Ohio took its Senior Night on the chin when it lost to Akron 91-83 inside The Convo on Friday night.
The Bobcats failed to match Akron on the court. They fell behind thanks to an inefficient offense and a defense that couldn't counter a physically demanding Zips' lineup.
Here are a few fast reactions to Ohio's loss to Akron on Senior Night:
Shut down before halftime
The Bobcats' February schedule has been littered with sleepy starts after tipoff. The first half on Friday, however, is where those sleepy starts caught up with them.
The Bobcats couldn't find an angle of attack against the Zips. They rotated the ball amongst themselves to find an open look, but the few shots they did take rarely landed. Simple passes turned into sloppy turnovers. Mark Sears, Ohio's leading scorer, was 0-of-3 from the field before halftime.
Can't reciprocate
Ohio was shut down on offense, and it couldn't return the favor. Its defense, which has become the focal point to many of its wins, faltered against an Akron team that wasn't afraid to shove it around. The Zips fought in the lane and used their size to overextend the Bobcats. Ali Ali, who'd torn through the Bobcats in his first game against them in early January, scored 17 points before the break.
The Bobcats couldn't crack down. Akron shot 40% from beyond the arc in the first half and had plenty of open looks. The Bobcats needed to keep the Zips contained, but they couldn't keep up.
Cause for concern
When Ohio crashes, it crashes hard. Its last three losses have come against opponents that have all qualified for the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The postseason is a different set of circumstances, but Ohio's performance over the last two weeks raise concerns about its potential to make a run in the MAC Tournament.
Ohio needs to find a way to find a leg up over the top half of the MAC, or else it might make an early exit from Cleveland.
