John Groce needs to look no further than Akron to see the magnitude of each Mid-American Conference game.
The Zips, who travel to Athens tonight, were victims of tough luck in their first two conference games, falling in overtime to Miami and losing to Buffalo by two
points.
He knows that record could easily read 3-0.
The margin for error in conference play is so small
Groce said.
Ohio (9-7, 2-1 MAC) had a chance to increase its division lead Saturday against Buffalo, but late-game turnovers cost the Bobcats a chance to gain breathing room in the MAC East.
We didn't have the competitive toughness we had during the winning streak Groce said of his team's loss. One of the biggest things about playing on the road is playing with poise.
The Bobcats have had no problem playing with poise at home, where they are 6-0.
But Akron wasn't fazed by this unblemished record last season, when they handed Ohio its only defeat at home. The loss is the Bobcats' only defeat at The Convo in their last 18 games.
Coach talked to us all week about getting swept (by Akron) last year guard Steven Coleman said.
Akron just beat Bowling Green, 62-52, on the road this Saturday.
To compete for a conference championship you have to be competitive on your home court
Groce said.
Ohio will have to compete against one of the stingiest defenses in the country. Akron has forced 293 turnovers and given the ball up 202 times, the fifth-best ratio in the nation.
The biggest challenge for Akron is that they pressure so much defensively
Groce said. They are very
very physical.
Road Warrior
Coleman had another impressive road game against the Bulls, scoring 16 points. This season, he's averaged 11.5 points per game on the road.
I like playing on the road
Coleman said. I like feeding off the opposing crowds.
Coleman has also improved his 3-point shooting lately, shooting 56.3 percent from 3-point range over his last four games. He was dropping just 28 percent from 3-point range prior to that stretch.
Tillman wins again
Ohio forward Jerome Tillman won MAC East Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. Tillman averaged 28 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games.
Tillman's solid week can be summed up in the 40-foot shot he made against Buffalo as the shot clock expired in the first half. It's since been uploaded to YouTube.
He has scored in double figures in 21 consecutive games and currently is 12th on the Ohio career-scoring list with 1,391 points.
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