up 10.
Ohio would go on to win, in large part due to the energy provided off the bench. The team’s core three reserves provided key moments and minutes, while Boals will have a lot to look forward to with the growth of his two freshmen, Elliott and Evans.
“Elmore, Ajay and Vic, those are core guys in the rotation, and any given night, one of them is going to step up and lead us in whatever (category),” Boals said. “And those two freshmen were impressive.”
