Tuesday was Ohio senior guard D.J. Cooper’s night and he wasn’t about to allow anyone to stand in his way.
Entering the game he needed just six points and one three-pointer to break a pair of illustrious records— 2,000 career points and 260 makes from downtown.
Cooper finished with 24 points on 5-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. His first triple gave him a personal record, his final make gave the Bobcats (22-8, 13-2 Mid-American Conference) a victory.
Down two points with 1:34 remaining, Cooper made a go-ahead three, which ended up being the difference in the game, as Ohio defeated Buffalo 72-69.
The Bobcats completed a comeback, finishing the game on a 9-0 run, capped by Cooper’s game-winner that added to an already memorable night for the senior.
“He’s is a special player, I've said it a million times. When he leaves, there's nobody coming back through the door like him for a while,” Ohio coach Jim Christian said. “It was a great night for him, because it's not easy to win seven road games, but him hitting another game-winning shot just adds to his legacy."
After talk building the entire season, Cooper also became the first player in NCAA Division I history to amass at least 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals.
“It’s a blessing to be healthy to play this many games,” Cooper said. “I’ve been playing since my freshman year without any injuries, so I want to thank the man upstairs for allowing me to stay healthy and have these opportunities.”
Aside from Cooper’s leadership in the first half, the Bobcats did not possess the lead during the first 12 minutes. Buffalo (12-18, 7-8 MAC) led by as much as 10 points to begin the game, before Ohio headed into halftime with a five-point lead after a 29-16 run.
The Bulls then scored the first five points of the second half to tie the game, but the Bobcats stretched their lead to nine points with nine minutes remaining. Buffalo then began to take control.
Ohio scored just five points over the next 5:42, allowing Buffalo to gain a four-point lead.
But Cooper, the man of the night, took the game into his hands and scored four of the Bobcats’ final six points to clinch the victory.
"It came down to getting stops,” Christian said. “We kept our composure, which is really good for us, because in these situations we haven't done that."
The Bobcats were out-rebounded 43-22. Aside from senior forward Reggie Keely’s six boards, no Bobcat grabbed more than two rebounds in the contest.
The Bobcats had troubles containing sophomore forward Will Regan, as he scored 20 points and grabbed eight boards. While junior forward Javon McCrea, who leads the MAC in scoring since the start of conference play, added 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Senior forward Ivo Baltic finished with 12 points, matching his combined total from the Bobcats’ previous four games — marking the first time he’s finished in double-digits since Jan. 23.
“Ivo's a good player and we just had to keep him going,” Christian said. “He's one of those guys that once he hits a couple you can see his confidence growing and he played a good game.”
Sophomore guard Stevie Taylor also provided a noticeable spark off the bench for the Bobcats, though he finished with just six points.
Ohio has now won six consecutive games against Buffalo and has just one game remaining Saturday before the MAC Tournament.
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