Ohio’s record-tying start came to a screeching halt with three losses in four games to start the new year. But less than a month later, those losses seem like ancient history.
The Bobcats (19-4, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) earned their sixth consecutive win Saturday as they led from start to finish and dominated on defense in a 68-42 win against Central Michigan (7-15, 2-7 MAC).
Though shaky shooting from the start might have doomed past Bobcat teams, Ohio’s defense remained steady until its shooters could find their mark.
The Bobcats fired six 3-point attempts in the opening three minutes of the game, setting the tone for the remainder of the half.
Ohio took an early 9-1 lead after knocking down three of its first six attempts from behind the arc. But the Bobcats quickly lost their touch, and connected on only one of 14 3-point attempts the rest of the half.
Only 11 of Ohio’s 31 first-half field-goal attempts came from inside the arc.
The 4-for-20 performance looked good only when compared to that of the Chippewas, who connected on only one of 12 3-point attempts. Despite its shooting woes, Ohio’s defense did not waver as Central Michigan managed only 20 first-half points.
“I appreciate our guys staying mentally tough in the first half when some shots weren’t falling,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “For the most part, I didn’t notice us tying our effort on the defense end to making shots on the offensive end, which is a sign of maturity.”
After the break, the Bobcats put their first-half shooting performance behind them and started knocking down baskets. Ohio connected on seven of 10 second-half 3-point attempts, including four from junior Walter Offutt.
“It feels good to knock down a couple shots,” sophomore guard Nick Kellogg said. “Coach never tells us to turn down wide-open looks, so we kept shooting them and eventually they started falling.”
Ohio’s defense continued to dominate as it held Central Michigan to its lowest offensive output of the season and more than 20 points fewer than its season average.
It also marked the first time Ohio held an opponent to below 50 points since it beat Miami 54-42 on Mar. 12, 2010.
Ohio has scored 42 points or more in the first half five times this season.
“I thought we played close to a 40-minute game,” Groce said. “I felt good about our effort and our attitude throughout the 40 minutes. I thought it was more consistent than it has been in a while.”
During Wednesday’s win at Northern Illinois, Ohio led the Huskies by 20 points with only a few minutes to play but won by just nine points.
The Bobcats again held a 20-point second-half lead on Saturday, but this time they did not let it slip away.
“It was the same score at Northern Illinois,” Offutt said. “(Groce) wanted us to finish the game off strong. That’s one thing we struggled with last year, but I think we did a good job continuing to play even though we were up big.”
The win allowed the Bobcats to remain in second place in the MAC East, one game behind Akron.
An undefeated day for the MAC East against the MAC West on Saturday means that Ohio remains in a tie with Buffalo for the second overall seed in the conference.
ro137807@ohiou.edu
