Ohio (6-10, 1-4 MAC) came into Muncie in desperate need of its first Mid-American Conference win, and they did so, beating Ball State 82-73.
MUNCIE, Indiana — Stevie Taylor tried to hide his smile after Ohio’s 82-73 victory against Ball State on Wednesday in order to keep an even head in the post-game news conference.
It’s something that hadn’t been seen in weeks — if not all season — from the senior guard, especially during Ohio’s four-game losing streak to start Mid-American Conference play.
The Bobcats (6-10, 1-4 MAC) picked up their first conference win of the season against the Cardinals, which doubled as their first true road victory.
But after Ball State (7-9, 2-3 MAC) took a 10-3 lead just five minutes into the game, the Bobcats had to fight back as a group.
Senior guard Javarez “Bean” Willis said everyone did what they were supposed to do, which he said usually translates to a win.
“When you lose four in a row, at some point you’ve got to get fed up with it,” Willis said. “I think today we were on board. Everyone knew what they had to do … everyone played their role today.”
Shortcomings at the guard position had become an issue for in the recent past for Ohio — so much of a problem that coach Saul Phillips was asked after the loss to Bowling Green whether he had thought about putting freshman Ryan Taylor in at point guard.
But Wednesday, the Bobcats — led by Willis and Stevie Taylor — silenced all echoes from the first four MAC games when they hit over 60 percent of their shots taken, including 70 percent of their 3-pointers.
Willis and Taylor, who started the season as a duo in the backcourt, combined for 45 points and hit a combined 10 of 12 3-pointers, while combining for at least six assists apiece. Willis had a game-high 27 points and hit seven 3-pointers, while Stevie Taylor was perfect (3-for-3) from beyond the arc and added a game-high seven assists.
Stevie, who missed just one of eight shots taken, said he felt like his “old self” again.
“Ball State is definitely good defensively, but I think after a while me and Bean got in a rhythm,” he said. “Once you get in a rhythm, it’s hard to stop that.
“With us two on the top, you’ve got to respect the drive and you also have to respect the 3-point shot … but if you help too much, we can kick it to one another or kick it to one of our open teammates.”
Phillips praised the play of his seniors — Willis, Taylor and forward Maurice Ndour — who each ended up with 10 or more points. Phillips said they proved they were “sick of losing.”
But as Phillips said, his team’s best change came from its defensive intensity, highlighted by the fact that the Bobcats forced 12 turnovers and capitalized in transition on many of them.
The Bobcats’ selfishness of facilitating the ball around the floor sure didn’t hurt either.
“A lot of guys created for other guys tonight,” Phillips said. “Twenty assists, that’s a big number for us, or for anybody.
“I’ve been begging these guys to help one another and not worry about yourself as much.”
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