While many Ohio men's basketball fans would like to think the Bobcats simply cannot fall to rival Miami for a third time this season, the 'Cats still will have their hands full tonight with a tough RedHawks squad.
Ohio's meeting with Miami is this season's third Battle of the Bricks
this time for keeps in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Although the RedHawks easily dispatched the Bobcats (18-10) in the first two meetings between the teams this season, the 'Cats want to prove that it is going to be difficult to put them away for a third straight time.
Obviously it is really tough to beat a team three times - I mean we were able to beat Buffalo three times last year and I think everyone remembers what happened and how hard it was guard Jeff Halbert said. We know every play they run they know everyone we run - there are no surprises.
Miami (18-9) was able to put a 73-59 beating on Ohio in The Convo and took care of the same struggling team in Millett Hall, 65-54, just 17 days later. The games were part of the mid-season funk the Bobcats fought through where their offense was missing in action.
But now, after two blowouts over Bowling Green and Central Michigan - the Bobcats won both games by a combined total of 66 points - Ohio seems to have found its stroke when it matters and is focused on carrying the momentum into Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.
We definitely have some momentum going for us; we are coming around now and if we shoot the ball well up there and get Leon going we certainly have a chance
coach Tim O'Shea said. Our returning players have the confidence that we can win this thing
because we have done it before - not every team up there can say that.
Despite the momentum and coaching rhetoric, O'Shea said he knows all about the beating a team three times clich+
but we did - sometimes teams are just better
O'Shea said. If they beat us three times in a row
hey
hats off to Charlie (Coles
Miami coach); they are just flat out better. The fact is we have a lot to prove Thursday night.
The players on the other hand know they need to take the same energy they have mustered in their last two games on the road for the tournament. Not only would a victory over Miami bring them one game closer to an automatic NCAA Tournament bid, but it would also snap the skid to their archrival.
I think we can keep the same kind of attitude in Cleveland. We want to keep growing in confidence
because we are MAC champs until we lose
