Jaaron Simmons tied a school record held by D.J. Cooper with 17 assists in Ohio's win over Toledo.
Jaaron Simmons said he had been wanting everyone to get involved in the Bobcats’ offense this year.
Tuesday night against Toledo, that's exactly what happened.
Simmons tied Ohio’s assist record previously held by guard D.J. Cooper, who recorded 17 assists against Marshall on Jan. 5, 2013, during the Bobcats 81-79 win against the Zips. His 17 assists are the most in the NCAA this season.
Simmons finished the game with 12 points and five rebounds to go along with his assists.
Cooper — arguably the best guard to ever come out of Ohio — leads Ohio in all-time career assists with 934.
Cooper holds the season record for 264 assists in a year, but Simmons could challenge that mark this year. Simmons has 165 in 19 games and still has 11 left this season.
Simmons said his teammates “hit everything” Tuesday at Savage Arena. The Bobcats (12-7, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) shot 55 percent from the field.
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“I would’ve never been able to get 17 assists without them knocking down all those shots and finishing plays around the rim,” Simmons said.
Simmons' masterful work helped Ohio snap a three-game road losing streak in the MAC as he sparked a 15-0 run to begin the second half.
But Toledo, led by MAC leading scorers Nathan Boothe and Jonathan Williams, began to decay what once looked like surefire win for Ohio. Boothe and Williams finished the game with 21 points, respectively.
Toledo eventually knotted the game at 74 apiece, clawing back from a 22-point Ohio lead, with Simmons and company winning in a fashion contrast to how they began the second half — with defense.
Eventually going up 81-77 with two seconds left in the second half, Ohio Treg Setty fouled Toledo’s Jaelen Sanford on a 3-point attempt. Sanford would sink two free throws before his final free throw rimmed out and the Zips recovered the offensive rebound.
Williams would shoot a 3-pointer for a buzzer-beating win, but the shot rimmed out and gave Ohio its first win on the road in conference play this season.
“This suit needs to go to the dry cleaners,” Ohio coach Saul Phillips said. “I was relieved that we were able to get the stops down the stretch.”
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But after frustrations on the road, Simmons' double-double night propelled the Bobcats into a comfortable position within the MAC, and now Ohio returns home for a three-game home stretch.
@Lukeoroark
Lr514812@ohio.edu
