For the first time since 2013, Ohio is headed to the Mid-American Conference tournament finals. What’s more is that it has upset every team along the way to get there. On Friday night, No. 5 Ohio inched out an 87-80 victory over No. 1 seeded Toledo in the tournament semifinals.
Here are some quick reactions to Ohio’s second win of the 2021 MAC Tournament:
Dynamic Duo
Jason Preston and Ben Vander Plas have been de facto commanders for the Bobcats this season. That showed no time more than against Toledo. The pair combined for 53 points against the Rockets, and both sank 11 shots from the field.
Preston and Vander Plas kicked Ohio into overdrive out of the gate, and the result was Ohio’s ticket to the finals.
Rebounds saved the day
Ohio has been working on its rebound game all year. After its loss to Kent State on Jan. 15, Ohio’s efforts were doubled down. It outrebounded every opponent it faced during its six-game win streak and continued that trend after it came back from its 21-day COVID break.
The Bobcats outrebounded the Rockets 42-33 and had kept them lagging behind in boards for most of the game. Coach Jeff Boals has been adamant that Ohio work against its rebound issue from earlier in the season, and it paid off against Toledo.
Upsets after breaks
After the three-week pause in operations due to COVID issues, Ohio dominated Akron and Eastern Michigan in two games in three days. After almost another two week break between its loss to Buffalo and the beginning of the MAC tournament, Ohio blew out Kent State and upset Toledo. Ohio is on a hot streak in Cleveland, but it leaves room to wonder when it will run out of steam.
Ohio was shut down by the Bulls after defeating the Zips and the Eagles. In the first three games of the season, the Bobcats lost to Illinois in the final seconds after stomping Chicago State and North Carolina A&T. If the trend continues, Ohio might be running out of the steam before the most important game of the season.
