If the Ohio men's basketball team's heart continues to get broken, it will take all the king's horses and all the king's men to put it back together again.
The Bobcats, however, haven't fallen off a great wall, and they don't live in a world of nursery rhymes. They live in a world where last-second shots never roll their way and critical possessions always go awry.
Saturday night was no different when the Bobcats (8-7 overall, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) fell to the MAC East-leading Miami RedHawks (10-5, 5-2 MAC), 59-57, in Millett Hall.
The game had everything a great college basketball rivalry should have: runs, droughts, tough defense and an entertaining 17-point comeback by the Bobcats.
Coach Tim O'Shea said he was pleased with his team's play down the stretch.
We couldn't have played any better in the last five minutes
O'Shea said. Even though we couldn't score for a while we did a good job staying in the game with our defense.
The score was close throughout the first half with the teams trading a small lead. The Bobcats were down by five late in the first half, but clawed their way back. Guard Mychal Green hit a long three with a second left before the break, tying the game at 28-28.
The game was blown open in the second half when Miami went on a 23-2 run in which the RedHawks kept the Bobcats scoreless for more than seven minutes.
That's the nature of college basketball O'Shea said. It's a game of energy and runs; it also shows how difficult it is to play on the road.
With six minutes left and the team down by 17, the Bobcats sprung into one of their typical second-half comebacks. The 'Cats utilized their full-court press and began forcing turnovers.
Forward Sonny Troutman scored six of his eight points in the comeback, which he started and finished with a pair of free throws. Green also put in five of his team-high 19 points in span of four seconds. Guard Jeremy Fears and forward Leon Williams also hit big shots and free throws to tie the game with 57 seconds left.
Miami's last possession used almost the entire 35-second shot clock before Fears knocked the ball loose in the paint where two other Bobcats teammates touched the ball before it wound up in guard Chet Mason's hand under the basket. Mason then laid the ball in, putting the pressure back on the Bobcats.
Ohio used a timeout and ran a play for Green, but his 3-pointer was off the mark and rebounded by Miami forward Danny Horace, who then turned over the ball with two seconds left. Ohio used another timeout as O'Shea and assistant coach John Rhodes set up the last play.
Troutman inbounded the ball with a skip pass across the court to Green, where he pump-faked his defender, giving him an open 3-pointer and a potential win. The ball was on the mark, but rimmed out as the time expired, leaving the Bobcats with another loss on the last possession.
Forward Terren Harbut had the responsibility of guarding Horace, one of the top scorers and rebounders in the MAC. Harbut picked up four fouls but contained Horace to nine points. Harbut scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds.
I enjoyed the tough match-up; it was a big challenge to play a strong and physical game with him
Harbut said.
The team kept working too. The fear of losing got to us
and we all started playing even harder to get back in the game.
Williams and Fears had 10 points and Troutman added another eight to the Bobcats' effort. The only non-starter to score for Ohio was guard Diamond Gladney with two points.
The Bobcats will return home to play Toledo on Wednesday and Bowling Green on Saturday.
Our schedule turns a bit for us now
O'Shea said. Seven of our next 12 games will be in The Convo
even though we play the iron of the league. It'll be an interesting challenge.
Ohio will be looking to redeem itself after the loss and maybe catch a break.
So far this season we haven't had these late shots fall for us
and we definitely haven't been the luckiest team
O'Shea said. Things are bound to turn around for us
and it's time for us to catch some breaks.
