When the Ohio men's basketball team has been in a close game on the road, the outcome has been quite disappointing.
However, when the Bobcats (11-7 overall, 6-4 Mid-American Conference) battled Buffalo (13-6, 6-5) last night, the final score -92-90 -ended up in their favor despite 29 team fouls and 16 turnovers.
With their second road win of the season -their second in MAC play -and third straight MAC victory, the Bobcats move into a three-way tie with Kent State and Akron for second place in the MAC East Division behind first-place Miami.
Forward Sonny Troutman led the Bobcats in scoring with 21 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line and dishing out a career-tying seven assists. He also nabbed three steals and four rebounds.
One of Troutman's biggest plays was his defense on Buffalo's Turner Battle in the closing seconds of the game, preventing him from hoisting a game-tying shot.
Coach Tim O'Shea said he was impressed by all his players and how they played defense.
Everyone who played tonight really contributed to this win
and it helps when the shots are falling O'Shea said. I think this might have been Sonny's best game as a Bobcat. He hit some clutch shots during that rough stretch and (the) turn of events at the end of the game.
The game's score fluctuated all through the first half with Ohio having a nine-point lead after a little more than four minutes had gone by. After the first media timeout, the Bulls' lineup got beefed up as both 6-foot-10-inch post players entered the game.
Once the Bulls had size on their side, they tied the game before the score flip-flopped the rest of the half. Buffalo lost its biggest lead -four points -when guard Jeremy Fears tied the score before halftime at 41, thanks to his four points in the last minute of the half.
The second half started out similarly to the first: The Bobcats took the lead with Terren Harbut scoring the first seven points. The Bobcats found themselves in foul trouble early, though, as the Bulls stayed close.
But a brief Ohio run midway through the half off steals and transition baskets resulted in an 11-point lead with about five minutes left.
But the Bulls wouldn't go away. They continued to fight back, hitting some big shots and fouling Ohio to save the clock.
Buffalo got the game to 91-87 and fouled Harbut with 13 seconds left. He split the pair, but Buffalo's Calvin Cage hit a 3-pointer to bring the game within two at 92-90.
The Bulls again fouled Harbut with 4.4 seconds left, and this time he missed both free throws. Battle gobbled up the rebound and pushed the ball up the floor where he was met by Troutman, who kept Battle from getting off a shot before the clock ran out.
The Bobcat's leading scorer and current MAC East Player of the Week, Mychal Green, was held to nine points, but five 'Cats tallied double-figure scoring for the fifth time this season.
Behind Troutman were guard Jeff Halbert, who scored 17 and hit four-of-seven 3-pointers, and forward Leon Williams, who tacked his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.
Not only did the Bobcats pick up a vital road win, but they also are the first team to beat Buffalo at home in two months.
O'Shea was pleased with the win but is already focused on his team's next game.
Now we've got to be energized when we come out Saturday O'Shea said. I told the guys in the locker room that this is great to get a road win
but let's not give it away by losing at home.
The Bobcats will be back in action this Saturday when they face the West Division-leading Western Michigan in The Convo.
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Nick Miller
