Even with a big home game on the horizon, the bitter taste of what they've done ' or not done ' on the road has been tough to get rid of for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats will take on the Mid-American Conference West's best Toledo Rockets tonight in The Convo, a place where they know they can compete with any team. It's just their performance away from Athens, not their biggest home game of the season to date, that seems to be the top concern on Bobcats players' minds.
We just have to pick up our energy
guard Bubba Walther said. It'll be easy (tonight) with it being a home game and a team undefeated in the conference coming in but we need to learn how pick it up on the road and play as a team.
Sunday's 69-57 loss at Ball State marked the team's fifth consecutive road loss. The Bobcats' only road win of the season came Dec. 6 at St. Bonaventure, but more importantly, they still remain winless in the conference.
With Akron and Kent State having won this weekend, the Bobcats are now tied for third in the East Division with Miami, a team that already has beat them this season. If the MAC tournament were to start today, Ohio would not receive a first-round bye, something coach Tim O'Shea doesn't see as attainable after his team's conference road struggles.
We've put ourselves in a bit of a hole here
O'Shea said. Coming off a year where they surprised many by making it to the MAC tournament championship game, Toledo (11-8, 7-0 MAC) has all but clinched the MAC West midway through its conference schedule. The Rockets are the only undefeated team in the entire conference and hold a three-game lead over second-place Western Michigan in a weak West division.
I think they've thought that this is their year all along
O'Shea said.
Walther found it difficult to compare Toledo to anyone he's faced so far this year, but knows the Bobcats will have to play tough defense against the sharp-shooting Rockets.
They're all fast
Walther said. We'll definitely have to pick up our perimeter defense. It seems like every game somebody on the perimeter is killing us.
Toledo is led by outside threats Keonta Howell and Justin Ingram and forward Florentino Valencia. The trio, all seniors, account for nearly 45 points per game. Junior guard Kashif Payne also has given the Rockets a boost recently, as he was named MAC West Player of the Week Monday for his strong performance in Toledo's two wins last week.
No matter how tough an opposing team seems, the Bobcats always seem to put their best effort together when they play in The Convo ' a place where they have yet to leave without a victory this season.
Something will have to give tonight. Either the Bobcats' home-winning streak or the Rockets' conference winning streak will come to an end. Guard Stephen King said he thinks the advantage goes to the Bobcats.We just got to build on the fact that we haven't lost a game in The Convo
King said. I think we stack up well against them.
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